Method and apparatus for dynamically filtering network content

• US 6,742,047 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1997
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Tso, Michael Man-Hak
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang, Paul H.
• Application Number:
  US09/000,759
• Time in Patent Office: 2,338 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/229, 709/200, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/246, 707/6
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A method for dynamically filtering a data object to be rendered on a client device includes the steps of scanning the data object for content satisfying a predetermined selection criterion, and selectively providing the data object to the client device in accordance with a predetermined filtering preference if the predetermined selection criterion is satisfied.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically filtering content in a data object to be rendered on a client device, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for a user-specified data object from a client device;

retrieving the user-specified data object in response to the request from the client device;

scanning the user-specified data object for content satisfying a predetermined selection criterion;

modifying content in the user-specified data object in accordance with a predetermined filtering preference if said predetermined selection criterion is satisfied; and

providing the modified user-specified data object to the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of scanning the requested data object comprises searching the requested data object for a predefined text string.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said predefined text string comprises a keyword.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said predefined text string comprises a content rating code residing in the data object at the time of retrieval.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the data object in a cache.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of modifying content in the data object comprises deleting a portion of the content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of modifying content in the data object comprises replacing a portion of the content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined selection criterion comprises a set of keywords associated with a given subject matter.

9. A storage medium including a set of instructions for execution by a computer, the computer being coupled to a device for rendering a data object to a user, said set of instructions comprising instructions for:

receiving a request for a user-specified data object from a client device;

retrieving the user-specified data object in response to the request from the client device;

scanning the user-specified data object for content satisfying a predetermined selection criterion;

modifying content in the user-specified data object in accordance with a predetermined filtering preference if said predetermined selection criterion is satisfied; and

providing the modified user-specified data object to the client device.

10. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the storage medium comprises a magnetic storage device.

11. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the storage medium comprises a memory installed in the computer.

12. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the set of instructions further comprises instructions for preventing content corresponding to said predetermined selection criterion from being rendered.

13. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the set of instructions further comprises instructions for deleting content from the data object in accordance with said predetermined filtering preference.

14. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the set of instructions further comprises instructions for replacing content the data object in accordance with said predetermined filtering preference.