Mail bot and mailing list detection

• US 10,305,840 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HCL Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chasse, Brenton P., Davis, Andrew E., Gorman, Cory W., Stair, Zachary A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao, Ranodhi
• Application Number:
  US15/625,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20180367488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention may include a method, computer program product, and system for detecting email messages sent from an automated mailing system. The embodiment may include analyzing email metadata of a user to detect an indication of automation. The embodiment may include identifying any email messages sent corresponding to the pattern of automation. The embodiment may include performing an action in response to the identified email messages.

Claims

1. A method for detecting email messages sent from an automated mailing system, the method comprising:

analyzing email metadata of a user to detect an indication of automation comprising;

analyzing the user'"'"'s email metadata to detect a usage pattern of a sender of email messages, wherein the sender of email messages sends a threshold number of email messages to the user, within a period of time, without receiving a threshold number of email messages;

identifying the sender of email messages as a mail-bot in response to the detected usage pattern;

analyzing the user'"'"'s email metadata to detect a received email message not explicitly addressed to the user, wherein the received email message not explicitly addressed to the user is received by one or more other users;

identifying the one or more other users as a mailing list; and

adding the identified one or more other users to a group of mailing lists;

identifying email messages sent corresponding to the detected indication of automation;

performing an action in response to the identified email messages;

determining whether the one or more other users in the group of mailing lists has sent email messages to the user; and

based on determining that the one or more other users in the group mailing lists has sent email messages to the user, removing the one or more other users from the group of mailing lists.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s email metadata consists of:

information within a “

To”

field of one or more email messages,

information within a “

From”

field, of the one or more email messages,

information within a “

CC”

field, of the one or more email messages,

information within a “

BCC”

field, of the one or more email messages, and

information within a “

Date”

field, of the one or more email messages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the action to be performed in response to the identified email messages comprises an element from the group consisting of:

moving one or more of the identified email messages to a specified email folder,

marking as read one or more of the identified email messages,

deleting one or more of the identified email messages, and

filtering out one or more of the identified email messages.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a visual indication to the user for identified email messages, wherein the visual indication for identified email messages is different from a visual indication for unidentified email messages.

5. A computer program product for detecting email messages sent from an automated mailing system, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage devices, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to analyze email metadata of a user to detect an indication of automation comprising;

program instructions to analyze the user'"'"'s email metadata to detect a usage pattern of a sender of email messages, wherein the sender of email messages sends a threshold number of email messages to the user, within a period of time, without receiving a threshold number of email messages;

program instructions to identify the sender of email messages as a mail-bot in response to the detected usage pattern;

program instructions to analyze the user'"'"'s email metadata to detect a received email message not explicitly addressed to the user, wherein the received email message not explicitly addressed to the user is received by one or more other users;

program instructions to identify the one or more other users as a mailing list; and

program instructions to add the identified one or more other users to a group of mailing lists;

program instructions to identify email messages sent corresponding to the detected indication of automation;

program instructions to perform an action in response to the identified email messages;

program instructions to determine whether the one or more other users in the group of mailing lists has sent email messages to the user; and

based on determining that the one or more other users in the group mailing lists has sent email messages to the user, program instructions to remove the one or more other users from the group of mailing lists.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the user'"'"'s email metadata consists of:

information within a “

To”

field of one or more email messages,

information within a “

From”

field, of the one or more email messages,

information within a “

CC”

field, of the one or more email messages,

information within a “

BCC”

field, of the one or more email messages, and

information within a “

Date”

field, of the one or more email messages.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the action to be performed in response to the identified email messages comprises an element from the group consisting of:

program instructions to move one or more of the identified email messages to a specified email folder,

program instructions to mark as read one or more of the identified email messages,

program instructions to delete one or more of the identified email messages, and

program instructions to filter out one or more of the identified email messages.

8. The computer program product of claim 5, further comprising:

program instructions to provide a visual indication to the user for identified email messages, wherein the visual indication for identified email messages is different from a visual indication for unidentified email messages.

9. A computer system for detecting email messages sent from an automated mailing system, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to analyze email metadata of a user to detect an indication of automation comprising;

program instructions to analyze the user'"'"'s email metadata to detect a usage pattern of a sender of email messages, wherein the sender of email messages sends a threshold number of email messages to the user, within a period of time, without receiving a threshold number of email messages;

program instructions to identify the sender of email messages as a mail-bot in response to the detected usage pattern;

program instructions to analyze the user'"'"'s email metadata to detect a received email message not explicitly addressed to the user, wherein the received email message not explicitly addressed to the user is received by one or more other users;

program instructions to identify the one or more other users as a mailing list; and

program instructions to add the identified one or more other users to a group of mailing lists;

program instructions to identify email messages sent corresponding to the detected indication of automation;

program instructions to perform an action in response to the identified email messages;

program instructions to determine whether the one or more other users in the group of mailing lists has sent email messages to the user; and

based on determining that the one or more other users in the group mailing lists has sent email messages to the user, program instructions to remove the one or more other users from the group of mailing lists.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the user'"'"'s email metadata consists of:

information within a “

To”

field of one or more email messages,

information within a “

From”

field, of the one or more email messages,

information within a “

CC”

field, of the one or more email messages,

information within a “

BCC”

field, of the one or more email messages, and

information within a “

Date”

field, of the one or more email messages.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the action to be performed in response to the identified email messages comprises an element from the group consisting of:

program instructions to move one or more of the identified email messages to a specified email folder,

program instructions to mark as read one or more of the identified email messages,

program instructions to delete one or more of the identified email messages, and

program instructions to filter out one or more of the identified email messages.