IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,544,415
Granted Patent B2
US 11,544,415 · App. 16/716,669 · Granted Jan 3, 2023

Context-aware obfuscation and unobfuscation of sensitive content

Inventor: Manbinder Pal Singh (Coral Springs, FL)
Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc.
G06F21/84G06F21/629G06F21/6254G06F2221/031
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,544,415
App. No.
16/716,669
Filed
Dec 17, 2019
Granted
Jan 3, 2023
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2499
USPC
726/26
Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for context-aware obfuscation and unobfuscation of sensitive content in the display of the sensitive content. An example methodology implementing the techniques includes receiving content for display, the content including metadata indicative of a location of at least one item of sensitive content within the received content, and determining at least one contextual factor. The method also includes, responsive to a determination to obfuscate the item of sensitive content based on the at least one contextual factor, displaying the item of sensitive content in obfuscated form. The method may also include, responsive to a determination to not obfuscate the item of sensitive content based on at least one contextual factor, displaying a non-obfuscated version of the item of sensitive content.

Claims (43)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, content for display, the content including at least one identified item of sensitive content within the content;

receiving, by the computing device, metadata associated with the content, the metadata is indicative of coordinates of a position of the at least one identified item of sensitive content within the received content and at which to obfuscate display of the at least one identified item of sensitive content;

determining, by the computing device, at least one contextual factor; and

responsive to a determination to obfuscate the at least one identified item of sensitive content based on the at least one contextual factor, causing, by the computing device, displaying of the at least one identified item of sensitive content in obfuscated form based on the coordinates.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the at least one identified item of sensitive content in obfuscated form includes applying an overlay with distortion effects, applying a transformation, adding an artifact, or redacting the at least one identified item of sensitive content.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the at least one contextual factor includes detecting another user being physically proximate to the computing device based on a security zone associated with the computing device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein detecting the presence of another user in physical proximity to the computing device includes detecting presence within the security zone.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, responsive to a determination to not obfuscate the at least one identified item of sensitive content based on at least one contextual factor, displaying a non-obfuscated version of the at least one identified item of sensitive content.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying, via the computing device, a non-obfuscated version of the at least one identified item of sensitive content within an application window, and wherein determining the at least one contextual factor includes detecting a timeout of an inactivity timer associated with the application window.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one identified item of sensitive content is displayed in obfuscated form and the method further comprises:

responsive to a request to unobfuscate the at least one identified item of sensitive content being displayed in obfuscated form,

authenticating the request to unobfuscate the at least one identified item of sensitive content; and

displaying of the at least one identified item of sensitive content to be readable.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable medium encoding instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause a process to be carried out, the process comprising:

receiving content for display, the content including at least one identified item of sensitive content within the content;

receiving metadata associated with the content, the metadata is indicative of coordinates of a position of the at least one identified item of sensitive content within the received content and at which to obfuscate display of the at least one identified item of sensitive content;

determining at least one contextual factor; and

responsive to a determination to obfuscate the at least one identified item of sensitive content based on the at least one contextual factor, causing, by one of the one or more processors, displaying of the at least one identified item of sensitive content in obfuscated form based on the coordinates.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein displaying the at least one identified item of sensitive content in obfuscated form includes applying an overlay with distortion effects to the at least one identified item of sensitive content.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein displaying the at least one identified item of sensitive content in obfuscated form includes applying a transformation to the at least one identified item of sensitive content.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein displaying the at least one identified item of sensitive content in obfuscated form includes redacting the at least one identified item of sensitive content.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein determining the at least one contextual factor includes detecting another user being physically proximate to a computing device being used to display the item of sensitive content based on a security zone associated with the computing device.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein detecting the presence of another user in physical proximity to the computing device includes detecting presence within the security zone.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8 , the process further comprising, responsive to a determination to not obfuscate the at least one identified item of sensitive content based on at least one contextual factor, displaying a non-obfuscated version of the at least one identified item of sensitive content.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8 , the process further comprising displaying of the at least one identified item of sensitive content to be readable within an application window, and wherein determining the at least one contextual factor includes detecting a timeout of an inactivity timer associated with the application window.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the at least one identified item of sensitive content is displayed in obfuscated form, the process further comprising:

responsive to a request to unobfuscate the at least one identified item of sensitive content displayed in obfuscated form,

authenticating the request to unobfuscate the at least one identified item of sensitive content; and

displaying a non-obfuscated version of the at least one identified item of sensitive content.

17. A system comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors in communication with the memory and configured to:

receive content for display, the content including at least one identified item of sensitive content within the content;

receive metadata associated with the content, the metadata is indicative of coordinates of a position of the at least one identified item of sensitive content within the received content and at which to obfuscate display of the at least one identified item of sensitive content;

determine at least one contextual factor; and

responsive to a determination to obfuscate the at least one identified item of sensitive content based on the at least one contextual factor, cause one of the one or more processors to display the at least one identified item of sensitive content in obfuscated form based on the coordinates.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein to determine the at least one contextual factor includes to detect another user being physically proximate to a computing device being used to display the at least one identified item of sensitive content.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more processors in communication with the memory is further configured to, responsive to a determination to not obfuscate the at least one identified item of sensitive content based on at least one contextual factor, cause a non-obfuscated version of the at least one identified item of sensitive content to be displayed.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one identified item of sensitive content is displayed in obfuscated form, the one or more processors in communication with the memory further configured to:

responsive to a request to unobfuscate the at least one identified item of sensitive content being displayed in obfuscated form,

authenticate the request to unobfuscate the at least one identified item of sensitive content; and

cause a non-obfuscated version of the at least one identified item of sensitive content to be displayed.

Assignments (9)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 15, 2025
From: CLOUD SOFTWARE GROUP, INC.; CITRIX SYSTEMS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072488/0172 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 24, 2024
From: CLOUD SOFTWARE GROUP, INC. (F/K/A TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.); CITRIX SYSTEMS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 067662/0568 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 14, 2023
From: CLOUD SOFTWARE GROUP, INC. (F/K/A TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.); CITRIX SYSTEMS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 063340/0164 →
RELEASE AND REASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT (REEL/FRAME 062113/0001) Recorded Apr 14, 2023
From: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: CITRIX SYSTEMS, INC.; CLOUD SOFTWARE GROUP, INC. (F/K/A TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.)
Reel/Frame 063339/0525 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 7, 2022
From: TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.; CITRIX SYSTEMS, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 062112/0262 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 7, 2022
From: TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.; CITRIX SYSTEMS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 062113/0470 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 7, 2022
From: TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.; CITRIX SYSTEMS, INC.
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 062113/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2022
From: CITRIX SYSTEMS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 062079/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 18, 2019
From: SINGH, MANBINDER PAL
To: CITRIX SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051321/0087 →
Continuity (1)
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