FILTERING OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION TO BE TRANSFERRED TO A TERMINAL

• US 20100279719A1
• Filed: 05/31/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: SALMI, Matti
• Granted Patent: US 8,165,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

The object of the invention is a system, a device, a terminal and a method for filtering electronic information to be transferred to the terminal through a telecommunication connection. The invention comprises attaching a specific filtering parameter (30-32) by the device transferring the electronic information to the electronic information for the purpose of filtering before the electronic information is transferred to the terminal through the telecommunication connection, and informing the terminal of said filtering parameter (30-32) before the electronic information is transferred to the terminal through the telecommunication connection. In the terminal, the steps comprise checking said informed filtering parameter (30-32) and allowing or preventing the receiving of the electronic information on the basis of said filtering parameter (30-32). In response to said allowing of the receiving, the electronic information is transferred to the terminal through the telecommunication connection, and in response to said preventing of the receiving, the electronic information is not transferred to the terminal through the telecommunication connection.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

associating by a network element a specific filtering parameter to a multimedia message addressed to a recipient;

transferring by the network element the specific filtering parameter to an apparatus of the recipient over a cellular telecommunication connection so as to enable filtering by the apparatus the multimedia message before the multimedia message is transferred to the apparatus through the telecommunication connection;

wherein the filtering parameter is configured to automatically allow the apparatus to either prevent or allow a transfer of the multimedia message to the apparatus over the telecommunication connection on the basis of said filtering parameter.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising waiting by the network element for a response from the apparatus to allow the transfer of the multimedia message or prevent the transfer of the multimedia message.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising transmitting by the network element the multimedia message through the telecommunication connection to an apparatus if the response is positive or if no negative response is received.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

informing by the network element the apparatus through the telecommunication connection to check the filtering parameter before the multimedia message is transferred to the apparatus.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said filtering parameter comprises information on at least one class of a number of predetermined classes, on the basis of which the multimedia message has been classified into said class.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said filtering parameter further comprises information for identifying an original source of the multimedia message.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein said filtering parameter further comprises information for identifying a content of the multimedia message.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein said at least one class denotes whether the multimedia message is one of the following:

a personal message, a commercial advertisement and information relating to a specific subject.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein the filtering parameter further comprises information for identifying a content of the multimedia message.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a radio part configured to establish a cellular telecommunication connection and for receiving electronic information through the telecommunication connection;

a processor configured to receiving a filtering parameter over the cellular telecommunication connection via the radio part, which filtering parameter is related to the electronic information to be received;

wherein the processor is further configured to automatically allow or prevent the receiving of the electronic information on the basis of said filtering parameter and the apparatus is arranged not to receive the electronic information through the cellular telecommunication connection when the filtering parameter denotes the electronic information being prevented.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a user interface for marking in advance the receiving of the electronic information as being allowed or prevented on the basis of a specific filtering parameter;

wherein the processor is further configured to compare the received filtering parameter to said marking made in advance; and

said apparatus is arranged to receive the electronic information through the cellular telecommunication connection only when said comparison shows the receiving of the electronic information being allowed.

12. A method comprising:

checking in an apparatus an informed filtering parameter against a filtering parameter associated with electronic information that is to be received through a cellular telecommunication connection;

allowing receiving of the electronic information if the checked filtering parameter matches the informed filtering parameter wherein the electronic information is transferred to the apparatus through the cellular telecommunication connection; and

preventing the receiving of the electronic information if the checked filtering parameter does not match the informed filtering parameter, wherein the electronic information is not transferred to the apparatus through the cellular telecommunication connection.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the filtering parameter comprises the information on at least one class of a number of classes agreed on in advance, on the basis of which the electronic information has been classified into the class, the class denoting whether the electronic information is a personal message, a commercial advertisement or information relating to a specific subject.

14. A method according to claim 12, further comprising carrying out the allowing of the receipt and the transferring of the electronic information either by:

informing from the apparatus of the allowing through the cellular telecommunication connection and by subsequently sending the electronic information to the apparatus through the cellular telecommunication connection;

or

by retrieving by the apparatus the electronic information to the apparatus through the cellular telecommunication connection, and

the preventing of the receiving is carried out by informing from the apparatus of the rejection of the electronic information, whereupon the electronic information will not be transmitted to the apparatus.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein the filtering parameter is sent to the apparatus in a notification message to be transmitted separately and the electronic information is subsequently transferred separately to the apparatus only if the apparatus allows the receiving of the electronic information.

16. A method according to claim 12, wherein the electronic information comprises a header part and a base part, and the filtering parameter is included in the header part of the electronic information, further comprising:

the apparatus first reading the filtering parameter in the header part; and

the apparatus receiving the base part of the electronic information only if the apparatus allows the receiving of the electronic information.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising before the checking in the apparatus the informed filtering parameter:

associating to the electronic information, by a apparatus transferring the electronic information, a specific filtering parameter for filtering the electronic information before the electronic information is transferred to the apparatus through the cellular telecommunication connection; and

informing the apparatus of the filtering parameter before the electronic information is transferred to the apparatus through the cellular telecommunication connection.

18. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

implementing the cellular telecommunication connection by a connection through a cellular telecommunication network; and

carrying out the associating of a filtering parameter in one of the server, the second apparatus and a messaging server carrying out the store-and-forward messaging that is in communication with the cellular telecommunication network.

19. An apparatus comprising:

an output configured to transmit electronic information through a cellular telecommunication connection to a terminal; and

a processor configured to associate a specific filtering parameter to the electronic information for the purpose of filtering before the electronic information is transferred to the terminal through the cellular telecommunication connection, which filtering parameter is intended to allow the terminal either to prevent or allow the receiving of the electronic information over the cellular telecommunication connection on the basis of the filtering parameter.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein

the filtering parameter comprises the information on at least one class of a number of classes agreed on in advance, on the basis of which the electronic information has been classified into the class, the class denoting whether the electronic information is a personal message, a commercial advertisement or information relating to a specific subject.

21. A apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the output is further configured to inform the apparatus of the filtering parameter before the electronic information is transferred to the apparatus through the cellular telecommunication connection.

22. A apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the filtering parameter further comprises the information for identifying the original source of the electronic information.

23. A apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the filtering parameter further comprises the information for identifying the content of the electronic information.

24. A computer program stored in a computer readable medium, the computer program comprising computer readable program code configured to cause the computer to perform, when executed by the computer, to:

check an informed filtering parameter of the apparatus;

allow or prevent receiving of the electronic information on the basis of the informed filtering parameter;

transfer the electronic information to the apparatus through the cellular telecommunication connection in response to allowing the receiving of the electronic information; and

not transfer the electronic information to the apparatus through the cellular telecommunication connection in response to the preventing of the receiving of the electronic information.

25. The computer program of claim 24,

wherein the filtering parameter comprises the information on at least one class of a number of classes agreed on in advance, on the basis of which the electronic information has been classified into the class, and the class denotes whether the electronic information is one of the following:

a personal message, a commercial advertisement and information relating to a specific subject.

26. The computer program of claim 24, further comprising computer readable program code configured to cause the computer to perform, when executed by the computer, to:

associate a specific filtering parameter to the electronic information to filter the electronic information before the electronic information is transferred to the apparatus through the cellular telecommunication connection; and

inform the apparatus of the filtering parameter before the electronic information is transferred to the apparatus through the cellular telecommunication connection.

27. A computer program stored in a computer readable medium, the computer program comprising computer readable program code configured to cause the computer to perform, when executed by the computer, to:

associate by a network element a specific filtering parameter to a multimedia message addressed to a recipient; and

transfer by the network element the specific filtering parameter to an apparatus of the recipient over a cellular telecommunication connection so as to enable filtering by the apparatus the multimedia message before the multimedia message is transferred to the apparatus through the telecommunication connection;

wherein the filtering parameter is configured to automatically allow the apparatus to either prevent or allow a transfer of the multimedia message to the apparatus over the telecommunication connection on the basis of said filtering parameter.

28. The computer program of claim 27, further comprising computer readable program code configured to cause the computer to perform, when executed by the computer, to wait for a response from the apparatus to allow the transfer of the multimedia message or prevent the transfer of the multimedia message.