Message screening system

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for routing electronic messages, the method comprising:
 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.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein routing the electronic message includes notifying the intended recipient that the electronic message has been routed to the supervisory recipient. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein routing the electronic message does not include notifying the intended recipient that the electronic message has been routed to the supervisory recipient. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein enabling the electronic message to be screened further comprises:
 allowing the supervisory recipient to approve or reject the electronic message, and 
 forwarding the approved electronic message to the intended recipient. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein enabling the electronic message to be screened further comprises:
 comparing an electronic address of a sender of the electronic message to at least one sender list, and 
 approving or rejecting the electronic message based on a result of the comparison. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the at least one sender list includes a list of approved senders such that comparing the electronic address comprises comparing the electronic address of the sender to the list of approved senders. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the at least one sender list includes a list of blocked senders such that comparing the electronic address comprises comparing the electronic address of the sender to the list of blocked senders. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising establishing the supervisory recipient for the intended recipient. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the intended recipient is a minor child and the supervisory recipient is a guardian for the minor child such that establishing the supervisory recipient includes establishing the guardian as the supervisory recipient for the minor child. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the intended recipient and the supervisory recipient have related accounts within an electronic mail service such that routing the electronic message includes routing the electronic message to an account for the supervisory recipient that is related to an account for the intended recipient. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the intended recipient and the supervisory recipient have unique screen names comprising a single Internet service provider account. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the intended recipient and the supervisory recipient have unrelated accounts such that routing the electronic message includes routing the electronic message to the supervisory recipient account unrelated to the intended recipient account. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the electronic message comprises an email message such that routing the electronic message includes routing the email message. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the electronic message comprises an instant message such that routing the electronic message includes routing the instant message. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic message comprises a chat room message such that the routing includes routing the chat room message. 
     
     
         16 . A system for routing electronic messages, the system comprising:
 a routing software module that sends to a supervisory recipient an electronic message that would otherwise be routed to an intended recipient;   a screening software module that allows the electronic message to be screened by the supervisory recipient and allow the supervisory recipient to approve or reject the electronic message; and   a forwarding software module that forwards the electronic message to the intended recipient if approved by the supervisory recipient.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the routing software module notifies the intended recipient that the electronic message has been routed to the supervisory recipient. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the routing software module does not notify the intended recipient that the electronic message has been routed to the supervisory recipient. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the screening software module comprises:
 a first software module that compares an electronic address of a sender of the electronic message to at least one sender list, and   a second software module that approves or rejects the electronic message based on a result of the comparison.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the at least one sender list includes a list of approved senders.