System and method for user registry management of messages

• US 20050149606A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lyle, Ruthie D., Coletrane, Candice Leontine, Lynch, Jamel Pleasant Jr., Quinn, McGill
• Granted Patent: US 7,512,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

A system and method for providing user registry management of instant messages is disclosed. The system allows recipients to set filter criteria for filtering instant messages, the filter criteria being selected from a database of characteristics, or registry, for senders of the instant messages. When an instant message is received, the system determines the characteristics of the sender. The system blocks display of the received instant message if the filter criteria are met by the characteristics of the sender.

Claims

8. A system for providing user registry management of messages comprising:

a memory device storing filter criteria for filtering messages, the filter criteria being stored in a database of characteristics for senders of the messages;

a receiving system for receiving one or more of the messages; and

a programmed processor for determining the characteristics of the sender of the received one or more messages and for blocking display of at least one of the received one or more messages if the filter criteria are met by the characteristics of the sender.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the programmed processor is configured to determine the characteristics of the sender of each received message by matching an identity of the sender in a registry containing the characteristics of the sender and reading the characteristics for the matched identity.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the programmed processor is configured to determine the characteristics of the sender of each received instant message by reading the characteristics from tagged information received with the received instant message.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the database of characteristics is stored on a local computer of the user receiving the message.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the database of characteristics is stored on a server computer.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the message is an instant message.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the message is an chat room line.

15. A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for providing user registry management of instant messages comprising:

computer readable means for receiving one or more of the instant messages;

computer readable means for determining the characteristics of the sender of the received one or more instant messages; and

computer readable means for blocking display of the at least one of the received one or more instant messages if the filter criteria are met by the characteristics of the sender.

1. A method for providing user registry management of messages comprising:

setting filter criteria for filtering messages, the filter criteria being selected from a database of characteristics for senders of the messages;

receiving one or more of the messages;

determining the characteristics of the sender of the received one or more messages; and

blocking display of the at least one of the received one or more messages if the filter criteria are met by the characteristics of the sender.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the characteristics comprises, for each received message, matching an identity of the sender in a registry containing the characteristics of the sender and reading the characteristics for the matched identity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the characteristics comprises, for each received message, reading the characteristics from tagged information received with the received message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the database of characteristics is stored on a local computer of least one user receiving one of the messages.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the database of characteristics is stored on a server computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is an instant message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is an chat room line.

16. The computer program of claim 15, wherein computer readable means for determining the characteristics comprises, for each received instant message, a computer readable means for matching an identity of the sender in a registry containing the characteristics of the sender and reading the characteristics for the matched identity.

17. The computer program of claim 15, wherein the computer readable means determining the characteristics comprises, for each received instant message, computer readable means for reading the characteristics from tagged information received with the received message.

18. The computer program of claim 15, wherein the message is an instant message.

19. The computer program of claim 15, wherein the message is an chat room line.

16-1. The computer program of claim 15, wherein the database of characteristics is stored on a local computer of least one user receiving one of the instant messages.

17-2. The computer program of claim 15, wherein the database of characteristics is stored on a server computer.