US 2011/0213845 A1 · AUTOMATIC DELETION OF ELECTRONIC MESSAGES

Abstract

A system and method are provided for automatically deleting messages such as e-mail upon consumption by the recipient. Consumption by the recipient may include viewing the message, forwarding or replying to the message, or archiving, saving, copying, or moving the message. An indicator is inserted in the message, for example in the message header or body, indicating that the message is to be deleted upon detection of a triggering consumption action. Upon receipt at the recipient's mail client, the client determines whether the indicator is present, and, upon detection of a triggering consumption action, automatically closes any views of the message displayed by the recipient's mail client and deletes the message. Optionally a warning is provided to the recipient prior to deletion.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A system for handling a message received at a communication device, the system comprising:

a memory for storing the message upon receipt at the communication device;
and
a processor configured to:
determine that the message comprises an indicator that the message is to be deleted upon detection of a first consumption-related triggering event;
detect an occurrence of said triggering event;
and
delete the message from the memory upon detection of the occurrence of said triggering event.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automatic deletion of electronic messages

Life of this patent

Automatic deletion of electronic messages

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21