Restricting mature content at a network element having an image scanner

• US 9,736,114 B1
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Halferty, Clark Douglas, Hyde, Caleb Sisson, Wurtenberger, Andrew Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US14/470,262
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 726 7, 726 1, 709206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls

Abstract

Methods, devices, and products provide for restricting access to mature content by individuals for whom access to the mature content is designated as inappropriate. A content filter receives a communication, determines that the communication includes an image, and extracts the image. The image is scanned for mature content. A content restrictor component restricts access by various classes of users to the mature content.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, facilitate a method of controlling access to mature content contained in a communication between two or more mobile devices associated with their respective two or more users by utilizing a network element, the mature content comprising content that has been designated as inappropriate for viewing by a designated class of people, the method comprising:

receiving, at the network element, a communication from a first user'"'"'s mobile device, wherein the communication is directed to a particular recipient associated with a second user'"'"'s mobile device;

determining, at an image detector component on the network element, that the communication includes an image;

extracting the image from the communication, wherein said extracting includes assembling the image in a buffer associated with the network element;

determining, at an image scanner component on the network element, that at least a portion of the image includes mature content;

flagging the image with an indication that the image has been scanned and with an indication that the image includes mature content based on the determining that the image includes mature content; and

restricting access to the mature content by the second user'"'"'s mobile device, at a content restrictor component on the network element, when the second user'"'"'s mobile device is determined to belong to a user designated to the designated class of people for which the mature content is inappropriate by referencing a billing server.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the network element is a server associated with a mobile network.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein said restricting access includes requiring the particular recipient to input a login credential before allowing the recipient access to the mature content.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein said restricting access includes removing the image from the communication before displaying the communication to the particular recipient.

5. The media of claim 1, wherein said restricting access includes replacing the mature content with alternate content, wherein the particular recipient is allowed access to the alternate content.

6. The media of claim 1, wherein the communication is an email, a short-messaging service (SMS) message, a multi-media messaging service (MMS) message, or an instant message.

7. A computer-implemented method for controlling access to mature content contained in a communication between two or more mobile devices associated with their respective two or more users by utilizing a network element, the mature content comprising content that has been designated as inappropriate for viewing by a designated class of people, the method comprising:

receiving, at the network element, a communication from a first user'"'"'s mobile device, wherein the communication is directed to a particular recipient associated with a second user'"'"'s mobile device;

determining, at an image detector component on the network element, that the communication includes an image;

extracting the image from the communication, wherein said extracting includes assembling the image in a buffer associated with the network element;

determining, at an image scanner component on the network element, that at least a portion of the image includes mature content;

flagging the image with an indication that the image has been scanned and with an indication that the image includes mature content based on the determining that the image includes mature content; and

restricting access to the mature content by the second user'"'"'s mobile device, at a content restrictor component on the network element, when the second user'"'"'s mobile device is determined to belong to a user designated to the designated class of people for which the mature content is inappropriate by referencing a billing server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the network element is a server associated with a mobile network.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said restricting access includes requiring the particular recipient to input a login credential before allowing the recipient access to the mature content.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said access includes removing the imagine from the communication before displaying the communication to the particular recipient.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said restricting access includes replacing the mature content with alternate content, wherein the particular recipient is allowed access to the alternate content.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the communication is an email, a short-messaging service (SMS) message, a multi-media messaging service (MMS) message, or an instant message.

13. A computer system for having one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, facilitate a method for controlling access to mature content contained in a communication between two or more mobile devices associated with their respective two or more users by utilizing a network element, the mature content comprising content that has been designated as inappropriate for viewing by a designated class of people, the method comprising:

receiving, at the network element, a communication from a first user'"'"'s mobile device, wherein the communication is directed to a particular recipient associated with a second user'"'"'s mobile device;

determining, at an image detector component on the network element, that the communication includes an image;

extracting the image from the communication, wherein said extracting includes assembling the image in a buffer associated with the network element;

determining, at an image scanner component on the network element, that at least a portion of the image includes mature content;

flagging the image with an indication that the image has been scanned and with an indication that the image includes mature content based on the determining that the image includes mature content; and

restricting access to the mature content by the second user'"'"'s mobile device, at a content restrictor component on the network element, when the second user'"'"'s mobile device is determined to belong to a user designated to the designated class of people for which the mature content is inappropriate by referencing a billing server.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the network element is a server associated with a mobile network.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said restricting access includes requiring the particular recipient to input a login credential before allowing the recipient access to the mature content.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said access includes removing the imagine from the communication before displaying the communication to the particular recipient.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said restricting access includes replacing the mature content with alternate content, wherein the particular recipient is allowed access to the alternate content.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the communication is an email, a short-messaging service (SMS) message, a multi-media messaging service (MMS) message, or an instant message.