URL based filtering of electronic communications and web pages

• US 20050050222A1
• Filed: 08/25/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Packer, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,421,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A system and method for handling an electronic communication such as an email, an instant message or a chat room statement. Instructions receive and parse the electronic communication. URLs within the parsed electronic communication are identified and categorized as appropriate or inappropriate. The electronic communication is routed as a function of the categorized URLs—appropriate electronic communications are routed to the addressee; inappropriate electronic communications have controlled access. Also included is a system and method for controlling access by third parties to web pages including instructions for parsing a web page, identifying URLs within the parsed web page, categorizing the identified URLs, and permitting third parties to access the web page as a function of the categorized URLs.

Claims

1. A system for handling an electronic communication, said system including instructions for:

receiving the communication;

parsing the received communication;

identifying URLs within the parsed communication;

categorizing the identified URLs; and

routing the communication as a function of the categorized URLs.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the received electronic communication comprises one or more electronic emails selected from the group comprising:

an email, an instant message or a chat room statement.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising rating the electronic communication as a function of its identified URLs and routing the electronic communication as a function of the rating of the electronic communication.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the rating comprises assigning a number to each identified URL based on its appropriateness or rating each identified URL as appropriate or inappropriate.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the electronic communication is not routed to an addressee when assigned number or the percentage of inappropriate URLs relative to the total of inappropriate and appropriate URLs of the electronic communication is greater than a threshold amount.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the threshold amount is a dynamic or weighted amount based on various factors.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the threshold amount is at least approximately 50%.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the threshold amount is at least substantially 10%.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein the threshold amount is greater than zero.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the categorizing comprises looking up the category of each identified URL via a categorizing server system.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein looking up comprises connecting to an on-line look up service to determine the category of each identified URL.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the connecting comprises accessing a category name service server employing a URL database to cross reference the URL and maintain URL categories.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the routing includes a policy including an allow/block logic which determines to route the electronic communication to the addressee when the policy indicates that the electronic communication passes the allow logic and fails the block logic and which determines to inhibit routing to the addressee when the policy indicates that the electronic communication fails the allow logic and passes the block logic.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the identifying includes using an on-line look-up tool kit.

15. A system for controlling access by third parties to web pages of a website, said system including instructions for:

parsing pages within a website;

identifying URLs within the parsed web pages;

categorizing the identified URLs; and

permitting third parties to access the web pages as a function of the categorized URLs.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the parsed page comprises one or more pages selected from the group comprising:

one or more web pages of a group website, and one or more home pages.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising rating the parsed web page as a function of its identified URLs and permitting third parties to access the web page as a function of the rating of the web page.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the rating comprises assigning a number to each identified URL based on its appropriateness or rating each identified URL as appropriate or inappropriate.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the third party is blocked from accessing the web page when the percentage of inappropriate URLs relative to the total of inappropriate and appropriate URLs of the web page is greater than a threshold amount.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the threshold amount is a dynamic or weighted amount based on various factors.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the threshold amount is at least approximately 50%.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the threshold amount is at least substantially 10%.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the threshold amount is greater than zero.

24. The system of claim 15 wherein the categorizing comprises looking up the category of each identified URL via a categorizing server system.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein looking up comprises connecting to an on-line look up service to determine the category of each identified URL.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the connecting comprises accessing a category name service server employing a URL database to cross reference the URL and maintain URL categories.

27. The system of claim 15 wherein the routing includes a policy including an allow/block logic which determines to route the electronic communication to the addressee when the policy indicates that the electronic communication passes the allow logic and fails the block logic and which determines to inhibit routing to the addressee when the policy indicates that the electronic communication fails the allow logic and passes the block logic.

28. The system of claim 15 wherein the identifying includes using an on-line look-up tool kit.

29. A system for handling an email, said system including instructions for:

receiving the email;

parsing the received email;

identifying URLs within the parsed email;

looking up a rating for each of the identified URLs;

designating certain of the identified URLs as inappropriate or assigning a number to each identified URL based on its inappropriateness; and

permitting the client to access the email when the number of inappropriate URLs is below a threshold or when the assigned number is below a threshold.

30. The system of claim 29 further comprising instructions for inhibiting the client to access the email when the number of inappropriate URLs is at or above the threshold.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein a client is permitted to access the email if the email does not contain any URLs.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein designating comprises rating the email as a function of its identified URLs and routing the email as a function of the rating of the email.

33. The system of claim 29 wherein the looking up comprises looking up the category of each identified URL via a categorizing server system.

34. The system of claim 29 wherein the permitting includes a policy including an allow/block logic which determines to route the email to the addressee when the policy indicates that the email passes the allow logic and fails the block logic and which determines to inhibit routing to the addressee when the policy indicates that the email fails the allow logic and passes the block logic.

35. The system of claim 29 wherein the looking up includes using an on-line look-up tool kit.

36. A system for handling an email, said system including instructions for:

receiving the email;

parsing the received email;

identifying URLs within the parsed email;

looking up a rating for each of the identified URLs;

designating certain of the identified URLs as inappropriate or assigning a number to each identified URL based on its inappropriateness; and

inhibiting the client to access the email when the number of inappropriate URLs or the assigned number is at or above a threshold.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein a client is permitted to access the email if the email does not contain any URLs.

38. The system of claim 36 wherein designating comprises rating the email as a function of its identified URLs and routing the email as a function of the rating of the email.

39. The system of claim 36 wherein the looking up comprises looking up the category of each identified URL via a categorizing server system.

40. The system of claim 36 wherein the inhibiting includes a policy including an allow/block logic which determines to route the email to the addressee when the policy indicates that the email passes the allow logic and fails the block logic and which determines to inhibit routing to the addressee when the policy indicates that the email fails the allow logic and passes the block logic.

41. The system of claim 36 wherein the looking up includes using an on-line look-up tool kit.

42. A client side hardware system comprising:

a client computer having a memory and having capability for receiving electronic communications from a source for presentation to a client;

instructions for receiving electronic communications from a source and storing the received electronic communications in the memory while initially inhibiting client access to the electronic communications;

instructions for categorizing the stored electronic communications based on the URLs therein; and

instructions for permitting client access to a particular electronic communication as a function of the category of the electronic communication.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein the received electronic communication comprises one or more electronic emails selected from the group comprising:

an email, an instant message or a chat room statement.

44. The system of claim 42 further comprising instructions for rating the electronic communication as a function of its identified URLs and instructions for routing the electronic communication as a function of the rating of the electronic communication.

45. The system of claim 42 wherein the instructions for the categorizing comprise instructions for looking up the category of each identified URL via a categorizing server system.

46. The system of claim 42 wherein the instructions the permitting include a policy including an allow/block logic which determines to route the electronic communication to the addressee when the policy indicates that the electronic communication passes the allow logic and fails the block logic and which determine to inhibit routing to the addressee when the policy indicates that the electronic communication fails the allow logic and passes the block logic.

47. The system of claim 42 wherein the instructions for categorizing include using an on-line look-up tool kit.

48. A server side hardware system comprising:

a server computer having a memory and having capability for receiving electronic communications from a source for presentation to a client;

instructions for receiving electronic communications from a source and storing the received electronic communications in the memory;

instructions for categorizing the stored electronic communications based on the URLs therein; and

instructions for selectively sending a particular electronic communication to the client as a function of the categorization of the electronic communication.

49. The system of claim 48 wherein the received electronic communication comprises one or more electronic emails selected from the group comprising:

an email, an instant message or a chat room statement.

50. The system of claim 48 further comprising instructions for rating the electronic communication as a function of its identified URLs and instructions for routing the electronic communication as a function of the rating of the electronic communication.

51. The system of claim 48 wherein the instructions for categorizing comprise instructions for looking up the category of each identified URL via a categorizing server system.

52. The system of claim 48 wherein the instructions the permitting include a policy including an allow/block logic which determines to route the electronic communication to the addressee when the policy indicates that the electronic communication passes the allow logic and fails the block logic and which determine to inhibit routing to the addressee when the policy indicates that the electronic communication fails the allow logic and passes the block logic.

53. The system of claim 48 wherein the instructions for categorizing include using an on-line look-up tool kit.

54. A server side hardware system comprising:

a server computer presenting a plurality of websites having web pages on a network and having the capability of controlling a client'"'"'s access to the pages of the websites;

instructions for periodically categorizing the web pages based on URLs therein; and

instructions for permitting client access to a particular web page as a function of the categorization of the web page.

55. The system of claim 54 wherein the parsed page comprises one or more pages selected from the group comprising:

one or more web pages of a group website, and one or more home pages.

56. The system of claim 54 further comprising instructions for rating the parsed web page as a function of its identified URLs and permitting third parties to access the web page as a function of the rating of the web page.

57. The system of claim 54 wherein the categorizing comprises looking up the category of each identified URL via a categorizing server system.

58. The system of claim 54 wherein the instructions for permitting include a policy including an allow/block logic which determines to route the electronic communication to the addressee when the policy indicates that the electronic communication passes the allow logic and fails the block logic and which determine to inhibit routing to the addressee when the policy indicates that the electronic communication fails the allow logic and passes the block logic.

59. The system of claim 54 wherein the instructions for categorizing include using an on-line look-up tool kit.

60. A computer readable medium for handling an electronic communication, said medium including instructions for:

receiving the communication;

parsing the received communication;

identifying URLs within the parsed communication;

categorizing the identified URLs; and

routing the communication as a function of the categorized URLs.

61. A computer readable medium for controlling access by third parties to web pages of a website, said medium including instructions for:

parsing pages within a website;

identifying URLs within the parsed web pages;

categorizing the identified URLs; and

permitting third parties to access the web pages as a function of the categorized URLs.

62. A computer readable medium for handling an email, said medium including instructions for:

receiving the email;

parsing the received email;

identifying URLs within the parsed email;

looking up a rating for each of the identified URLs;

designating certain of the identified URLs as inappropriate or assigning a number to each identified URL based on its inappropriateness; and

permitting the client to access the email when the assigned number or the number of inappropriate URLs is below a threshold or inhibiting the client to access the email when the assigned number or the number of inappropriate URLs is at or above the threshold.