Information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules

• US 9,887,887 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2016
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eturi Corp.
• Original Assignee: Eturi Corp.
• Inventors: Hunter, Edward, Moussavian, Negeen, Moussavian, Amir, Lewis, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): SALAD, ABDULLAHI ELMI
• Application Number:
  US15/215,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20160330084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2425 for supporting services specification, e.g. SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

Throttles electronic devices based on compliance with rules for electronic communications such as emails, texts, or postings on social media sites. Rules may for example prohibit certain topics, language, or behaviors such as online bullying. If system detects a violation of the electronic communications rules, it may block access or reduce performance on one or more electronic devices as a consequence. In some cases, devices or selected apps or services may continue to function, but at a reduced level. Conversely the system may provide rewards for conforming with the rules. Throttling of devices may also depend on other factors, such as homework completion, test results, grades, and environmental conditions. Machine learning techniques may be applied to determine when electronic communications may violate the rules. For example, probabilistic topic models may be applied to determine the topics of electronic communications, and to assess whether these topics violate the rules.

Claims

1. An information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system comprising:

an agreement database stored in a memory of a computer, wherein said agreement database comprises an agreement between an agreement creator and an agreement performer, which is stored in a memory of a computer, and wherein said agreement comprises

a first unique identifier associated with said agreement performer that is a first human;

a second unique identifier associated with said agreement creator that is a second human;

a condition comprising one or more rules for electronic communications between said agreement performer and one or more other participants; and

,

an action to be performed based on compliance with said one or more rules;

an agreement monitor coupled with said agreement database and configured to analyze said electronic communications to determine said compliance with said one or more rules;

an information throttle coupled at least intermittently with said agreement monitor and with an electronic device that is associated with said agreement performer, and configured to perform said action based on said compliance with said one or more rules;

wherein said agreement database further comprises a first condition that is independent of input into said electronic device by said agreement performer;

wherein said action is configured to direct said information throttle to at least partially increase or at least partially decrease performance of said electronic device while said electronic device is being utilized by said activity performer based on said compliance with said one or more rules;

wherein said electronic communications are selected from the group comprising

one or more postings made by said agreement performer on one or more social media

sites,

an email,

a text message,

a tweet,

an Internet chat message,

a voice call,

a voice message;

a picture message,

a video call, and,

a video message;

wherein said agreement monitor is further coupled to said one or more social media sites and is further configured to analyze said one or more postings to determine said compliance with said one or more rules;

wherein said one or more rules is selected from the group comprising

no negativity,

no inappropriate language,

no inappropriate topics,

no bullying,

no threatening,

no aggression, and,

no communication with inappropriate people or organizations;

wherein said action is selected from the group comprising

a modification of access by said agreement performer to at least one application or service on said electronic device;

a modification of access by said agreement performer to at least one website from said electronic device; and

,

a modification of performance of said at least one application or service on said electronic device;

wherein said modification of performance of said at least one application or service is selected from the group comprising

modification of a speed at which said at least one application or service executes on said electronic device;

modification of a display setting of a display of said electronic device;

modification of an audio output setting of an audio output of said electronic device;

modification of a delay between acceptance of information by said at least one application or service and output of said information by said electronic device; and

,

modification of a set of available features in said at least one application or service;

wherein said agreement monitor performs content analysis of said electronic communications using said one or more rules,

wherein said content analysis results in one or more compliance scores, and,

wherein said compliance scores include one or more of qualitative and quantitative scores;

wherein said agreement monitor provides said one or more compliance scores to said information throttle;

wherein said agreement monitor comprises

a feature extractor that generates a feature vector from an electronic communication to perform said content analysis; and

,

a compliance function that maps said feature vector to a compliance score of said one or more compliance scores that measures said compliance with said one or more rules;

wherein said compliance scores are used by said information throttle to indicate compliance or noncompliance with said one or more rules; and

,

wherein said information throttle is configured to perform said at least partially increase or at least partially decrease said performance of said electronic device based on said one or more compliance scores.

2. The information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system of claim 1, wherein said feature vector is selected from the group comprising

n-grams of words, phrases, or graphic symbols in said electronic communication or in a message thread associated with said electronic communication;

positions of words, phrases, or graphic symbols in said electronic communication or in said message thread;

identities of persons who sent or posted or received messages in said message thread;

number of messages sent by or posted by or received by each person in said message thread;

total number of messages in said message thread;

total number of participants in said message thread; and

,

identities of social media sites on which said electronic communication was posted.

3. The information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system of claim 1, further comprising

a database of rated words or phrases;

a rating function for each word or phrase in said database;

wherein

said feature extractor identifies words or phrases in said electronic communication that are also in said database of rated words or phrases;

said compliance function calculates a total or average or aggregate rating function for said words or phrases in said electronic communication that are also in said database of rated words or phrases.

4. The information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system of claim 3, wherein said rating function measures one or more of a sentiment, an affect, an opinion, or an emotional content associated with said word or phrase in said database.

5. The information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system of claim 1, further comprising a machine learning system comprising

a training set of electronic communications;

an algorithm to learn one or both of said feature extractor and said compliance function from said training set.

6. The information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system of claim 5, wherein said compliance function comprises a probabilistic topic model that assigns topic weights to said electronic communication.

7. The information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system of claim 6, wherein said algorithm comprises latent Dirichlet allocation.

8. The information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system of claim 1, wherein said action partially reduces performance of said at least one application or service on said electronic device without blocking use of said at least one application or service.

9. The information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system of claim 1, wherein

said electronic device is selected from the group comprising a telephone, a computer, a music player, a game, a video game console, a virtual reality headset, an augmented reality headset, a wearable device, a streaming set-top box, a smart hub, a connected hub, a smart household device, a smart thermostat, a beacon, a television, a smart television, a vehicle, a car, a motorcycle, an autonomous vehicle, a self-driving car, a self-driving vehicle, a drone, an unmanned aerial vehicle, a robot, a remote control, or an appliance.

10. The information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system of claim 1, wherein

said electronic device comprises a plurality of electronic devices associated with said agreement performer;

said action is performed across said plurality of electronic devices.

11. The information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system of claim 1, wherein the information throttle performs the action based on a site pass or channel pass and wherein the site comprises a list of websites or TV channels, amount of time of enabled access or expiration time thereof.

12. The information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system of claim 1, wherein

said agreement further comprises homework or a test to be performed by said agreement performer;

said action to be performed is further based on one or both of a completion status of said homework and a grade value associated with said test.

13. The information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system of claim 1, wherein said action comprises

provide said agreement performer with a reward when said agreement performer complies with said one or more rules.

14. The information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system of claim 1, wherein

said agreement further comprises a condition comprising an environmental event comprising data related to any combination of weather, temperature, allergy, pollen or smog alert;

said action to be performed is further based on said condition.

15. The information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system of claim 1, wherein said agreement monitor is further configured to transmit one or more notices to said agreement creator and one or more other users.

16. The information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system of claim 15, wherein said one or more other users comprise one or more of a parent, a guardian, a babysitter, a teacher, a school administrator, a doctor, a nurse, a counselor, a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a clergyperson, a security officer, an emergency service, a hotline operator, a police officer, a police administrator, a federal agent, and a lawyer.

17. The information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system of claim 1, wherein

said condition is selected from the group comprising

an activity associated with homework or a test to be performed by said agreement performer;

an event associated with an environmental event comprising data related to any combination of weather, temperature, allergy, pollen or smog alert; and

,

both of said activity and said event; and

,

wherein said action to be performed is further based on compliance with said activity, said event or both of said activity and said event.

18. The information throttle based on compliance with electronic communication rules system of claim 17, further comprising an activity database comprising

activity status associated with said activity of said condition to be satisfied by said agreement performer wherein said activity status comprises a homework completion status associated with said homework or a grade value associated with said test, and

schedule associated with said agreement performer.