Method, Device, and System for Providing Privacy for Communications

A method of outputting content of a message or communication session comprising:

• setting a privacy indicator that is applicable to a first communication to be received by a communication terminal of an addressee of the first communication based on input received from a sender of the first communication such that a privacy indicator is included in a header of a message of the first communication to indicate that content of the first communication includes private information and should be output in accordance with a privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator in the header of the message prior to the first communication being sent to the communication terminal;
• receiving, by the communication terminal, the first communication;
• determining, by the communication terminal, that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication based on the privacy indicator of the message;
• outputting content of the first communication in accordance with the privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator via the communication terminal in response to determining that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication;
• wherein:
• the addressee of the first communication is a user associated with the communication terminal, and
• the outputting of content of the first communication in accordance with the privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator via the communication terminal in response to determining that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication comprises:
• (i) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly via at least one ear bud or a headphone device when the communication terminal is connected to the headphone device or at least one ear bud such that content is output via the at least one ear bud or the headphone device instead of a speaker of the communication terminal regardless of whether any person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is determined to be within the pre-specified distance;
• and
• upon determining that the headphone device is not connected to the communication terminal and the ear bud is not connected to the communication terminal and that there is not a person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is within the pre-specified distance:
• (ii) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly in response to determining that no other person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is determined to be within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal.

A communication terminal, comprising:

• a processor communicatively connected to a non-transitory computer readable medium, the non-transitory computer readable medium having an application stored thereon, the application defining a method that is performed by the communication terminal when the processor runs the application such that the communication terminal is configured to:
• determine that a privacy indicator applies to a received first communication based on a privacy indicator included in a header of a message of the first communication received by the communication terminal and to determine that the privacy indicator indicates that content of the first communication includes private information and should be output in accordance with a privacy setting identified via the privacy indicator, and
• output content of the first communication in accordance with the privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator in response to determining that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication;
• wherein:
• an addressee of the first communication is a user associated with the communication terminal, and
• the output of content of the first communication in accordance with the privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator in response to determining that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication is configured to comprise:
• determining, by the communication terminal, whether there is at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal within a pre-specified distance of the communication terminal prior to the outputting of the content of the first communication such that an identification of the at least one person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal that is within the pre-specified distance is determinable by the communication terminal;
• (i) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly via at least one ear bud or a headphone device when the communication terminal is connected to the headphone device or at least one ear bud such that content is output via the at least one ear bud or the headphone device instead of a speaker of the communication terminal regardless of whether any person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is determined to be within the pre-specified distance;
• and
• upon determining that the headphone device is not connected to the communication terminal and the ear bud is not connected to the communication terminal and that a person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is within the pre-specified distance:
• (ii) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly in response to determining that no other person who is not the user associated with the communication terminal is determined to be within the pre-specified distance of the communication terminal.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having an application stored thereon, the application defining a method that is performed by a communication device when a processor of the communication device runs the application, the method comprising:

• setting a privacy indicator that is applicable to a first communication to be received by a communication device of an addressee of the first communication based on input received from a sender of the first communication such that a privacy indicator is included in a header of a message of the first communication to indicate that content of the first communication includes private information and should be output in accordance with a privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator in the header of the message prior to the first communication being sent to the communication device;
• in response to receiving the first communication, the communication device determining that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication based on the privacy indicator of the message;
• outputting content of the first communication in accordance with the privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator via the communication device in response to determining that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication;
• wherein:
• the addressee of the first communication is a user associated with the communication device, and
• the outputting of content of the first communication in accordance with the privacy setting identified by the privacy indicator via the communication device in response to determining that the privacy indicator applies to the received first communication comprises:
• (i) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly via at least one ear bud or a headphone device when the communication device is connected to the headphone device or at least one ear bud such that content is output via the at least one ear bud or the headphone device instead of a speaker of the communication device regardless of whether any person who is not the user associated with the communication device is determined to be within the pre-specified distance;
• and
• upon determining that the headphone device is not connected to the communication device and the ear bud is not connected to the communication device and that there is not a person who is not the user associated with the communication device is within the pre-specified distance:
• (ii) permitting output of content of the first communication audibly in response to determining that no other person who is not the user associated with the communication device is determined to be within the pre-specified distance of the communication device.