Message filter with replacement text

• US 8,380,725 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2010
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ganz
• Original Assignee: Ganz
• Inventors: Borst, Karl Joseph, Christensen, Sally
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, KHANH B
• Application Number:
  US12/849,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20120036147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 707/754, 715/255, 715/260
• US Class Current: 707/754
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• 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

Abstract

A computer network-based messaging system controls the content of messages sent by users. A database includes permitted words and replacement text elements corresponding to at least one permitted word. A message filter receives an entered word or phrase input by a user on a messaging device as part of a message. The message filter replaces the entered word in the message with a corresponding replacement text element stored in the database. A message sending part transmits the message including the replacement text element over a data network for viewing by other users only if every entered word in the message is included in the database. The message sending part transmits the message even though one or words contained in the replacement text element are not permitted words in the database. The system may allow deletion of a replacement text element from a message only in its entirety.

Claims

1. A computer network-based messaging system for controlling content of messages sent by users in the messaging system, the messaging system comprising:

an electronic data storage device containing a database including a plurality of permitted words and at least one replacement text element corresponding to at least one of said plurality of permitted words;

a message filter that receives an entered word or phrase input by a user on a messaging device as part of a message, wherein the message filter uses a processor to replace the entered word in the message with a replacement text element stored in the database that matches the entered word, wherein the replacement text element includes an excluded word that is not a permitted word included in the database; and

a message sending part that transmits the message including the replacement text element over a data network for viewing by at least one other user only if every word in the message is;

a permitted word included in the database, and/or

a word that forms part or all of a replacement text element included in the database,

wherein the message sending part transmits the message including the replacement text element even though the replacement text element includes the excluded word, where the message sending part would not transmit the message if the same excluded word had been received as part of the entered word or phrase input by the user.

2. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the messaging system provides data for displaying the message to the user by the messaging device prior to the message sending part transmitting the message, and wherein the data causes words not contained in the database to be highlighted on the messaging device.

3. The messaging system of claim 2, wherein the message sending part will not transmit the message until highlighted words have been deleted or changed.

5. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the at least one replacement text element in the database consists of a single word or a phrase comprising a plurality of words.

6. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the database comprises a plurality of replacement text elements, each of said plurality of replacement text elements corresponding to one of the plurality of permitted words.

7. The messaging system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of permitted words does not have any corresponding replacement text element.

4. A computer network-based messaging system for controlling content of messages sent by users in the messaging system, the messaging system comprising:

an electronic data storage device containing a database including a plurality of permitted words and at least one replacement text element corresponding to at least one of said plurality of permitted words;

a message filter that receives an entered word or phrase input by a user on a messaging device as part of a message, wherein the message filter uses a processor to replace the entered word in the message with a replacement text element stored in the database that matches the entered word; and

a message sending part that transmits the message including the replacement text element over a data network for viewing by at least one other user only if every word in the message is;

a permitted word included in the database, and/or

a word that forms part or all of a replacement text element included in the database,

wherein the message sending part transmits the message including the replacement text element even though one or more words contained in the replacement text element are not permitted words included in the database,

wherein the messaging system provides data for displaying the message to the user by the messaging device prior to the message sending part transmitting the message, and wherein prior to said message sending part transmitting said message, said replacement text element may be deleted from said message only in its entirety such that no portion of said replacement text element may be deleted without the entire replacement text element being deleted.