Method and system for achieving communications in a manner accounting for one or more user preferences or contexts

• US 9,674,125 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Goncalves, Alex G
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US14/203,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20150172242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 709206, 709207, 709223-229, 709250
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A method and system for selectively communicating information are disclosed herein. In at least one embodiment, the method includes receiving at a server first information portions regarding one or more preferences, instructions, user profile details, or operational history details. The method also includes receiving an initial version of a message including additional information from a mobile device associated with a user, and determining based upon the first information portions that the additional information should be modified. The method further includes generating a first modified version of the message by modifying the additional information, and sending, for receipt by a further mobile device associated with a further user, the first modified version. Accordingly, in at least some embodiments, the first modified version of the message can include additional relevant content suited for each given recipient, based on (for example) preference, profile, or history information.

Claims

1. A method of selectively communicating information by way of a network, the method comprising:

receiving at a server associated with the network first information portions regarding one or more preferences, instructions, user profile details, or operational history details provided via the network from a plurality of computing devices respectively associated with a plurality of users, respectively;

receiving an initial version of a message including additional information as provided via the network from an additional computing device associated with an additional user, the message being a communication from the additional user to a plurality of recipient users of the plurality of users, each of the plurality of recipient users being associated with a respective recipient user computing device;

determining, for each particular recipient user of the plurality of recipient users and based upon one or more of the first information portions, whether at least some of the additional information should be modified or deleted from the message before being sent to the particular recipient user; and

sending onto the network, for receipt by each recipient user computing device associated with each particular recipient user, either the initial version of the message or a modified version of the message based on the determining,

wherein the modified version of the message is generated and sent onto the network when the determining is that at least some of the additional information should be modified or deleted from the message, and

wherein the initial version of the message is sent onto the network when the determining is that at least some of the additional information should not be modified or deleted from the first message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified version of the message generated and sent onto the network for a first recipient user computing device associated with a first particular recipient user differs from the modified version of the message generated and sent onto the network for a second recipient user computing device associated with a second particular recipient user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the modified version of the message, wherein one or both of the determining or the generating include performing one or both of one or more natural language processing operations by way of a natural language processor (NLP), or one or more image processing operations by way of an image processor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a social network, wherein the server is a web server computer, and wherein the first information portions include the at least one data privacy setting, which relate to sharing of user information between each respective pair of the plurality of users associated with the social network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the received first information portions include a first preference of the one or more preferences, wherein the first preference is that of a first user of the plurality of users, and wherein the first preference is that images showing the first user should not be communicated.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the additional information includes a first image showing the first user, and wherein generating of the modified version of the message includes either deleting the first image from the message or modifying the first image so that it is blurred or otherwise obscured.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified version of the message is generated by adding supplemental information to the additional information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is a social network, and wherein the first information portions include the at least one data privacy setting, which relate to sharing of user information between each respective pair of the plurality of users associated with the social network.

9. A system for selectively communicating information by way of a network, the system comprising:

a web server computer including;

at least one communication port by which the web server computer is capable of communicating with a plurality of electronic devices via the network;

at least one memory device in which is stored a plurality of first information portions regarding one or more preferences, instructions, user profile details, or operational history details pertaining to a plurality of users associated with the plurality of electronic devices; and

at least one processing device coupled at least indirectly to each of the at least one communication port and the at least one memory device, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to;

receive an initial version of a message including additional information as provided via the network from an additional computing device associated with an additional user, the message being a communication from the additional user to a plurality of recipient users of the plurality of users, each of the plurality of recipient users being associated with a respective recipient user computing device;

determining, for each particular recipient user of the plurality of recipient users and based upon one or more of the first information portions, whether at least some of the additional information should be modified or deleted from the message before being sent to the particular recipient user; and

sending onto the network, for receipt by each recipient user computing device associated with each particular recipient user, either the initial version of the message or a modified version of the message based on the determining,

wherein the modified version of the message is generated and sent onto the network when the determining is that at least some of the additional information should be modified or deleted from the message, and

wherein the initial version of the message is sent onto the network when the determining is that at least some of the additional information should not be modified or deleted from the first message.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the modified version of the message generated and sent onto the network for a first recipient user computing device associated with a first particular recipient user differs from the modified version of the message generated and sent onto the network for a second recipient user computing device associated with a second particular recipient user.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to generate the modified version of the message, wherein one or both of the determining or the generating include performing one or both of one or more natural language processing operations by way of a natural language processor (NLP), or one or more image processing operations by way of an image processor.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the received first information portions include a first preference of the one or more preferences, wherein the first preference is that of a first user of the plurality of users, and wherein the first preference is that images showing the first user should not be communicated.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the additional information includes a first image showing the first user, and wherein generating of the modified version of the message includes either deleting the first image from the message or modifying the first image so that it is blurred or otherwise obscured.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the modified version of the message is generated by adding supplemental information to the additional information.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations for selectively communicating information by way of a network, the operations comprising:

receiving at a server associated with the network first information portions regarding one or more preferences, instructions, user profile details, or operational history details provided via the network from a plurality of computing devices respectively associated with a plurality of users, respectively;

receiving an initial version of a message including additional information as provided via the network from an additional computing device associated with an additional user, the message being a communication from the additional user to a plurality of recipient users of the plurality of users, each of the plurality of recipient users being associated with a respective recipient user computing device;

determining, for each particular recipient user of the plurality of recipient users and based upon one or more of the first information portions, whether at least some of the additional information should be modified or deleted from the message before being sent to the particular recipient user; and

sending onto the network, for receipt by each recipient user computing device associated with each particular recipient user, either the initial version of the message or a modified version of the message based on the determining,

wherein the modified version of the message is generated and sent onto the network when the determining is that at least some of the additional information should be modified or deleted from the message, and

wherein the initial version of the message is sent onto the network when the determining is that at least some of the additional information should not be modified or deleted from the first message.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the modified version of the message generated and sent onto the network for a first recipient user computing device associated with a first particular recipient user differs from the modified version of the message generated and sent onto the network for a second recipient user computing device associated with a second particular recipient user.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise generating the modified version of the message, wherein one or both of the determining or the generating include performing one or both of one or more natural language processing operations by way of a natural language processor (NLP), or one or more image processing operations by way of an image processor.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the network is a social network, wherein the server is a web server computer, and wherein the first information portions include the at least one data privacy setting, which relate to sharing of user information between each respective pair of the plurality of users associated with the social network.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the received first information portions include a first preference of the one or more preferences, wherein the first preference is that of a first user of the plurality of users, and wherein the first preference is that images showing the first user should not be communicated.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the additional information includes a first image showing the first user, and wherein generating of the modified version of the message includes either deleting the first image from the message or modifying the first image so that it is blurred or otherwise obscured.