Method and apparatus for filtering undesirable content based on anti-tags

• US 9,660,947 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2012
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Hart, Matt Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thu Ha
• Application Number:
  US13/560,912
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 709201, 709203, 709205, 709206, 726 1, 726 22, 726 27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates filtering undesirable content based on anti-tags. During operation, the system receives items of content. Next, the system receives an anti-tag, wherein an anti-tag describes content that a user has elected not to receive. The system then analyzes the items of content to identify one-or-more undesirable items of content that satisfy the anti-tag. Next, the system filters the one-or-more undesirable items of content from the items of content. Finally, the system presents the filtered items of content to the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for filtering undesirable content based on anti-tags, the method comprising:

receiving, by computer, a plurality of items of content;

receiving, by computer, an anti-tag, wherein an anti-tag describes content that a user has elected not to receive;

analyzing, by computer, the plurality of items of content to identify one-or-more undesirable items of content that satisfy the anti-tag, wherein the analyzing includes;

identifying at least a first one of the items of content that uses a word according to a first meaning described by the anti-tag for the word, and

identifying at least a second one of the items of content that uses the word according to a second meaning not described by the anti-tag for the word;

filtering, by computer, the one-or-more undesirable items of content, including the first one of the items of content, from the plurality of items of content; and

presenting, by computer, the filtered plurality of items of content, including the second one of the items of content, to the user.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the plurality of items of content to identify one-or-more undesirable items of content that satisfy the anti-tag involves analyzing meta-tags associated with items of content in the plurality of items of content.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the plurality of items of content to identify one-or-more undesirable items of content that satisfy the anti-tag involves analyzing a first n paragraphs of items of content in the plurality of items of content.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the plurality of items of content to identify one-or-more undesirable items of content that satisfy the anti-tag involves analyzing a source of items of content in the plurality of items of content.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the plurality of items of content to identify one-or-more undesirable items of content that satisfy the anti-tag involves analyzing items of content in the plurality of items of content using Massachusetts Institute of Technology'"'"'s Open Mind Common Sense (OMCS) computing platform.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein using the OMCS computing platform involves:

determining a meaning of items of content in the plurality of items of content;

determining a likelihood of the meanings of items of content in the plurality of items of content matching the anti-tag; and

filtering the items of content in the plurality of items of content if the likelihood meets a pre-determined threshold.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the steps of receiving, analyzing, filtering, and presenting are performed by a browser plug-in.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the steps of receiving, analyzing, filtering, and presenting are performed by an Operating System (OS) extension.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the steps of receiving, analyzing, filtering, and presenting are performed by an application.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the anti-tag is a simple string.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the anti-tag is a paragraph.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the anti-tag is saved in a user profile.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the anti-tag is a pointer to a description or statement that helps the computer identify that the one-or-more undesirable items of content satisfy the anti-tag.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the anti-tag includes one or more sentences or phrases.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for filtering undesirable content based on anti-tags, the method comprising:

receiving, by computer, a plurality of items of content;

receiving, by computer, an anti-tag, wherein an anti-tag describes content that a user has elected not to receive;

analyzing, by computer, the plurality of items of content to identify one-or-more undesirable items of content that satisfy the anti-tag, wherein the analyzing includes;

identifying at least a first one of the items of content that uses a word according to a first meaning described by the anti-tag for the word, and

identifying at least a second one of the items of content that uses the word according to a second meaning not described by the anti-tag for the word;

filtering, by computer, the one-or-more undesirable items of content, including the first one of the items of content, from the plurality of items of content; and

presenting, by computer, the filtered plurality of items of content, including the second one of the items of content, to the user.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein analyzing the plurality of items of content to identify one-or-more undesirable items of content that satisfy the anti-tag involves analyzing meta-tags associated with items of content in the plurality of items of content.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein analyzing the plurality of items of content to identify one-or-more undesirable items of content that satisfy the anti-tag involves analyzing a first n paragraphs of items of content in the plurality of items of content.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein analyzing the plurality of items of content to identify one-or-more undesirable items of content that satisfy the anti-tag involves analyzing a source of items of content in the plurality of items of content.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein analyzing the plurality of items of content to identify one-or-more undesirable items of content that satisfy the anti-tag involves analyzing items of content in the plurality of items of content using Massachusetts Institute of Technology'"'"'s Open Mind Common Sense (OMCS) computing platform.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein using the OMCS computing platform involves:

determining a meaning of items of content in the plurality of items of content;

determining a likelihood of the meanings of items of content in the plurality of items of content matching the anti-tag; and

filtering the items of content in the plurality of items of content if the likelihood meets a pre-determined threshold.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the steps of receiving, analyzing, filtering, and presenting are performed by a browser plug-in.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the steps of receiving, analyzing, filtering, and presenting are performed by an Operating System (OS) extension.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the steps of receiving, analyzing, filtering, and presenting are performed by an application.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the anti-tag is a simple string.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the anti-tag is a paragraph.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the anti-tag is saved in a user profile.

27. An apparatus for filtering undesirable content based on anti-tags, comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

a receiving mechanism configured to receive a plurality of items of content;

wherein the receiving mechanism is further configured to receive an anti-tag, wherein the anti-tag describes content that a user has elected not to receive;

an analysis mechanism configured to analyze the plurality of items of content to identify one-or-more undesirable items of content that satisfy the anti-tag, wherein the analyzing includes;

identifying at least a first one of the items of content that uses a word according to a first meaning described by the anti-tag for the word, and

identifying at least a second one of the items of content that uses the word according to a second meaning not described by the anti-tag for the word;

a filter mechanism configured to filter the one-or-more undesirable items of content, including the first one of the items of content, from the plurality of items of content; and

a presentation mechanism configured to present the filtered plurality of items of content, including the second one of the items of content, to the user.