Abstract:
A message screening system includes routing to a supervisory recipient an electronic message directed to an intended recipient. The supervisory recipient then is allowed to screen the electronic message by approving or rejecting the electronic message. The electronic message then is forwarded to the intended recipient if the electronic message is approved by the supervisory recipient.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/702,401, filed May 1, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/612,838, filed on Sep. 13, 2012, which is now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,083,666, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/345,398, filed on Jan. 6, 2012, which is now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,776,222, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/555,431, filed on Nov. 1, 2006, which is now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,099,780, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/801,932, filed Mar. 9, 2001, which is now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,453, which claims priority from U.S. provisional application No. 60/258,902, filed Dec. 29, 2000. The prior applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This invention relates to screening electronic messages. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    In some instances, parents and employers may want to supervise their children&#39;s and employees&#39; Internet access to prevent improper use, such as receipt of inappropriate content or communications. This supervision may involve “eyes-on” supervision by parents or employers to prevent communication by or with undesirable elements. For instance, a parent or an employer may choose to physically prevent Internet access by the child or the employee until after the parent or the employer has reviewed received messages or to maintain “eyes-on” supervision while the child or the employee is online. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    In one general aspect, electronic messages may be routed by routing an electronic message directed to an intended recipient to a supervisory recipient and enabling the electronic message to be screened by the supervisory recipient. Implementations may include one or more of the following features. For example, routing the electronic message may include notifying the intended recipient that the electronic message has been routed to the supervisory recipient. Routed electronic messages may include email, instant or chat room messages. 
         [0005]    In some implementations, screening the electronic message may include allowing the supervisory recipient to approve or reject the electronic message, and forwarding the approved electronic message to the intended recipient. Screening the electronic message also may include comparing an electronic address of a sender of the electronic message to a sender list, and approving or rejecting the electronic message based on a result of the comparison. The sender list may include a list of approved senders to compare the electronic address of the sender to the list of approved senders. Alternatively, or additionally, the sender list may include a list of blocked senders to compare the electronic address of the sender to the list of blocked senders. 
         [0006]    In some implementations, a supervisory recipient may be designated for an intended recipient. For example, the intended recipient may be a minor child and the supervisory recipient may be a guardian for the minor child. The intended recipient and the supervisory recipient may have related accounts within an electronic mail service. Additionally, the intended recipient and the supervisory recipient may have unique screen names comprising a single Internet service provider account. Alternatively, the intended recipient and the supervisory recipient may have unrelated accounts. 
         [0007]    Implementations may include a method or process, an apparatus or system, or computer software on a computer medium. The details of one or more of the implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b  are schematic diagrams of a message screening system. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart of a method of message screening. 
       
    
    
       [0010]    Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    Referring to  FIG. 1   a , a message screening system  100   a  includes sender  110 , communication links  120 , delivery network  130 , server  140 , intended recipient  150 , and supervisory recipient  160 . 
         [0012]    Sender  110  may be a computer programmed or configured to send an electronic message, such as hardware setup  100   b  described with reference to  FIG. 1   b . Hardware setup  100   b  may include various input/output (I/O) devices (e.g., mouse  101   b , keyboard  103   b , and display  105   b ) and a general purpose computer  110   b  having central processor unit (CPU)  112   b , an I/O unit  114   b , and memory  116   b  that stores data and various programs, such as an operating system  116   c  and one or more application programs  116   d . Computer system  110   b  also typically includes some sort of communications card or device  118   b  (e.g., a modem or a network adapter) for exchanging data with a network. 
         [0013]    Alternatively, sender  110  may be implemented by another type of machine or device capable of sending an electronic message. Examples of electronic messages include e-mail, chat room, private chat room, instant messaging, bulletin board postings, and other systems for transmitting text or graphics images to recipients. In other implementations, sender  110  may send a non-electronic message such as a letter, an audio or video message, or a light modulated message. 
         [0014]    Sender  110  may be connected to delivery network  130  by communication link  120 . Communication link  120  may include one or more communication pathways that enable communications through one or more delivery networks, such as wired, wireless, cable, or satellite communication pathways. Examples of delivery networks  130  may include the Internet, the World Wide Web, WANs, LANs, analog or digital wired and wireless telephone networks (e.g., PSTN, ISDN, and xDSL), radio, television, cable, satellite, and/or any other delivery mechanism for carrying data. The Internet is a global network connecting millions of computers using a decentralized design. 
         [0015]    Delivery network  130  may be connected by communication link  120  to message screening (MS) server  140 , which is capable of handling message screening functions. AMS server  140  may include a computer. Alternatively, MS server  140  may include a multi-purpose device, or other devices capable of managing message screening functions. Message screening functions may include redirecting messages from an intended recipient to a supervisory recipient, concurrent with or instead of directing those messages to the intended recipient. The messages to be directed by delivery network  130  to the supervisory recipient may be filtered or otherwise identified based on predetermined criteria or in other ways. 
         [0016]    MS server  140  may be connected by communication link  120  to intended and supervisory recipients  150 ,  160 . Intended and supervisory recipients  150 ,  160  generally are capable of communicating electronic messages and information with the MS server  140  and each other. For example, intended and supervisory recipients  150 ,  160  may include personal computer systems or other electronic devices such as a pager, a personal digital assistant, or a wireless telephone for communicating electronic messages. Moreover, intended and supervisory recipients  150 ,  160  may include software stored on a computer system with different screen names and passwords enabling access to different accounts. In one implementation, intended recipient  150  includes software enabling access by a minor child, and supervisory recipient  160  includes software enabling access by the child&#39;s parent or guardian. In another implementation, intended recipient  150  includes software enabling access by an employee and supervisory recipient  160  includes software enabling access and/or supervision by an employer. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , a process  200  for message screening includes receiving an electronic message directed to an intended recipient and directing that electronic message to a supervisory recipient (step  210 ), enabling screening of the electronic message by the supervisory recipient (step  220 ), and forwarding an approved electronic message to the intended recipient (step  230 ). The method  200  for message screening also may include establishing a supervisory recipient for the intended recipient (step  205 ) and/or notifying the intended recipient (step  250 ) that one or more messages have been screened. 
         [0018]    Establishing a supervisory recipient (step  205 ) may include, for example, storing the related electronic address of the supervisory recipient  160  for the intended recipient  150  in the memory or storage of MS server  140 . 
         [0019]    Receiving an electronic message (step  210 ) generally is performed by examining the header of the electronic message for an electronic address corresponding to intended recipient  150 , determining whether the electronic address of intended recipient  150  corresponds to an intended recipient that is subject to supervisory screening, and routing the electronic message to supervisory recipient  160  if the address corresponds to an intended recipient subject to supervisory screening. 
         [0020]    More specifically, using the electronic address of intended recipient  150  specified in the electronic message or otherwise obtained, MS server  140  determines the electronic address of supervisory recipient  160  by, for example, referring to a database or lookup table. MS server  140  then may route the electronic message automatically to an appropriate supervisory recipient  160  corresponding to intended recipient  150 . 
         [0021]    The electronic message may be routed to supervisory recipient  160  in addition to intended recipient  150 , or it may be routed to supervisory recipient  160  in lieu of intended recipient  150 . In one implementation, the message screening system may be configured to enable review by supervisory recipient  160  without preventing or delaying receipt by intended recipient  150 . This can be performed by, for example, sending the electronic message concurrently to both intended recipient  150  and supervisory recipient  160 . Alternatively, the supervisory recipient  160  may be given a certain time period to screen and approve an electronic message, after which a default condition may be established to automatically forward the electronic message to the intended recipient  150  or to permanently delete the electronic message. In any case, receipt of the message by supervisory recipient  160  may be performed with or without notice to intended recipient  150 . Furthermore, an electronic message may be directed to one or more supervisory recipients  160 . 
         [0022]    Enabling screening of the electronic message by the supervisory recipient (step  220 ) may include reviewing the electronic message. Supervisory recipient  160  may be provided with a viewing screen having one or more control panels that allow supervisory recipient to approve or reject the electronic message for receipt by intended recipient  150 . 
         [0023]    The message screening system may be configured to automatically screen an electronic message. For example, lists of approved or blocked senders  110  may be stored at supervisory recipient  160 , or otherwise, to enable automatic screening of predesignated message types or sender identifications. In one implementation, during the screening process, the sender  110  may be added to the lists of approved or blocked senders by the supervisory recipient  160 . In another implementation, the MS server  140  may compare the electronic address of sender  110  to the list of approved or blocked senders  110  and, based on the comparison, either forward the message, reject the message, or allow supervisory recipient  160  to screen this message of senders  110  personally, or otherwise. Approval may include a manual procedure performed by supervisory recipient  160  such as entering a command or pressing a key. Approval also may be a default condition that is presumed to exist after a certain time period of inaction by supervisory recipient  160  after receiving the electronic message. In general, MS server  140  generally forwards the electronic message to intended recipient  150 . 
         [0024]    Forwarding an approved electronic message to the intended recipient (step  230 ) generally includes automatically routing the electronic message to the intended recipient if the message is deemed acceptable for forwarding (in step  220 ). For example, sender  110  may be included on a list of approved senders. Conversely, if the message is not deemed acceptable for forwarding, the message may be refused (step  240 ). For example, the message may be refused by deletion of the message. In another implementation, the sender may receive or access a message indicating that the electronic message sent to intended recipient  150  was refused. 
         [0025]    Refusal may occur after sender  110  is added to a list of senders whose messages are automatically refused. In yet another implementation, if a threshold number of electronic messages from a sender  110  are refused, the sender may be added to a list of senders to be refused or blocked and all further electronic messages from that sender  110  may be automatically refused or blocked, as appropriate. 
         [0026]    Referring again to  FIG. 2 , message screening  200  also may include notifying the intended recipient that the electronic message has been routed to the supervisory recipient (step  250 ). The notification may include, for example, an electronic message or a pop-up screen sent by MS server  140  that alerts intended recipient  150  that the electronic message has been routed to supervisory recipient  160 . 
         [0027]    In the examples described above, supervisory recipient  160  and intended recipient  150  may have related accounts, they may have unique screen names as part of a shared Internet service provider (ISP) account, or they may have unrelated accounts. 
         [0028]    A number of implementations of the message screening system have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the message screening system. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.