MESSAGE FILTERING SYSTEM

• US 20100036918A1
• Filed: 08/11/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Shekhar
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

A message filtering system is provided including a message management unit and a message monitoring unit in communication with the message management unit. The message management unit is configured to send and receive message over a network and to route messages to the message monitoring unit based on a message source, and the message monitoring unit is configured to parse the message and locate identifiers in the message and to re-route the message based on the identifier located in the message.

Claims

1. A message filtering system comprising:

a message management unit; and

a message monitoring unit in communication with the message management unit,

wherein,

the message management unit is configured to receive at least one message from a first communication device and to analyze the contents of the message for keywords,

messages containing keywords are transmitted to the message monitoring unit which stores the message in memory and routes a copy of the message in real time to a second communication device in real time for delivery approval, and

messages are not delivered to a destination communication device until the message monitoring unit receives approval of the message content from the second communication device.

2. The message filtering system of claim 1, further comprising

a keyword library located on the message management unit or the message monitoring unit.

3. The message filtering system of claim 2, wherein

the message monitoring unit is configured to compare the words of the message with the words contained in the keyword library.

4. The message filtering system of claim 1, wherein

the first communication device, second communication, and destination communication devices are one of a cellular phone, a personal data assistant, or a voice over internet protocol phone.

5. The message filtering system of claim 3, wherein

the message monitoring unit automatically updates the keyword library with words similar to the words stored in the keyword library.

6. The message filtering system of claim 1, wherein

the message monitoring unit stores the sending addresses of first communication device that generated declined messages in a restricted address library which is effective to restrict further delivery of messages from the first communication device address to a destination address.

7. A method of filtering messages comprising the steps of:

receiving a short message service message from a first communication device and routing the message based on the content of the message;

transmitting the message to a message monitoring unit via a network;

parsing and locating a keyword in the message;

routing the message to a second communication device in real time for approval based on the location of a keyword in the message,

postponing delivery of the message to the destination communication device until approval is received from the second communication device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

comparing the keyword from the message with a plurality of words stored in a keyword library on the message monitoring unit.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein

the first communication device, second communication, and destination communication devices are one of a cellular phone, a personal data assistant, or a voice over internet protocol phone.

10. The message filtering system of claim 8, further comprising the step of

storing the sending addresses of the first communication device that generated the declined message in a restricted address library which is effective to restrict further delivery of messages from the first communication device address.

11. The message filtering system of claim 9, wherein

the message monitoring unit automatically receives and updates the keyword library with words similar to the words stored in the keyword library.

12. A message monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of communication devices; and

at least one monitoring unit in communication with the communication device,

wherein,

the communication devices are configured to transmit short message service messages over a network,

the monitoring unit is configured to intercept messages between a first communication device and a destination communication device and to analyze the words used in the message with keywords stored in a keyword library, and

the monitoring unit transmits messages with words matching keywords in the keyword library to a second communication device for approval, and

the monitoring does not transmit the message to the destination communication device until approval is received from the second communication device.

13. The message monitoring system of claim 12, wherein

the monitoring unit receives keywords from a message monitoring unit for comparison with words contained in the intercepted messages.

14. The message monitoring system of claim 12, wherein

the monitoring unit matches a received keyword with a word in the message and prevents delivery of the message.

15. The message monitoring system of claim 13,

the first communication device, second communication, and destination communication devices are one of a cellular phone, a personal data assistant, or a voice over internet protocol phone.

16. The message monitoring system of claim 13, wherein

the monitoring unit stores the sending addresses of first communication device that generated declined messages in a restricted address library which is effective to restrict further delivery of messages from the first communication device address.

17. A method of restricting messages from reaching a destination comprising the steps of:

intercepting a message between a first communication device and a destination communication device via a monitoring unit;

parsing the message for an identifier;

comparing the identifier to a plurality of known identifiers;

preventing delivery of the message based on the identification of a known identifier in the message,

transmitting the message to a second communication device for delivery approval.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of:

comparing identifiers found in the message with known identifiers located in an identifier library.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein

the first communication device, second communication, and destination communication devices are one of a cellular phone, a personal data assistant, or a voice over internet protocol phone.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

storing the sending addresses of the first communication device that generated a declined message in a restricted address library which is effective to restrict further delivery of messages from the first communication device address.

21. A message filtering system comprising:

a message management unit; and

a message monitoring unit in communication with the message management unit,

wherein,

the message management unit is configured to receive at least one message from a first communication device and to route the message to a message monitoring unit for monitoring in real time,

additional messages sent to and from the first communication device are mirrored on the message monitoring unit via the message management unit.