Systems and methods for word offensiveness processing using aggregated offensive word filters

• US 8,510,098 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2010
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ipar LLC
• Original Assignee: Ipar LLC
• Inventors: Spears, Joseph L.
• Primary Examiner(s): GUERRA-ERAZO, EDGAR X
• Application Number:
  US12/696,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20110191097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 704/9, 704/4, 704/1, 704/10, 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/275, 715/271, 715/267, 715/260, 715/257, 715/256, 715/255, 707/754, 707/737
• US Class Current: 704/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/40 Processing or translation of natural language natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30

Abstract

Computer-implemented systems and methods are provided for identifying language that would be considered obscene or otherwise offensive to a user or proprietor of a system. A first plurality of offensive words are received, and a second plurality of offensive words are received. A string of words are received, where one or more detected offensive words are selected from the string of words that matches words from the first plurality of offensive words or the second plurality of offensive words. The string of words is processed based upon the detection of offensive words in the string of words.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, using one or more data processors, a first plurality of offensive words and storing the first plurality of offensive words in a computer-readable medium;

receiving, using one or more data processors, a second plurality of offensive words and storing the second plurality of words in the computer-readable medium;

receiving a string of words, wherein one or more detected offensive words is selected from the string of words that matches words from the first plurality of offensive words or the second plurality of offensive words; and

processing the string of words based upon the detection of offensive words in the string of words, wherein processing the string of words includes storing the one or more detected offensive words in the computer-readable medium;

wherein each offensive word in the first plurality of offensive words is associated with a first severity score identifying offensiveness of that word;

wherein each offensive word in the second plurality of offensive words is associated with a second severity score identifying offensiveness of that word;

wherein an offensive word appearing in both the first plurality of offensive words and the second plurality of offensive words has an adjusted severity score based on the offensive word'"'"'s first severity score and second severity score;

wherein detection of a particular offensive word from the string of words is based upon a greatest of any first severity score, second severity score, and adjusted severity score associated with the particular offensive word;

wherein detection of the particular offensive word is based upon the greatest of the severity scores associated with the particular offensive word exceeding an offensiveness threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each word in the first plurality of words, each word in the second plurality of words and each word in the string of words comprises an abbreviation, a single word, a phrase, or a sentence.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of offensive words and the second plurality of offensive words are wholly unique and independent of one another, or comprise a joined subset where some words appear in both the first plurality of offensive words and the second plurality of offensive words concurrently.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of offensive words is provided by a first source and the second plurality of offensive words is provided by a second source, wherein the first source is different than the second source.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first source or the second source comprises a user, a service administrator, a third party, a government institution having jurisdictional authority for a user, a non-governmental institution with which the user is associated or any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the severity score of words in each plurality of offensive words is provided by a different source.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the source of the severity scores of words in the first plurality of offensive words or the second plurality of offensive words is a user, a service administrator, a third party, a government institution having jurisdictional authority for a user, a non-governmental institution with which the user is associated, or any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the greatest offensiveness score is one of:

a smallest value offensiveness score calculated in comparing each of the plurality of offensive words with a candidate word from the string of words;

or

a largest value offensiveness score calculated in comparing each of the plurality of offensive words with a candidate word from the string of words.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the offensiveness threshold value is a value set by a user, a service administrator, a third party, a government institution having jurisdictional authority for a user, a non-governmental institution with which the user is associated, or any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the offensiveness threshold value is derived using a function that is computed using values provided by a user, a service administrator, a third party, a government institution having jurisdictional authority over a user, a non-governmental institution with which the user is associated, or any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the string of words is input from a user to a service;

and

the input from the user to the service is rejected if an offensive word is detected in the string of words.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the string of words is output to a user from a service;

and

the output to the user is modified if an offensive word is detected in the string of words.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein modification of the output comprises one of the group consisting of:

deleting the string of words such that the string of words is not displayed to the user;

deleting the offensive word from the string of words such that the offensive words within the string of words is not displayed to the user;

censoring the string of words such that the string of words is not displayed to the user; and

censoring the offensive word from the string of words such that the offensive words within the string of words is not displayed to the user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the string of words is input from an input user to a service and output to an output user from the service;

wherein the input from the user is rejected if an offensive word is detected that matches an offensive word within the first plurality of offensive words; and

the output to the second user is modified if an offensive word is detected that matches an offensive word in within the second plurality of offensive words.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the input user and the output user are different users or the same user.

16. A system, comprising:

a data processor;

a computer-readable memory encoded with instructions for commanding the data processor to perform steps including;

receiving, using one or more processors, a first plurality of offensive words;

receiving, using one or more processors, a second plurality of offensive words;

receiving a string of words, wherein one or more detected offensive words is selected from the string of words that matches words from the first plurality of offensive words or the second plurality of offensive words; and

processing the string of words based upon the detection of offensive words in the string of words;

wherein each offensive word in the first plurality of offensive words is associated with a first severity score identifying offensiveness of that word;

wherein each offensive word in the second plurality of offensive words is associated with a second severity score identifying offensiveness of that word;

wherein an offensive word appearing in both the first plurality of offensive words and the second plurality of offensive words has an adjusted severity score based on the offensive word'"'"'s first severity score and second severity score;

wherein detection of a particular offensive word from the string of words is based upon a greatest of any first severity score, second severity score, and adjusted severity score associated with the particular offensive word;

wherein detection of the particular offensive word is based upon the greatest of the severity scores associated with the particular offensive word exceeding an offensiveness threshold value.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each word in the first plurality of words, each word in the second plurality of words and each word in the string of words comprises an abbreviation, a single word, a phrase, or a sentence.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first plurality of offensive words and the second plurality of offensive words are wholly unique and independent of one another, or comprise a joined subset where some words appear in both the first plurality of offensive words and the second plurality of offensive words concurrently.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first plurality of offensive words is provided by a first source and the second plurality of offensive words is provided by a second source, wherein the first source is different than the second source.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first source or the second source comprises a user, a service administrator, a third party, a government institution having jurisdictional authority for a user, a non-governmental institution with which the user is associated or any combination thereof.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the severity score of words in each plurality of offensive words is provided by a different source.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the source of the severity scores of words in the first plurality of offensive words or the second plurality of offensive words is a user, a service administrator, a third party, a government institution having jurisdictional authority for a user, a non-governmental institution with which the user is associated, or any combination thereof.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the greatest offensiveness score is one of:

a smallest value offensiveness score calculated in comparing each of the plurality of offensive words with a candidate word from the string of words;

or

a largest value offensiveness score calculated in comparing each of the plurality of offensive words with a candidate word from the string of words.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the offensiveness threshold value is a value set by a user, a service administrator, a third party, a government institution having jurisdictional authority for a user, a non-governmental institution with which the user is associated, or any combination thereof.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the offensiveness threshold value is derived using a function that is computed using values provided by a user, a service administrator, a third party, a government institution having jurisdictional authority over a user, a non-governmental institution with which the user is associated, or any combination thereof.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein the string of words is input from a user to a service;

and

the input from the user to the service is rejected if an offensive word is detected in the string of words.

27. The system of claim 16, wherein the string of words is output to a user from a service;

and

the output to the user is modified if an offensive word is detected in the string of words.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein modification of the output comprises one of the group consisting of:

deleting the string of words such that the string of words is not displayed to the user;

deleting the offensive word from the string of words such that the offensive words within the string of words is not displayed to the user;

censoring the string of words such that the string of words is not displayed to the user; and

censoring the offensive word from the string of words such that the offensive words within the string of words is not displayed to the user.

29. The system of claim 16, wherein the string of words is input from an input user to a service and output to an output user from the service;

wherein the input from the user is rejected if an offensive word is detected that matches an offensive word within the first plurality of offensive words; and

the output to the second user is modified if an offensive word is detected that matches an offensive word in within the second plurality of offensive words.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the input user and the output user are different users or the same user.

31. One or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums encoded with instructions for commanding one or more data processors to execute steps comprising:

receiving, using one or more processors, a first plurality of offensive words;

receiving, using one or more processors, a second plurality of offensive words;

receiving a string of words, wherein one or more detected offensive words is selected from the string of words that matches words from the first plurality of offensive words or the second plurality of offensive words; and

processing the string of words based upon the detection of offensive words in the string of words;

wherein each offensive word in the first plurality of offensive words is associated with a first severity score identifying offensiveness of that word;

wherein each offensive word in the second plurality of offensive words is associated with a second severity score identifying offensiveness of that word;

wherein an offensive word appearing in both the first plurality of offensive words and the second plurality of offensive words has an adjusted severity score based on the offensive word'"'"'s first severity score and second severity score;

wherein detection of a particular offensive word from the string of words is based upon a greatest of any first severity score, second severity score, and adjusted severity score associated with the particular offensive word;

wherein detection of the particular offensive word is based upon the greatest of the severity scores associated with the particular offensive word exceeding an offensiveness threshold value.