Method of restricting access to certain materials available on electronic devices
First Claim
1. A method of controlling access to objectionable content from a communications network, the steps comprising:
- a) producing a list of objectionable content;
b) monitoring a flow of data on a communications network;
c) detecting presence of objectionable content associated with said list of objectionable content in said flow of data;
d) recording an event and a time parameter associated therewith into a history of events when the presence of objectionable content associated with said list of objectionable content is detected in said flow of data;
e) analyzing a predetermined portion of said history; and
f) adjusting the sensitivity of a filter operatively disposed to control said flow of data on said communications network based at least in part on said analysis of said predetermined portion of said history.
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is provided a combination of software components forming a dynamic, “smart” system for limiting access to inappropriate content available in a public computer or communications network such as the WWW. An access control mechanism having a variable sensitivity is originally set to a nominal sensitivity but may relax if the user does not attempt to access inappropriate material. If, however, a user attempts to access inappropriate material, the sensitivity of the filter is adjusted to a more restrictive sensitivity. Attempts to access inappropriate material are recorded and a temporal map is formed. Statistical analysis is performed, based on the temporal map, to predict future patterns of access attempts by a user. The sensitivity of the access control mechanism is raised and relaxed based upon a user'"'"'s pattern of attempts to access inappropriate material.
25 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of controlling access to objectionable content from a communications network, the steps comprising:
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a) producing a list of objectionable content;
b) monitoring a flow of data on a communications network;
c) detecting presence of objectionable content associated with said list of objectionable content in said flow of data;
d) recording an event and a time parameter associated therewith into a history of events when the presence of objectionable content associated with said list of objectionable content is detected in said flow of data;
e) analyzing a predetermined portion of said history; and
f) adjusting the sensitivity of a filter operatively disposed to control said flow of data on said communications network based at least in part on said analysis of said predetermined portion of said history. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for controlling access to objectionable material from a communications network, comprising:
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a) a client computer adapted to generate HTTP resource requests to a network and to receive said resources therefrom;
b) an origin server operatively connected to said communications network and adapted to receive an HTTP resource request and to return said requested resource;
c) a proxy server operatively disposed between said client computer and said origin server and adapted to evaluate data flowing therebetween, said proxy server comprising means for filtering said data flowing between said client computer and said origin server;
d) means for detecting objectionable material adapted to monitor said data flowing between said client computer and said origin server, and generating a detected event output when objectionable material is detected in said data; and
e) means for tracking operatively connected to said means for filtering and adapted to control a sensitivity thereof in response to said detected event output. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of controlling access to objectionable content on an electronic device, the steps comprising:
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a) producing a list of objectionable content;
b) monitoring a flow of data from any input or storage device via a GUI to a computer terminal;
c) detecting presence of objectionable content associated with said list of objectionable content in said flow of data;
d) recording an event and a time parameter associated therewith into a history of events when the presence of objectionable content associated with said list of objectionable content is detected in said flow of data;
e) analyzing a predetermined portion of said history; and
f) adjusting the sensitivity of a filter operatively disposed to control said flow of data onto said computer terminal based at least in part on said analysis of said predetermined portion of said history. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification