Patent Publication Number: US-2006019684-A1

Title: Short message filter mechanism and communication device

Description:
BACKGROUND  
      The present invention relates to a short message filter mechanism and a communication device utilizing the same.  
      Technology development has enabled a variety of means of communication, such as mobile phones. In addition to basic communication functions, mobile phones commonly provide a short message messaging function. Differed from basic voice communication, short message messaging enables data transmission in text format.  
      Mobile phone users, however, often receive unwanted junk short messages and must spend time to delete them. Additionally, annoying junk short messages can divert the user from other important messages.  
     SUMMARY  
      Accordingly, embodiments of the invention provide a short message filter mechanism employed in a communication device for filtering short messages received thereby. The method of the mechanism comprises the steps of acquiring the number of digits in an incoming phone number accompanying the short message received by the communication device, determining whether the number of digits in the incoming phone number is less than a preset value, deleting the short message if the number of digits in the incoming phone number is less than a preset value, comparing all keywords in a keyword set with the short message to determine whether the short message contains any keyword in the keyword set, and deleting the short message if the short message contains any keyword in the keyword set.  
      Embodiments of the invention further provide a communication device with a short message filter mechanism, comprising an incoming phone number filter module for acquiring the number of digits in an incoming phone number accompanying a short message received by the communication device and, if the number of digits in the incoming phone number is less than a preset value, deleting the short message, and a keyword filter module for determining whether the short message contains a specific keyword and, if so, delete the short message.  
      A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a diagram of a mobile phone with a short message filter mechanism according to an embodiment of the invention.  
       FIGS. 2   a - 2   g  are diagrams showing text options on a screen of the mobile phone when the short message filter mechanism is executed.  
       FIG. 3  is a diagram showing the mobile phone of an embodiment of the invention connected to a personal computer.  
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart of processes in the short message filter mechanism. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      A primary aim of the invention is to preset the number of digits and define a keyword set used and filter short messages accordingly, thus deleting junk short messages to ensure quality of received short messages.  
       FIG. 1  is a diagram of a mobile phone  10  with a short message filter mechanism according to an embodiment of the invention. Based on the number of digits in an incoming phone number or a keyword set, the short message filter mechanism (not shown in the drawings) of the mobile phone  10  selectively filters short messages received from an outside source or pre-stored in the mobile phone  10 . The mobile phone  10  comprises an incoming phone number filter module (not shown in the drawings), a keyword filter module (not shown in the drawings), and a keyword update module (not shown in the drawings). These modules can be implemented by either electronic circuitry or software.  
       FIGS. 2   a - 2   g  are diagrams showing text options on a screen  11  of the mobile phone when the short message filter mechanism is executed.  FIG. 2   a  shows text options on the screen  11  of the mobile phone when the short message filter mechanism is activated. As shown in  FIG. 2   b,  when a user activates the option “filter by digit”, an input cursor is shown immediately following the “please input preferred number of digits:” prompt. A preferred number of digits is then input as a preset value, for example, “10” in  FIG. 2   b.  Next, the incoming phone number filter module acquires the number of digits in an incoming phone number accompanying a short message received by the mobile phone and determines whether the number of digits in the incoming phone number is less than the preset value “10”. If so, the incoming phone number filter module deletes the short message, thereby all short messages with an incoming phone number of which the number of digits is less than 10 will not be shown on the screen  11 .  
      If the number of digits in the incoming phone number is greater than 10, the short message filter mechanism proceeds to the next process thereof. The short message filter mechanism contains a keyword set including several common keywords selectable by the user. As shown in  FIG. 2   c,  when the user activates the option “filter by keyword”, all keywords in the keyword set pre-stored in the mobile phone  10  are shown on the screen  11  for user selection, for example, “drug”, “smuggle”, “evil religion”, “bribery”, and so on in  FIG. 2   c.  Therefore, the user selects desired keywords, for example, “drug” and “smuggle” in  FIG. 2   c.  Then, the keyword filter module compares “drug” and “smuggle” with the short message to determine whether the short message contains “drug” or “smuggle”. If so, the keyword filter module deletes the short message, otherwise the short message is determined acceptable for display on the screen  11  for the user.  
      Additionally, useless keywords in the keyword set can be deleted via the keyword update module. As shown in  FIG. 2   d,  when the user activates the option “update keyword via WAP”, the two options therebelow “delete keyword” and “download keyword via WAP” are shown on the screen  11 . As shown in  FIG. 2   e,  when the user activates the option “delete keyword”, all keywords in the keyword set are shown on the screen  10  for the user to select. As shown in  FIG. 2   e,  the user selects “bribery”. If the user clicks “CANCEL” button, the short message filter mechanism returns to the previous process thereof, and the keyword “bribery” remains undeleted. If the user clicks the “DELETE” button, the keyword “bribery” is then deleted, as shown in  FIG. 2   f.    
      The user can also add new useless keywords into the keyword set via the keyword update module. The keyword update module updates the keywords when the mobile phone  10  communicates wirelessly with an outside source via Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). As shown in  FIG. 2   g,  when the user activates the option “download keyword via WAP”, the two options therebelow “download via phone” and “synchronize with PC” are shown on the screen  11 . When the user activates the option “download via phone”, the user downloads desired keywords wirelessly via Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the mobile phone  10  is connected with a personal computer (PC)  31  via a universal serial bus (USB) interface  32 , thereby when the user activates the option “synchronize with PC” ( FIG. 2   g ), the mobile phone  10  synchronizes with the PC  31  to acquire keywords previously downloaded and stored in the PC  31 .  
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart of processes in the short message filter mechanism. Please refer to the embodiment and the accompanying drawings described hereinbefore. First, in step S 1 , the short message filter mechanism acquires the number of digits in an incoming phone number accompanying a short message received from an outside source by the mobile phone  10  or pre-stored in the mobile phone  10 . In conditional C 1 , the short message filter mechanism determines whether the number of digits in the incoming phone number is less than a preset value, for example, “10” in  FIG. 2   b.  If so, in step S 3 , the short message filter mechanism deletes the short message, otherwise in step S 2 , the short message filter mechanism compares each keyword selected by the user, for example, “drug” and “smuggle” in  FIG. 2   c,  with the short message. Then in conditional C 2 , the short message filter mechanism determines whether the short message contains any keyword selected by the user, for example, “drug” and “smuggle” in  FIG. 2   c.  If so, in step S 3 , the short message filter mechanism deletes the short message, otherwise the short message filter mechanism stops. The short message filter mechanism further comprises an update step (not shown in the drawings) for updating the keywords, such as deleting useless keywords or adding new keywords. In the update step, the user downloads desired keywords wirelessly via Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the mobile phone  10  is connected with a personal computer (PC)  31 , thereby the mobile phone  10  synchronizes with the PC  31  to acquire keywords previously downloaded and stored in the PC  31 .  
      Embodiments of the invention are capable of filtering short messages received from an outside source or pre-stored in a mobile phone based on the number of digits in an incoming phone number or a keyword set, thus deleting junk short messages to ensure quality of received short messages.  
      Additionally, the short message filter mechanism of the invention is capable of updating the keyword set, such as deleting or adding keywords in the keyword set, via WAP or by synchronizing with a PC, thus enhancing convenience.  
      While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.