Filtering Communications Between Users Of A Shared Network

• US 20080256602A1
• Filed: 04/11/2007
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pagan, William G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,141,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are provided for filtering communications between users of a shared network. Embodiments include receiving a communication from a sender for delivery to a recipient; retrieving a receipt policy for the recipient; retrieving a profile for the sender; determining whether the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient; delivering the communication to the recipient if the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient; and blocking the communication if the sender'"'"'s profile does not comply with the receipt policy for the recipient.

Claims

1. A method for filtering communications between users of a shared network, the method comprising:

receiving a communication from a sender for delivery to a recipient;

retrieving a receipt policy for the recipient;

retrieving a profile for the sender;

determining whether the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient;

delivering the communication to the recipient if the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient; and

blocking the communication if the sender'"'"'s profile does not comply with the receipt policy for the recipient.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a homepage for the sender;

and wherein

determining whether the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient further comprises determining whether the content of the sender'"'"'s homepage complies with the receipt policy for the recipient;

delivering the communication to the recipient if the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient further comprises delivering the communication to the recipient if the content of the sender'"'"'s homepage complies with the receipt policy for the recipient further comprises; and

blocking the communication if the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient further comprises blocking the communication if the content of the sender'"'"'s homepage does not comply with the receipt policy for the recipient.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

maintaining a count of the number of blocked communications sent by the sender;

determining whether the count exceeds a threshold; and

suspending an account for the sender if the count exceeds the threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient further comprises comparing a sender ID with a whitelist in the policy;

and

determining that the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient if the sender ID is contained in the whitelist.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating for a user a receipt policy including receiving from a user identifications of receipt criteria for inclusion in the receipt policy.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein creating for a user a receipt policy further comprise including required administrative receipt criteria for inclusion in the receipt policy.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the shared network further comprises a network supported by a social networking website and the communication further comprises a friend request.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the shared network includes an instant messaging network and the communication further comprises an invitation for inclusion in a contacts list.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the shared network includes an instant messaging network and the communication further comprises an instant message.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the shared network includes a network supported by a social networking website and the communication further comprises an private message.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the shared network includes a network supported by a social networking website and the communication further comprises a public comment.

12. An system for filtering communications between users of a shared network, the system comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of:

receiving a communication from a sender for delivery to a recipient;

retrieving a receipt policy for the recipient;

retrieving a profile for the sender;

determining whether the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient;

delivering the communication to the recipient if the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient; and

blocking the communication if the sender'"'"'s profile does not comply with the receipt policy for the recipient.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the computer memory also has disposed within it computer program instructions capable of identifying a homepage for the sender;

and wherein

computer program instructions capable of determining whether the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient further comprise computer program instructions capable of determining whether the content of the sender'"'"'s homepage complies with the receipt policy for the recipient;

computer program instructions capable of delivering the communication to the recipient if the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient further comprise computer program instructions capable of delivering the communication to the recipient if the content of the sender'"'"'s homepage complies with the receipt policy for the recipient further comprises; and

computer program instructions capable of blocking the communication if the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient further comprise blocking the communication if the content of the sender'"'"'s homepage does not comply with the receipt policy for the recipient.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the computer memory also has disposed within it computer program instructions capable of:

maintaining a count of the number of blocked communications sent by the sender;

determining whether the count exceeds a threshold; and

suspending an account for the sender if the count exceeds the threshold.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein computer program instructions capable of determining whether the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient further comprise computer program instructions capable of:

comparing a sender ID with a whitelist in the policy; and

determining that the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient if the sender ID is contained in the whitelist.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the computer memory also has disposed within it computer program instructions capable of creating for a user a receipt policy including receiving from a user identifications of receipt criteria for inclusion in the receipt policy.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein computer program instructions capable of creating for a user a receipt policy further comprise computer program instructions capable of including required administrative receipt criteria for inclusion in the receipt policy.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the shared network further comprises a network supported by a social networking website and the communication further comprises a friend request.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the shared network includes an instant messaging network and the communication further comprises an invitation for inclusion in a contacts list.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the shared network includes an instant messaging network and the communication further comprises an instant message.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein the shared network includes a network supported by a social networking website and the communication further comprises an private message.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein the shared network includes a network supported by a social networking website and the communication further comprises a public comment.

23. A computer program product for filtering communications between users of a shared network, the computer program product disposed upon a computer readable signal-bearing medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable of:

receiving a communication from a sender for delivery to a recipient;

retrieving a receipt policy for the recipient;

retrieving a profile for the sender;

determining whether the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient;

delivering the communication to the recipient if the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient; and

blocking the communication if the sender'"'"'s profile does not comply with the receipt policy for the recipient.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising computer program instructions capable of identifying a homepage for the sender;

and wherein

computer program instructions capable of determining whether the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient further comprise computer program instructions capable of determining whether the content of the sender'"'"'s homepage complies with the receipt policy for the recipient;

computer program instructions capable of delivering the communication to the recipient if the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient further comprise computer program instructions capable of delivering the communication to the recipient if the content of the sender'"'"'s homepage complies with the receipt policy for the recipient further comprises; and

computer program instructions capable of blocking the communication if the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient further comprise computer program instructions capable of blocking the communication if the content of the sender'"'"'s homepage does not comply with the receipt policy for the recipient.

25. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

maintaining a count of the number of blocked communications sent by the sender;

determining whether the count exceeds a threshold; and

suspending an account for the sender if the count exceeds the threshold.

26. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein computer program instructions capable of determining whether the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient further comprises computer program instructions capable of:

comparing a sender ID with a whitelist in the policy; and

determining that the sender'"'"'s profile complies with the receipt policy for the recipient if the sender ID is contained in the whitelist.

27. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising computer program instructions capable of creating for a user a receipt policy including receiving from a user identifications of receipt criteria for inclusion in the receipt policy.

28. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein computer program instructions capable of creating for a user a receipt policy further comprise computer program instructions capable of including required administrative receipt criteria for inclusion in the receipt policy.

29. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the shared network further comprises a network supported by a social networking website and the communication further comprises a friend request.

30. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the shared network includes an instant messaging network and the communication further comprises an invitation for inclusion in a contacts list.

31. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the shared network includes an instant messaging network and the communication further comprises an instant message.

32. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the shared network includes a network supported by a social networking website and the communication further comprises an private message.

33. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the shared network includes a network supported by a social networking website and the communication further comprises a public comment.

34. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the computer readable signal bearing medium comprises a recordable medium.

35. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the computer readable signal bearing medium comprises a transmission medium.