MULTIPLE-LAYER CHAT FILTER SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090228557A1
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GANZ An Ontario Partnership Consisting of SH GANZ Holdings Incorporated and 816877 Ontario Limited
• Original Assignee: GANZ An Ontario Partnership Consisting of SH GANZ Holdings Incorporated and 816877 Ontario Limited
• Inventors: Ganz, Howard, Borst, Karl Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/279 Recognition of textual entities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

A computer network-based messaging system includes a multiple-layer chat filtering system for controlling the content of messages sent by users. A computer receives a message including a plurality of words entered by a sender. A word database includes a plurality of permitted words which are allowed to be transmitted. A phrase database includes a plurality of prohibited phrases which are not allowed to be transmitted. At least one of the plurality of prohibited phrases consists of a plurality of individual words that are each included in the word database. A message sending part that transmits the message over a computer network only if all of the plurality of words entered by the sender are contained in the word database and none of the plurality of prohibited phrases are contained in the message.

Claims

1. A computer network-based messaging system including a multiple-layer chat filtering system for controlling the content of messages sent by users in the messaging system, the messaging system comprising:

a computer that receives a message, the message including a plurality of words entered by a sender;

a word database including a plurality of permitted words which are allowed to be transmitted;

a phrase database including a plurality of prohibited phrases which are not allowed to be transmitted, at least one of the plurality of prohibited phrases consisting of a plurality of individual words that are each included in the word database; and

a message sending part that transmits the message over a computer network only if all of the plurality of words entered by the sender are contained in the word database and none of the plurality of prohibited phrases are contained in the message.

2. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the computer is a user computer that provides a display of the message to the sender prior to the message sending part transmitting the message, and wherein the display highlights words included in the message that are not contained in the word database.

3. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the computer is a user computer that provides a display of the message to the sender prior to the message sending part transmitting the message, and wherein the display highlights phrases included in the message that are contained in the phrase database.

4. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the computer is a user computer provides a display of the message to the sender prior to the message sending part transmitting the message, wherein words included in the message that are not contained in the word database highlighted in a first way, and wherein phrases included in the message that are contained in the phrase database are highlighted in a second way that is different than the first way.

5. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the computer is a user computer that includes a send button for requesting the message sending part to transmit the message, and wherein the user computer disables the send button if at least one of the following conditions exists:

at least one of the plurality of words entered by the sender are not contained in the word database, and

at least one of the plurality of prohibited phrases are contained in the message.

6. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the computer is a user computer that includes a send button for requesting the message sending part to transmit the message, and wherein the user computer permits the sender to trigger the send button and does not inform the sender if the message sending part does not transmit the message.

7. The messaging system of claim 1,

wherein the phrase database is a first phrase database containing a first plurality of phrases, each of the first plurality of phrases including exactly two words,

wherein the message sending part includes a chat filter subsystem that prevents the message from being transmitted if any of the first plurality of phrases are included in the message,

wherein the messaging system further comprises a second phrase database including a second plurality of phrases, each of the second plurality of phrases including at least three words, and

wherein the computer is a user computer that includes a client-side chat filter module that prevents the message from being transmitted if any of the second plurality of phrases are included in the message.

8. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the message sending part includes a chat filter subsystem that prevents the message from being transmitted if any of the plurality of words entered by the sender are not contained in the word database.

9. The messaging system of claim 1, wherein the computer is a user computer that includes a client-side chat filter module that prevents the message from being transmitted if any of the plurality of words entered by the sender are not contained in the word database.

10. A method of filtering phrases in a computer network-based chat system, the method comprising steps of:

providing a word database containing a plurality of permitted words;

providing a phrase database containing a plurality of prohibited phrases, at least one of the plurality of prohibited phrases consisting of a plurality of individual words that are each included in the word database;

receiving a message from a sender'"'"'s computer, the message including a plurality of words;

comparing each of the plurality of words to the plurality of permitted words in the word database;

determining whether any of the plurality of prohibited phrases are contained in the message; and

transmitting the message over a computer network only if both of the following conditions exist;

each of the plurality of words entered by the sender matches one of the plurality of permitted words contained in the word database, and

none of the plurality of prohibited phrases are contained in the message.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

displaying the message on the sender'"'"'s computer prior to the step of transmitting the message; and

highlighting words included in the message that are not contained in the word database.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

displaying the message on the sender'"'"'s computer prior to the step of transmitting the message; and

highlighting phrases included in the message that are contained in the phrase database.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

displaying the message on the sender'"'"'s computer prior to the step of transmitting the message;

highlighting, in a first way, words included the message that are not contained in the word database; and

highlighting, in a second way, phrases included in the message that are contained in the phrase database, wherein said second way is different than said first way.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein highlighting in the first way includes turning the words a first color, and wherein highlighting in the second way includes turning the phrases a second color different than the first color.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

displaying the message on the sender'"'"'s computer prior to the step of transmitting the message;

providing a send button on the sender'"'"'s computer for initiating the step of transmitting the message; and

disabling the send button on the sender'"'"'s computer if at least one of the following conditions exists;

at least one of the plurality of words entered by a sender are not contained in the word database, and

at least one of the plurality of prohibited phrases are contained in the message.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

displaying the message on the sender'"'"'s computer prior to the step of transmitting the message;

providing a send button on the sender'"'"'s computer for initiating the step of transmitting the message; and

permitting a sender to trigger the send button and does not inform the sender if the message is not transmitted by the step of transmitting.