Systems and methods for filtering cellular telephone messages

(54) Title: SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR (57) Summary:

PHONE MESSAGE FILTERING

MOBILE PHONES (30) Unionist Priority: 30/01/2007 us 60 / 898,125 (73) Holder (s): Datasci, llc (72) Inventor (s): Marc l. Kozam (74) Attorney (s): Dannemann, Siemsen, Bigler &

Ipanema Moreira (86) International Order: pct US2008052495 de

01/30/2008 (87) International Publication: wo 2008 / 0950i9de 07/08/2008

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Descriptive Report of the Invention Patent for SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FILTERING MOBILE PHONE MESSAGES.

Background

Cell phone users can receive messages from any sender over a cell phone network. Sending messages via the cell phone is a widely used form of communication that continues to gain popularity. The sending of messages by cell phone can involve many different forms, including messages, data, photographs and / or other types of information. For the purposes of this exhibition, the term message is intended to involve messages, data, photographs and / or any other types of information passed through a cellular telephone network. One form of cell phone messaging, the short message service (SMS), has contributed particularly to the rapid use of cell phone messaging over wireless networks.

Cell phone messages attempt to mimic real-time communications by sending a message to a desired destination as quickly as possible over wireless networks. The delivery time of a message over the cell phone can be adversely affected by unwanted messages over the cell phone because unwanted messages over the cell phone can occupy limited and valuable cell phone network resources.

Like many other forms of electronic communications, there may be abuse with the sending of messages over the cell phone by certain users of a wireless network. The sending of spam or other types of unsolicited communications is of particular concern when sending messages via the cell phone. Cell phone messages may be unsolicited and the content may be annoying, offensive or interfere with the reception of legitimate messages.

In addition, most cell phone messaging services charge a user a usage fee for each cell phone message sent or received. In this way, a recipient of an unwanted message on the cell phone will incur a cost for receiving messages that orifice does not want.

summary

Therefore, it is an objective of certain modalities of the present invention to provide methods and / or systems that, having beneficial characteristics that make them great for use in certain situations, such as filtering messages by the cell phone to prevent receiving messages by the cell phone unwanted or unwanted, data, photographs and other information.

The modalities may include a method implemented by a computing device to prevent the distribution (and subsequent presentation) of certain messages by the cell phone, the method including filtering messages by the cell phone by: detecting a message by the incoming cell phone for distribution to a receiver; determination of source identification information for the message by the incoming cell phone; comparison of the source identification information for the message by the cell phone that enters source identification entries into an acceptable senders list, the acceptable senders list comprising source identification information corresponding to incoming and outgoing voice contacts through receptor; and, if the source identification information for the message by the incoming cell phone is not found, when comparing the source identification entries in the list of acceptable senders, deleting the message by the cell phone from a memory to prevent distribution of the message cell phone to the receiver.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form described below in the detailed description. This Summary is not intended to identify key characteristics or essential characteristics of the claimed object, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject. Additional features, advantages and embodiments of the invention are presented or evident from consideration of the following detailed description, drawings and claims. In addition, it should be understood that the summary of the preceding invention and the following detailed description are exemplary and are intended to provide further explanation, without limiting the scope of the invention, as claimed.

Brief Description of Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a better understanding of the invention and are incorporated and form part of this specification, illustrate the invention and together with the detailed description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:

figure 1 is an exemplary schematic illustration of a system for filtering messages by the cell phone to prevent the reception of unwanted messages by the cell phone;

figure 2 is a flowchart of an exemplary detection and deletion process for a cell phone message;

Figure 3 is an example scheme of a tangible computer storage device and database for receiving and processing a message by cell phone.

Detailed Description

Systems and methods are described to prevent / block messages on the cell phone or, alternatively, accept messages on the cell phone only from desirable senders. In addition, systems and methods can also provide a direct process for adding new senders to a list of acceptable senders, perhaps without requiring any conscious user intervention whatsoever.

Cell phone devices are used primarily for voice communications. Voice communications, in general, are initiated and conducted between parties who are familiar with each other. Cell phones, therefore, can be used primarily to communicate with a limited number of other parties that a cell phone user knows and trusts. There may be frequent or at least regular contact between a cell phone user and that limited number of parties that the cell phone user communicates with on a regular basis.

As described above, and in addition to voice communication capabilities, cell phone devices can receive and transmit messages over the cell phone over a cell phone network. In addition to a cell phone user having voice communications with a limited number of parties on a frequent or at least regular basis, a cell phone user can regularly transmit messages over the cell phone to that same limited number of parties. Many cell phone messages can be preceded by voice contact.

The modalities can filter messages by cell phone based on prior voice contact between a cell phone user and a party who sends a message via cell phone. Alternatively, filtering may also include prior contact of a cell phone message between the cell phone user and a party who sends a message via the cell phone. Cell phone messages can be filtered through a list of acceptable senders, which includes any party who has previously had voice contact with the cell phone user.

The list of acceptable senders can be compiled automatically through call logs on a cell phone provider switch or other data processing locations. In one embodiment, each individual user of a cell phone device has a customized acceptable list of senders.

Acceptable sender relationships can be a feature selected by the user for a cell phone device that can be turned on and off as desired by the individual user. The list of acceptable senders, compiled automatically, may include, for example, one or more of the following: (1) phone numbers to which outgoing calls were established by the cell phone user, and (2) phone numbers from which calls are made were received by the cell phone user. The list of acceptable senders can be generated and / or updated at any time or on any schedule. In one embodiment, the list of acceptable senders is generated and updated in real time.

To automatically add phone numbers to the list of acceptable senders, previous voice contacts between the cell phone user and other parties may need to be of adequate duration. For example, phone numbers associated with voice contacts of less than two minutes can be ignored when generating and updating the list of acceptable senders. Alternative durations are possible and can be predetermined or selected by the user. A duration requirement can eliminate erroneous numbers, that is, parts that accidentally dialed the user's cell phone device and other parts of which the user responds to the cell phone device, but may not want to receive future messages from the cell phone, from added to the list of acceptable senders.

In one embodiment, the simple act of establishing or receiving a phone call by voice contact results in a new phone number being added to the list of acceptable senders.

Automatic cutting of the list of acceptable senders can occur, if no contact has occurred in a defined period of time with a phone number currently in the list of acceptable senders. For example, if a cell phone user has not called or received a call from a particular party in the list of acceptable senders within the past, for example, six to twelve months, that particular party in the list of acceptable senders can be removed the list of acceptable senders. Alternative durations are possible and can be predetermined or selected by the user. The duration requirement can eliminate messages from any particular parts that do not have frequent contact with the user or parts in particular that the user has only contacted a minimum number of times for a specific purpose.

Any list of acceptable senders, updated automatically, can be extended through white lists and / or black lists. These lists can allow a user to manually change the composition of their list of individual acceptable senders. White lists and / or black lists can be lists created and maintained, manually, by each user. A white list can add parts to the list of acceptable senders not placed in the list of acceptable senders due to voice contacts. Possible parts that can be whitelisted may include, for example, information services that have never established voice calls or parts that the user trusts, but with which the user does not communicate regularly. A black list can list parts that can be included in the list of acceptable senders, but from which the user does not want to receive messages by cell phone. Possible parts that can be blacklisted may include, for example, previously desired contacts that have become undesirable, for example, an ex-boyfriend.

White lists and / or black lists can be stored separately from the list of acceptable senders. If stored separately, white lists and / or black lists can be called up before and / or after the list of acceptable senders has been accessed by the systems and methods. For example, with the detection of a message on the cell phone, the message identification information on the cell phone can then be compared with any existing white lists and / or black lists for a final determination of whether the message on the cell phone should be distributed to the cell phone user.

Alternatively, information from white lists and / or black lists can be incorporated into the list of acceptable senders. The white lists and / or black lists can still be separated, however, for the purpose of storage and access by the cell phone user. For example, a black list can remove any unwanted contacts from the list of acceptable senders so that systems and methods need only access the list of acceptable senders to determine whether there is a match between the message identification information on the cell phone and the numbers telephone numbers in the list of acceptable senders. A white list can directly add phone numbers to the list of acceptable senders.

In one embodiment, groups of phone numbers can be blocked or allowed in addition to individual phone numbers. For example, white lists and black lists can include groupings of phone numbers that are added to or removed from the list of acceptable senders. Groupings can include all telephone numbers with certain area and / or central codes. For example, a user can add all numbers from area code 301 to a drilling mud to prevent the cell phone from receiving any messages from numbers that originate from area code 301. Alternatively, for example, a user can add all numbers from area code 301 to a white list to allow reception of any messages by the cell phone from numbers originating from area code 301 regardless of previous voice contacts.

The modalities can succeed because the identity of a party that sends a message over the cell phone can be difficult to forge. The identity information can be passed in an automatic number identification (AM) register or another source of identification that is exchanged during the preparation of the cell phone call. The identity information can be transmitted in message header information or within the body of a message. The transmission of source identification information can prevent unwanted and / or anonymous parties from contacting the cell phone user. As the identity of the party sending a message on the cell phone is known, the source identification information can be compared to the list of acceptable senders, white lists and / or black lists.

Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary system for filtering messages over the cell phone. This filtering prevents the receipt of certain messages (for example, unwanted or unwanted cell phone messages) by an intended recipient. In this implementation, an intended recipient can be an individual user of a cell phone device, an automated device, or another system for receiving messages over the cell phone. A cell phone provider switch and / or other hardware can be programmed to perform methods for filtering messages over the cell phone. The system in figure 1 includes a wireless network 11, including all known components (not shown) of a wireless network, for example, wireless switches, base stations, home location record (HLR), home location records visitor (VLR), etc.

As shown in figure 1, wireless network 11 can include several messaging service centers (MSCs) 13, which together form part of wireless network 11. MSCs 13 are known devices that receive, route and distribute messages over the cell phone between and within end unit devices capable of cell phone messaging for presentation to an end user, for example, mobile phones capable of cell phone messaging 15. In figure 1, mobile phones capable of messaging via cell phone 15 can communicate with wireless network 11 and can receive messages via cell phone via wireless network 11 through a tower or other transmission device 17 in a normal manner.

Figure 1 further includes a database 19 which may contain identifying information, such as telephone numbers associated with cellular telephone devices 15. The various MSCs 13 of the wireless network 11 can be programmed to intercept packet data units (PDUs) ) containing messages over the cell phone. MSCs 13 can inspect PDUs for the presence of predetermined phone numbers. The predetermined telephone numbers can be maintained and updated periodically by a system administrator using a management terminal 21 in communication with the database 19 or through other automated or manual procedures. MSCs 13 can delete any PDUs from sources not in the list of acceptable senders, thus effectively asking for the distribution and / or receipt of unwanted messages by cell phone.

In an implementation, the MSC that first receives the message by cell phone 15 performs the inspection and erasure process.

In this way, unwanted cell phone messages can be identified and deleted before they further propagate over the wireless network 11 and consume additional network resources. Alternatively, a central processor can inspect and delete unwanted messages over the cell phone.

Exemplary modalities illustrating an inspection and erasure process are shown in the flowchart of figure 2. The methods described in figure 2 can be implemented, for example, in the MSCs 13 of the wireless network 11 illustrated in figure 1. The methods may require that MSCs 13 are specially programmed to perform the operation described in figure 2. The required programming can be performed by someone versed in the MSCs 13 programming technique using conventional techniques. Alternatively, the processing described in figure 2 can be performed by one or more additional devices based on pre-programmed microprocessors, for example, a pre-programmed network server. PDUs can first be passed through one or more additional microprocessor-based devices for inspection and erasure, as appropriate.

The database in the methods in figure 2 can refer to database 19 in figure 1, although someone skilled in the art will appreciate knowing that, although represented as a separate physical entity, the functionality of database 19 can be dispersed among multiple databases or can be combined with any of several MSCs 13 or several other devices and components of the wireless network 11.

In the process of figure 2, a message 31 is detected. The identification information for the message source is then determined

33. The identifying information can be determined by the header or other sources that identify the sender.

Alternatively or additionally, the system can scan the message text over the cell phone to determine any additional identifying information. Any of several known algorithms for searching text files for strings having predetermined patterns can be used to find phone numbers in the message text over the cell phone. As an example, an algorithm to search for seven or ten consecutive numbers or an algorithm to search for a group of numbers separated by one or more characters of spaces or dashes can be used.

In addition, cell phone messages can be scanned to determine the presence of personal information that may indicate that the cell phone message may be desirable for the recipient. For example, a message over the cell phone can be scanned and determined to contain the user's birthday year within the text of the message over the cell phone. Personal information may indicate that the sender has a personal relationship with the recipient. Other personal information that may be relevant can be determined from a user's profile and / or provided by the user. Personal information may include information about spouses, children, pets, hobbies, addresses, etc. This message over the cell phone can be distributed to the user even if the sender's identifying information is not in the list of acceptable senders. The sender's identification information can then be added to the list of acceptable senders. If the sender's identifying information is blacklisted, however, the message over the cell phone may not be distributed even with the personal information contained in the message over the cell phone. Therefore, messages over the cell phone can be filtered by phone numbers and / or other text information from the messages over the cell phone.

The system can then compare each case of identifying information found in the message by the cell phone with the list of acceptable senders from database 19. The system can then determine whether a match is found between the identifying information and the list of acceptable senders 37. If a match is found, the message by cell phone is allowed to proceed to distribution 39. If no match is found, the message on the cell phone can be deleted 41. If a message on the cell phone is deleted, the system can send an error message or equivalent to the sender of the message via the cell phone informing the sender that the message is not has been distributed. In addition, the system can also inform the intended recipient that an attempt has been made to send a message over the cell phone to the intended recipient. The system can also record the incident in database 19 or another location.

The system can then wait to detect another message on the incoming cell phone and repeat the steps in figure 2. In an implementation, multiple incoming cell phone messages are processed simultaneously.

Figure 3 shows a database 51 and a tangible, computer storage device 53 for receiving and processing a message by cell phone 55. Database 51 can store one or more acceptable sender lists. Acceptable sender lists 57 may correspond to individual users of cell phone devices. Each list of acceptable senders 57 may contain source identification information 59, corresponding to voice contacts entering and leaving a receiver 61.

Database 51 may be in communication with a tangible computer storage device 53. Computer storage device 53 may contain or be in communication with a data processor 63 and / or a computer-readable medium 65. The medium computer readable 65 can store data and instructions for operating the methods described here.

Message 55 can be received on computer storage device 53 or can be transferred to computer storage device 53 for processing. Message 55 can contain source identification information 67 for message 55 and receiver information 69 with respect to the destination for message 55. Receiver information 69 can be used to query a list of acceptable senders 57, corresponding to the information of receiver 69. Source identification 67 for message 55 can be compared with source identification 59 for acceptable senders list 57. A message determination 71 can be made. Message determination 71 is performed by assessing whether source identification 67 for message 55 is found in the list of acceptable senders 57. If the source ID 67 for message 55 is not in the list of acceptable senders 57, message 55 can be deleted 73 from memory 75. The memory can be located within computer storage device 53 or it can be located remotely. The memory 75 can be and communicate with the processor 63. In an implementation, for example, computer-readable means 65 comprise memory 75. If the source ID 67 for the message is in the list of acceptable senders 57, message 55 can be distributed 77 to receiver 61.

Processor 63 can record the distribution and / or erasure of message 55 in memory 75 or another memory device. Records can be accessed or processed later. The results of processing message 55 can be output and / or displayed to a system administrator, receiver or other end user of the information.

The above exemplary modalities of a system and method for filtering messages by the cell phone preventing the distribution of certain messages by the cell phone in a wireless communications network are presented for illustrative purposes only. Although the present invention is satisfied by the modalities in many different ways, it is understood that the present presentation is to be considered as exemplary and is not intended to limit the systems and methods described to the specific modalities illustrated and described herein. Numerous variations can be made versed in the technique, without departing from the spirit of this description. In addition, features described in connection with one modality can be used in conjunction with other modalities, even if not explicitly mentioned above. The scope of the invention will be measured by the attached claims and their equivalents. The summary and title should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims, as their purpose is to allow the appropriate authorities, as well as the general public, to determine the general nature of the systems and methods described. In the claims that follow, unless the term means is used, none of the features or elements cited herein should be construed as means-plus-function limitations in accordance with 35 USC §112,1J6.