Automating the reduction of unsolicited email in real time
First Claim
1. An apparatus for reducing unwanted emails to a computer network comprising:
- an input/output point coupled to a computer network;
a mail queue; and
a delay queue coupled to the input/output point and the mail queue, whereby incoming email messages are placed on the delay queue, and whereby at least one characteristic of the email message placed on the delay queue is examined to determine whether the email message are likely to be desirable to the intended recipient or recipients.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for reducing unsolicited bulk email, or spam, to a computer network is described having a gateway, a mail queue, and a delay queue. The gateway handles input/output for the computer network communicating outside of the computer network. The gateway may make an initial determination of a likelihood that incoming mail is spam and deliver likely spam to the delay queue, or all incoming mail may be delivered to the delay queue. Email delivered to the delay queue is held in the delay queue for a configurable amount of time, or until is determined to either be undesirable or permissible. Once an email is determined likely not to be spam or permissible, it is delivered to the mail queue for delivery to the intended recipient. Email determined to be undesirable or likely to be spam may be discarded, returned to the sender, or held for further inspection.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. An apparatus for reducing unwanted emails to a computer network comprising:
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an input/output point coupled to a computer network;
a mail queue; and
a delay queue coupled to the input/output point and the mail queue, whereby incoming email messages are placed on the delay queue, and whereby at least one characteristic of the email message placed on the delay queue is examined to determine whether the email message are likely to be desirable to the intended recipient or recipients. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for reducing unsolicited bulk emails to a computer network comprising:
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an at least one gateway to a computer network for receiving or transmitting information whereby incoming emails are initially examined for being suspect as unsolicited bulk emails;
a mail queue; and
a delay queue, whereby suspect incoming emails are placed on the delay queue for an appropriate and configurable time period, whereby at least one characteristic of the emails placed on the delay queue is examined to determine whether the emails is likely to be desirable to the intended recipient. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of reducing unwanted email messages received at a computer network, the method comprising:
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(a) storing an email message on a delay queue;
(b) identifying at least one characteristic of the email message stored on the delay queue; and
(c) comparing said at least one characteristic of the email message stored on the delay queue with corresponding characteristics of other email messages stored on the delay queue to determine a likelihood that the email message is an unwanted e-mail message. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing an email server to perform the steps comprising:
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placing emails on a delay queue;
identifying at least one characteristic of the emails placed on the delay queue; and
comparing said at least one characteristic of the emails placed on the delay queue to determine a likelihood that emails with similar characteristics are likely unsolicited bulk emails. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification