Junk mail rejection system

• US 20030069935A1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nihon Digital Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nihon Digital Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Masakazu
• Granted Patent: US 6,996,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

To provide a junk mail rejection system which can effectively reject junk mail in electronic mail. When junk mail transmitted from many and unspecified persons is sent to a first electronic mail address registered in a first mail distribution service center, sources of the junk mail are not acceptable electronic mail addresses, and a reception enable unit rejects receiving the junk mail, thereby avoiding transmission of the junk mail to subscribers. On the other hand, the electronic mail transmitted from many and unspecified persons and not to be rejected by the reception enable unit is transmitted to a second electronic mail address. The electronic mail to the second electronic mail address received by a second mail distribution service center is forwarded to a third mail distribution service center, and a replacement unit replaces a source with an acceptable electronic mail address registered in the first mail distribution service center, and the electronic mail is transmitted to the first mail distribution service center. Since the source is set to an acceptable electronic mail address, the reception enable unit in the first mail distribution service center enables reception, and a subscriber can receive the electronic mail.

Claims

1. A junk mail rejection system, comprising:

a first mail distribution service center having a database in which a first electronic mail address of a subscriber is registered, receiving electronic mail transmitted to the first electronic mail address through a cable/wireless network, and transmitting the electronic mail to a terminal of the subscriber;

a second mail distribution service center having a database in which a second electronic mail address of the subscriber is registered, and receiving electronic mail to the second electronic mail address through a cable/wireless network; and

a third mail distribution service center having a database in which a third electronic mail address of the subscriber is registered, and receiving electronic mail to the third electronic mail address through a cable/wireless network,

wherein said first mail distribution service center registers in the database one or more source electronic mail addresses as acceptable electronic mail addresses, associated with the first electronic mail address, from which electronic mail can be transmitted to a terminal of a subscriber among source electronic mail addresses of electronic mail addressed to the first electronic mail address, and comprises;

reception means for receiving electronic mail to the first electronic mail address;

reception enable means for determining whether or not a source electronic mail address of electronic mail received by said reception means is an acceptable electronic mail address registered in the database; and

distribution means for transmitting the electronic mail to a terminal of a subscriber only the case when the reception enable means determines that it is an acceptable electronic mail address;

said second mail distribution service center registers an electronic mail address of a transfer destination of a subscriber in the database associated with a second electronic mail address, and comprises reception means for receiving electronic mail to the second electronic mail address; and

transfer means for forwarding the electronic mail received by said reception means to a third mail distribution service center directly through a cable/wireless network, or through another center; and

said third mail distribution service center registers an electronic mail address of a transfer destination of a subscriber in the database associated with a third electronic mail address, and comprises reception means for receiving electronic mail to the third electronic mail address;

replacement means for replacing a source electronic mail address of the electronic mail received by said reception means with one of the acceptable electronic mail addresses; and

transfer means for forwarding the electronic mail whose source has been replaced by said replacement means to said first mail distribution service center directly through a cable/wireless network, or through another center.

2. The junk mail rejection system according to claim 1,

wherein said second electronic mail address is registered as one of the acceptable electronic mail addresses registered in the database of the first mail distribution service center, and said replacement means of said third mail distribution service center replaces a source electronic mail address with the second electronic mail address.

3. The junk mail rejection system according to claim 2,

wherein said replacement means replaces destination data of the electronic mail received by said reception means with the source data, and replaces the source data with the destination data.

4. The junk mail rejection system according to claim 2,

wherein said replacement means adds the source data and/or destination data before replacement to information of a body of electronic mail.

5. The junk mail rejection system according to claim 1,

wherein said third mail distribution service center further comprises mail reception amount restriction means for determining whether or not electronic mail received in a predetermined time period has exceeded a predetermined amount, and the electronic mail is rejected when the electronic mail has exceeded the predetermined amount.

6. The junk mail rejection system, according to claim 1,

wherein said third mail distribution service center has a database storing for each subscriber an identification code indicating an attribute of a subscriber and an attribute of a transmitter whose electronic mail is permitted by the subscriber, and direct electronic mail transmission means for transmitting electronic mail to a specified mail address of a subscriber selected by the identification code.

7. The junk mail rejection system according to claim 6,

wherein said direct electronic mail transmission means transmits electronic mail selected at random or intentionally as premier mail.

8. The junk mail rejection system according to claim 7,

wherein said third mail distribution service center has a receiver rank database storing the number of pieces of obtained premier mail for each subscriber, and allows contents of the receiver rank database to be viewed on WEB as is or after being processed.

9. The junk mail rejection system according to claim 8,

wherein said third mail distribution service center has a transmitter rank database storing the number of votes of subscribers who evaluate a transmitter for each transmitter of electronic mail transmitted by said direct electronic mail transmission means, and allows contents of the transmitter rank database to be viewed on WEB as is or after being processed.

10. An intermediate mail distribution service center, provided between

a first mail distribution service center having a database in which a first electronic mail address of a subscriber is registered, receiving electronic mail transmitted to the first electronic mail address through a cable/wireless network, and transmitting the electronic mail to a terminal of the subscriber only when a source of the electronic mail has an acceptable electronic mail address permitted in advance for transmission to a terminal of the subscriber;

and

a second mail distribution service center having a database in which a second electronic mail address of the subscriber is registered, and receiving electronic mail to the second electronic mail address through a cable/wireless network, comprising;

reception means for receiving electronic mail to a second electronic mail address received by said second mail distribution service center;

replacement means for replacing a source of the electronic mail received by said reception means with the acceptable electronic mail address determined by said first mail distribution service center; and

transfer means for allowing the electronic mail replaced by said replacement means to be transmitted to the first mail distribution service center.

11. The intermediate mail distribution service center according to claim 10,

wherein one of the acceptable electronic mail addresses predetermined in said first mail distribution service center is the second electronic mail address, and said replacement means replaces a source with the second electronic mail address.

12. The intermediate mail distribution service center according to claim 11,

wherein said replacement means replaces destination data of the electronic mail received by said reception means with the source data, and replaces the source data with the destination data.

13. The intermediate mail distribution service center according to claim 11,

wherein said replacement means adds the source data and/or destination data before replacement to information of a body of electronic mail.

14. The intermediate mail distribution service center according to claim 10, comprising mail reception amount restriction means for determining whether or not electronic mail received in a predetermined time period has exceeded a predetermined amount, and the electronic mail is rejected when the electronic mail has exceeded the predetermined amount.

15. The intermediate mail distribution service center according to claim 10, further comprising

direct electronic mail transmission means having a database storing for each subscriber an identification code indicating an attribute of a subscriber and an attribute of a transmitter whose electronic mail is permitted by the subscriber, and direct electronic mail transmission means for transmitting electronic mail to a specified mail address of a subscriber selected by the identification code.

16. The intermediate mail distribution service center according to claim 15,

wherein said direct electronic mail transmission means transmits electronic mail selected at random or intentionally as premier mail.

17. The intermediate mail distribution service center according to claim 16,

wherein said intermediate mail distribution service center has a receiver rank database storing the number of pieces of obtained premier mail for each subscriber, and allows contents of the receiver rank database to be viewed on WEB as is or after being processed.

18. The intermediate mail distribution service center according to claim 17,

wherein the intermediate mail distribution service center has a transmitter rank database storing the number of votes of subscribers who evaluate a transmitter for each transmitter of electronic mail transmitted by said direct electronic mail transmission means, and contents of the transmitter rank database are viewed on WEB as are or after being processed.