Message Service Indication System and Method
Systems and methods for operation upon a data processing device for handling messages with different levels of security, are provided herein. A method for operation upon a data processing device for handling messages with different levels of security includes examining an attribute of a message received over a network in order to determine a security-related level associated with the message, generating a visual indication for display to a device user that is indicative of the determined security-related level, wherein the generated visual indication is applied to a displayed portion of text associated with the message, and changing the visual indication when the message viewed.
1 . A method for operation upon a data processing device for handling messages with different levels of security, comprising:
examining an attribute of a message received over a network in order to determine a security-related level associated with the message;
generating a visual indication for display to a device user that is indicative of the determined security-related level, wherein the generated visual indication is applied to a displayed portion of text associated with the message; and
changing the visual indication when the message viewed.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the device is a wireless mobile communications device that receives messages over a wireless communication network.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a security-related level includes at least a security type selected from the group of: a confidential security-related level, a sensitive security-related level, a secret security-related level, and an unrestricted security-related level.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a first visual indication generated for a first security level is visually different than a second visual indication generated for a second security level.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the visual indication is selected from the group of: changing a non-view-obstructing background of a device display to indicate the security-related level associated with a message, changing a background pattern of the device display to include a series of stripes whose intensity varies over time, changing a font size of the message text to indicate the security-related level associated with the message, and a combination thereof.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a first message is provided to the device from a first network, wherein a second message is provided to the device from a second network, wherein the first and second networks have different security degrees, wherein the examined message attribute is a network that provided the message, wherein the visual indication is indicative of a degree of security associated with the network which provided the message to the device.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a first message is provided to the device from a first server, wherein a second message is provided to the device from a second server, wherein the first and second servers have different security degrees, wherein the examined message attribute is a server that provided the message, wherein the visual indication is indicative of a degree of security associated with the server which provided the message to the device.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a first message is provided to the device from a first sender, wherein a second message is provided to the device from a second sender, wherein identities of the first and second senders have different security degrees, wherein the examined message attribute includes a sender identity, wherein the visual indication is indicative of a degree of security associated with the sender of the message to the device.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein information about the security-related level of a message attribute is stored on a data store on the device and update data is provided by an administrator over a data communication link to the device, wherein the update data is used to update the information stored on the device related to handling the security-related level of the message attribute.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the administrator provides visual indication settings to the device, wherein the settings indicate visual characteristics that are to be altered when handling messages from different sources.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the administrator provides visual indication settings to multiple devices owned by a company, wherein the settings indicate visual characteristics that are to be altered when handling messages from different sources.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual indication is generated responsive to content of a subject line associated with the message.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein multiple visual indications are generated for a message for display on the device, wherein a first visual indication designates a security-related level associated with a first message attribute and a second visual indication designates a security-related level associated with a second message attribute when the message is displayed to a user.
14 . A data processing device for handling messages with different levels of security, comprising:
a receiver configured to receive a message via a network;
security logic instructions configured to examine an attribute of the message to determine a security-related level associated with the message; and
user interface logic instructions configured to generate a visual indication for display to a device user and to be responsive to the determined security-related level associated with the message, wherein the generated visual indication is applied to a displayed portion of text associated with the message, wherein the generated visual indication is applied when the message is displayed.
15 . The device of claim 14 , wherein the data processing device is a wireless mobile communications device that receives messages over a wireless communication network.
16 . The device of claim 14 , wherein the security-related level includes at least a security type selected from the group of: a confidential security-related level, a sensitive security-related level, a secret security-related level, and an unrestricted security-related level.
17 . The device of claim 14 , wherein a first visual indication generated for a first security level is visually different than a second visual indication generated for a second security level.
18 . The device of claim 17 , wherein the visual indication generated is selected from the group of: changing background of a device display to indicate the security-related level associated with a message; changing a background pattern of the device display to include a series of stripes whose intensity varies over time; changing a font size of the message text to indicate the security-related level associated with the message; and a combination thereof.
19 . The device of claim 14 , wherein the visual indication is generated responsive to content of a subject line associated with the message.
20 . The device of claim 14 , wherein the security logic instructions are configured to determine a security-related level associated with the message responsive to at least an attribute selected from the group:
an originating network associated with the message, wherein different networks are associated with different security-related levels;
a server from which the message was received, wherein different servers are associated with different security-related levels; or,
a sender associated with the message, wherein different senders are associated with different security-related levels.
21 . The device of claim 14 , wherein information about the security-related level of a message attribute is stored on a data store on the device and update data is provided by an administrator over a data communication link to the device, wherein the update data is used to update the information stored on the device related to handling the security-related level of the message attribute.
22 . The device of claim 21 , wherein the administrator provides visual indication settings to the device, wherein the settings indicate visual characteristics that are to be altered when handling messages from different sources.
23 . The device of claim 22 , wherein the administrator provides visual indication settings to multiple devices owned by a company, wherein the settings indicate visual characteristics that are to be altered when handling messages from different sources.
24 . The device of claim 14 , wherein multiple visual indications are generated for a message for display on the device, wherein a first visual indication is used to designate a security-related level associated with a first message attribute and a second visual indication is used to designate a security-related level associated with a second message attribute when the message is displayed.
25 . One or more non-transitory computer readable media having software program code for facilitating the handling of messages with different levels of security at a data processing device, the software program code comprising:
first instructions for receiving a message via a network;
second instructions for examining an attribute of the message to determine a security-related level associated with the message; and
third instructions for generating a visual indication for display to a display associated with the data processing device, the visual indication being generated responsive to the determined security-related level associated with the message, the generated visual indication being applied to a displayed portion of the text associated with the message, the visual indication being applied when the message is displayed.