System and method for sorting electronic communications

• US 20050108346A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,930,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

Systems and methods for intelligently sorting electronic communications, such as electronic advertisements, directed to a media device are disclosed. Prior to presenting the electronic advertisements to the user, the electronic advertisement is filtered into classifications based upon whether the electronic advertisement is from a commercial vendor from whom the user has indicated that he or she wishes to accept commercial electronic advertisements. The user is then presented at the media device with only the electronic advertisements that he or she had indicated were to be accepted.

Claims

1. A method of sorting electronic communications, comprising:

receiving an electronic communication;

identifying whether the electronic communication has a party registration code for identifying a party from which the electronic communication was forwarded;

if the electronic communication has a party registration code, presenting the electronic communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying whether the electronic communication has a party registration code comprises identifying whether a party registration code associated with the electronic communication corresponds to a source that has been identified as an authorized source of electronic communications.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying whether the electronic communication has a party registration code comprises querying a database to determine whether a party registration code associated with the electronic communication is identified in the database as corresponding to an authorized source of electronic communications.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying whether the electronic communication has a party registration purpose code for identifying the purpose of the electronic communication.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying whether the electronic communication has a party registration purpose code comprises identifying whether a party registration purpose code associated with the electronic communication is identified as an authorized code for a user.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying whether the electronic communication has a party registration purpose code comprises querying a database to determine whether a party registration purpose associated with the electronic communication is identified in the database as corresponding to an authorized category of electronic communication.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying whether the electronic communication is directed to an approved media device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying whether the electronic communication is directed to an approved media device comprises identifying whether the electronic communication is a type that has been authorized for a particular media device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the electronic communication with other electronic communications having party registration codes.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the electronic communication comprises presenting the electronic communication on at least one of a television, a personal digital assistant, a mobile phone, a pager, a telephone, and a computer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the electronic communication comprises presenting at least one of an email, a text message, and streaming video.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic communication comprises an electronic advertisement.

13. A computer-readable medium with computer-executable instructions stored thereon for:

receiving an electronic communication;

identifying whether the electronic communication has a party registration code for identifying a party from which the electronic communication was forwarded;

if the electronic communication has a party registration code, presenting the electronic communication.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein identifying whether the electronic communication has a party registration code comprises identifying whether a party registration code associated with the electronic communication corresponds to a source that has been identified as an authorized source of electronic communications.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions for identifying whether the electronic communication has a party registration purpose code for identifying the purpose of the electronic communication.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions for identifying whether the electronic communication is directed to an approved media device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions for presenting the electronic communication with other electronic communications having party registration codes.

18. A method of filtering electronic communications, comprising:

maintaining a database identifying characteristics of authorized electronic communications;

receiving electronic communications;

querying the database to determining whether electronic communications have characteristics of authorized electronic communications; and

presenting electronic communications that have characteristics of authorized electronic communications.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein maintaining a database identifying characteristics of authorized electronic communications comprises maintaining a database identifying sources from which authorized electronic communications are received.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein maintaining a database identifying characteristics of authorized electronic communications comprises maintaining a database identifying purposes for which authorized electronic communications are received.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein maintaining a database identifying characteristics of authorized electronic communications comprises maintaining a database identifying electronic media devices at which authorized electronic communications are received.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein presenting electronic communications that have characteristics of authorized electronic communications comprises presenting authorized electronic communications at one or more of the following:

a television, a PDA, a pager, a telephone, and a computer.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein maintaining a database identifying characteristics of authorized electronic communications comprises receiving data from a user specifying authorized parties from which electronic communications may be received.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving requests from parties to update the database to identify parties as a source of authorized electronic communications.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the electronic communication is an electronic advertisement.

26. A system for sorting electronic communications, comprising:

a database comprising data identifying sources that are authorized to forward electronic communications to a user; and

a software server adapted to receive an electronic communication and access said database to determine whether the electronic communication is from a source that is authorized to forward electronic communications to the user.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said database comprises a vendor registration code for each source that is authorized to forward electronic communications to the user,

wherein said electronic communication comprises data identifying a vendor registration code, and

wherein said software server is adapted to compare the data identifying a vendor registration code from the electronic communication with said database to determine whether the electronic communication is from a source authorized to forward electronic communications to the user.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said database comprises a vendor purpose code for each user,

wherein said electronic communication comprises data identifying a vendor purpose code, and

wherein said software server is adapted to compare the data identifying a vendor purpose code from the electronic communication with said database to determine whether the electronic communication is from a source authorized to forward electronic communications to the user.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein said software server is further adapted to forward an electronic communication received from an authorized source to the user.

30. The system of claim 26, further comprising a second software server adapted to communicate to sources of electronic communications data indicating the types of electronic communications the user has authorized.