# US 8,788,595 B2 · Methods, systems, and computer program products for instant messaging > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,788,595 B2 - Document ID: US8788595B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/276,750 - Filed: 2008-11-24 - Published: 2010-05-27 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2008-11-24 - Assignees: The MITRE Corporation - Applicants: Jason Sturgill Giovannelli - Inventors: Jason Sturgill Giovannelli - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8788595B2 ## CPC - H04L 51/212: using filtering or selective blocking - H04L 51/04: Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] - H04L 51/23: Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting - H04L 67/565: Conversion or adaptation of application format or content (adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Systems, methods and computer program products for monitoring the receipt of instant messages between two or more participants in a messaging environment are described herein. An embodiment of the invention operates by receiving a message from a sender. The message is displayed in a chat client of a recipient. Such message is displayed in an encrypted form to prevent human intelligible display of the message. An indication of selection of the message by the recipient is received. Thereafter, the message is displayed in the chat client in an unencrypted form, and an acknowledgement is sent to the sender. The sender updates a message status identifier by filling the message status identifier with a color or updating an icon or any other visual cue or identifier, uniquely identifying the message recipient, to thereby note the selection of the message by the recipient. In this way, the recipient of a message must select the message in order to view the message in its unencrypted form. When the recipient selects the message with a mouse pointer or any other interaction method, an acknowledgement is sent to the sender, indicating that the message has been viewed by the recipient. This prevents an assumption by the sender that the message has been viewed by the recipient until it is actually viewed in its unencrypted form. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer implemented method for controlling viewing of instant messages, comprising: receiving a message from a sender; displaying the message in a human unintelligible form in a chat client of a recipient; requesting a biometric identification of the recipient; transmitting the biometric identification from the recipient to the sender together with an indication of selection and decryption of the displayed message having the human unintelligible form by the recipient, without regard to the recipient's viewing and reading of content in said message, the indication being a visual identifier distinct from the message that is lighted with a different color responsive to each recipient; and displaying the message in the chat client of the recipient in a human intelligible form. ### Claim 2 A computer implemented method for monitoring viewing of instant messages, comprising: sending, by a sender, a message to a recipient, wherein the message is displayed in a human unintelligible form in a chat client of the recipient; and receiving a biometric identification from the recipient by the sender together with an indication of selection and decryption of the displayed message having the human unintelligible form by the recipient, without regard to the recipient's viewing and reading of content in the message, the indication being a visual identifier distinct from the message that is lighted with a different color responsive to each recipient. ### Claim 3 A computer-based system for controlling viewing of instant messages in a chat, comprising: one or more memories; a hardware processor coupled to the one or more memories; a first module executed by the hardware processor and configured to receive a message from a sender; a second module executed by the hardware processor and configured to display the message in a human unintelligible form to a recipient; a third module executed by the hardware processor and configured to receive a request for a biometric identification of the recipient; a fourth module executed by the hardware processor and configured to transmit the biometric identification from the recipient to the sender together with an indication of selection and decryption of the displayed message having the human unintelligible form by the recipient, without regard to the recipient's viewing and reading of content in the message, the indication being a visual identifier distinct from the message that is lighted with a different color responsive to each recipient; and a fifth module executed by the hardware processor and configured to display the message in the chat client of the recipient in a human intelligible form and wherein the first module, the second module, the third module, the forth module and the fifth module are stored in the one or more memories. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the selection comprises a selection of the message using a mouse pointer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising updating a message status identifier associated with the recipient upon the receiving. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the updating comprises inserting a time at which the message was selected by the recipient. ### Claim 7 A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon, the computer logic when executed by a processor enabling controlling viewing of instant messages according to a method, the method comprising: receiving a message from a sender; displaying the message in a human unintelligible form in a chat client of a recipient; requesting a biometric identification of the recipient; transmitting the biometric identification from the recipient to the sender together with an indication of selection and decryption of the displayed message having the human unintelligible form by the recipient, without regard to the recipient's viewing and reading of content in the message, the indication being a visual identifier distinct from the message that is lighted with a different color responsive to each recipient; and displaying the message in the chat client of the recipient in a human intelligible form. ### Claim 8 A computer-based system for monitoring viewing of instant messages, comprising: one or more memories; a hardware processor coupled to the one or more memories; a first module executed by the hardware processor and configured to send a message from a sender to a recipient, wherein the message is displayed in a human unintelligible form in a chat client of the recipient; and a second module executed by the hardware processor and configured to receive a biometric information from the recipient by the sender together with an indication of selection and decryption of the displayed message having the human unintelligible form by the recipient, without regard to the recipient's viewing and reading of content in the message, the indication being a visual identifier distinct from the message that is lighted with a different color responsive to each recipient and wherein the first module and the second module are stored in the one or more memories. ### Claim 9 A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon, the computer logic when executed by a processor enabling monitoring viewing of instant messages according to a method, the method comprising: sending a message from a sender to a recipient, wherein the message is displayed in a human unintelligible form in a chat client of the recipient; and receiving a biometric identification from the recipient by the sender together with an indication of selection and decryption of the displayed message having the human unintelligible form by the recipient, without regard to the recipient's viewing and reading of content in the message, the indication being a visual identifier distinct from the message that is lighted with a different color responsive to each recipient. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The computer program product of claim 9, the method further comprising updating a message status identifier associated with the recipient upon the receiving. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computer program product of claim 10, the updating comprising inserting a time at which the message was selected by the recipient.