Engine for rule based content filtering

Abstract

An engine for editing contents of data containers has a set of processors which hosts a set of controllers, each controller coupled to a respective set of transcoders. A memory device stores an array of Boolean variables characterizing the contents of a container, and an array of encoded rules for determining needed content editing, if any. The Boolean variables are determined according to content descriptors and respective criteria. A graphical user interface enables a user to provide the descriptors, the criteria, and the encoded rules. Each transcoder applies the encoded rules to specific containers. A transcoder also performs container adaptation functions which may modify contents of a container to be compatible with a respective receiver. The engine receives containers from clients through a network and directs each container to a respective controller.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60 / 986,835 filed Nov. 9, 2007 to NORTON et al, entitled “A System and Method for Rule-Based Content Filtering”, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to multimedia messaging services and, in particular, to an engine for rule based content filtering.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Emerging versatile telecommunications services enable communications devices to exchange data containers each having multiple components of different types. For example, a component may include data representing a text, an image, an audio signal, or a video signal. Sophisticated terminal devices for handling such services are evolving rapidly leading to multiple “generations” of terminal devices separated by a relatively short time.[0004]With co-existence of multi-generation terminal devices, incompati...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]It is an object of the present invention to provide a content-filtering facility in a network offering multimedia services. It is another object to incorporate the content-filtering facility with an existing content-adaptation facility in order to realize a comprehensive, efficient, and economical system.

Problems solved by technology

With co-existence of multi-generation terminal devices, incompatibility issues arise.

In addition to the compatibility issue, communicating multiple components each optionally having respective attachments further increases exposure to malicious insertions, such as viruses.

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