SELECTIVELY OBSCURING THE PRESENTATION OF RESTRICTED DATA ITEMS

• US 20090204580A1
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Kroke, Heiner, Seamon, Joseph Socrates, Miller, Craig
• Application Number:
  US12/142,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20090204580A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

A computerized method and system for obscuring adult advertisements are provided. Example embodiments may include receiving a search criterion and locating multiple data items using the search criterion. The method may include determining that a subset of the multiple data items has determinable characteristics. The multiple data items may be presented to a user such that each data item of the subset of the multiple data items is uniquely presented and the content of each data item is at least partially concealed.

Claims

1. A computerized method comprising:

receiving a search criterion;

locating a plurality of data items using the search criterion;

determining that each data item in a subset of the plurality of data items has at least one determinable characteristic selected from a list of determinable characteristics; and

presenting the plurality of data items to a user such that each data item in the subset is uniquely presented and content of each data item in the subset is at least partially concealed.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, including receiving the search criterion at a publication system.

3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the locating of the plurality of data items includes locating at least one of:

a listing, or

an advertisement.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the list of determinable characteristics includes at least one of:

offensive to a demographic of user,

illegal,

pay-per-view,

flagged as undesirable, or

categorized in a particular category.

5. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the uniquely presenting of each data item in the subset includes simultaneous presentation of the subset with other data items of the plurality of data items on a graphical user interface.

6. The computerized method of claim 1, including presenting a warning message requesting a viewer to consent to viewing before presenting a data item, if a determination is made that the data item has at least one determinable characteristic.

7. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the at least partial concealing of the content of each data item in the subset includes obscuring an image contained in the content of the data item.

8. The computerized method of claim 7, wherein the obscuring of the image includes replacing the image with a generic message.

9. The computerized method of claim 7, wherein the obscuring of the image includes distorting the image.

10. The computerized method of claim 8, wherein the generic message notifies a viewer of an image characteristic and provides a link to consent to viewing of the image by the viewer.

11. The computerized method of claim 10, including displaying the image after at least one of:

the viewer consents to the viewing of the image or

a credit card number is received from the viewer.

12. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the at least partial concealing of the content of each data item in the subset includes replacing a title associated with the data item with a generic title.

13. The computerized method of claim 12 wherein the generic title includes a warning regarding a content characteristic.

14. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein the partial concealing of the content of each data item in the subset includes replacing a descriptor of the data item with a generic message, the generic message notifying a viewer of the at least one determinable characteristic and at least one of:

providing a link to consent to viewing of the content of the data item or

requesting a credit card number from the viewer.

15. A computerized method comprising:

sending a search criterion to a publication system; and

in response to the sending of the search criterion, receiving a user interface displaying a plurality of data items related to the search criterion such that each data item in a subset of the plurality of data items is uniquely presented and content of each data item in the subset is at least partially concealed.

16. A system comprising:

a communication module to receive a search criterion;

a memory to store information related to a plurality of data items in a plurality of categories;

a search engine to locate a plurality of data items using the search criterion;

an identification module to identify a subset of the plurality of data items having at least one determinable characteristic; and

a user interface module to present the plurality of data items to a user such that each data item in the subset is uniquely presented and content of each data item in the subset is at least partially concealed.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the identification module is to identify the subset of the plurality of data items having at least one determinable characteristic selected from a list of determinable characteristics, the determinable characteristics including at least one of:

offensive to a demographic of user,

illegal,

pay-per-view,

flagged as undesirable, or

categorized in a particular category.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the uniquely presenting of each data item in the subset includes simultaneous presentation of the subset on a graphical user interface of the subset with other data items of the plurality of data items.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the user interface module, responsive to the identification module determining that the data item has at least one determinable characteristic, is to present a warning message requesting a viewer to at least one of:

consent to viewing before showing a data item or

provide a credit card number.

20. The system of claim 16, including an obfuscation module to generate partially concealed content, for each data item in the subset including an image, by at least one of:

obscuring the image, or

replacing the image with a generic message that notifies a viewer of an image characteristic and provides a link to consent to viewing of the image by the viewer.

21. The system of claim 16, including an obfuscation module to partially conceal the content of each data item in the subset, including replacing a title associated with each data item in the subset with a generic title warning regarding a content characteristic.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the obfuscation module is to replace a descriptor of each data item in the subset with a generic message notifying a viewer of the at least one determinable characteristic and providing a link to consent to viewing of content of a data item or requesting a credit card number before the user interface displays the data item.

23. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when implemented by one or more processors, perform operations including:

receiving a search criterion;

locating a plurality of data items using the search criterion;

determining that each data item in a subset of the plurality of data items has at least one determinable characteristic; and

presenting the plurality of data items to a user such that each data item in the subset is uniquely presented and content of each data item in the subset is at least partially concealed.

24. The medium of claim 23, wherein the operations further include:

identifying the subset of the plurality of data items having at least one determinable characteristic selected from a list of determinable characteristics, wherein the list of determinable characteristics includes at least one of;

potentially offensive,

potentially illegal,

pay-per-view,

flagged, or

categorized in a category;

wherein the uniquely presenting of each data item in the subset includes simultaneous presentation of the data items in the subset with other data items of the plurality of data items on a graphical user interface; and

wherein partially concealing content of a data item in the subset includes replacing a title associated with the data item with a generic title.

25. A system comprising:

means for receiving a search criterion;

means for locating a plurality of data items using the search criterion;

means for determining that a subset of the plurality of data items have at least one determinable characteristic; and

means for presenting the plurality of data items to a user such that each data item in the subset is uniquely presented and content of each data item in the subset is at least partially concealed.

26. Apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, coupled to the processor, storing instructions to cause the processor to;

receive a search criterion;

locate a plurality of data items using the search criterion;

determine that each data item in a subset of the plurality of data items has at least one determinable characteristic; and

present the plurality of data items to a user such that each data item in the subset is uniquely presented and content of each data item in the subset is at least partially concealed.