Categorizing electronic messages based on collaborative feedback
First Claim
1. In an electronic messaging computer system that serves a plurality of potential electronic message recipients, a method for categorizing electronic messages, the method comprising:
- an act of receiving an electronic message that has a plurality of designated recipients from among the plurality of potential electronic message recipients;
an act of determining that the electronic message is an unwanted electronic message for at least one of the plurality of designated recipients based on feedback from one or more of the plurality of designated recipients; and
an act of automatically indicating the electronic message is an unwanted electronic message to at least one of the plurality of designated recipients that has not provided feedback on whether the electronic message is unwanted.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Electronic messages are categorized based on collaborative feedback from a number of electronic message recipients. An electronic message that has particular characteristics is received. Electronic message recipients can provide express feedback to a collaborative filter module indicating that the received electronic message is an unwanted electronic message. When the level of express feedback exceeds a specified threshold, the collaborative filter module may automatically categorize the electronic message as unwanted for other recipients that have not yet accessed the electronic message. The collaborative filter module can also categorize the received electronic message as unwanted by analyzing the characteristics of the received electronic message. If the received electronic message has particular characteristics that a number of recipients have previously indicated are more likely in unwanted messages, the collaborative filter module may automatically categorize the electronic message as an unwanted electronic message.
122 Citations
38 Claims
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1. In an electronic messaging computer system that serves a plurality of potential electronic message recipients, a method for categorizing electronic messages, the method comprising:
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an act of receiving an electronic message that has a plurality of designated recipients from among the plurality of potential electronic message recipients;
an act of determining that the electronic message is an unwanted electronic message for at least one of the plurality of designated recipients based on feedback from one or more of the plurality of designated recipients; and
an act of automatically indicating the electronic message is an unwanted electronic message to at least one of the plurality of designated recipients that has not provided feedback on whether the electronic message is unwanted. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In an electronic messaging computer system that serves a plurality of potential electronic message recipients, a method for categorizing electronic messages, the method comprising:
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an act of receiving an electronic message that has a plurality of designated recipients from among the plurality of potential electronic message recipients; and
a step for categorizing the electronic message as an unwanted electronic message based on collaborative feedback.
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13. In an electronic messaging computer system that serves a plurality of potential electronic message recipients, a method for categorizing electronic messages, the method comprising:
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an act of receiving feedback from at least some of the plurality of potential recipients indicating that electronic messages having particular characteristics may be unwanted electronic messages;
an act of receiving an electronic message that has the particular characteristics; and
an act of automatically indicating the electronic message is unwanted based on the feedback received from the at least some of the plurality of potential recipients. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. In an electronic messaging computer system that serves a plurality of potential electronic message recipients, a method for categorizing electronic messages, the method comprising:
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an act of receiving an electronic message that has particular characteristics; and
a step for categorizing the electronic message as an unwanted message based on collaborative feedback.
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26. A computer program product for use in an electronic messaging computer system that serves a plurality of potential electronic message recipients, the computer program product for implementing a method for categorizing electronic messages, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer-readable media carrying computer-executable instructions, that when executed at the electronic messaging computer system, cause the electronic messaging computer system to perform the method, including;
receiving an electronic message that has a plurality of designated recipients from among the plurality of potential electronic message recipients;
determining that the electronic message is an unwanted electronic message for at least one of the plurality of designated recipients based on feedback from one or more of the plurality of designated recipients; and
indicating the electronic message is an unwanted electronic message to at least one of the plurality of designated recipients that has not provided feedback on whether the electronic message is unwanted. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A computer program product for use in an electronic messaging computer system that serves a plurality of potential electronic message recipients, the computer program product for implementing a method for categorizing electronic messages, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer-readable media carrying computer-executable instructions, that when executed at the electronic messaging computer system, cause the electronic messaging computer system to perform the method, including;
receiving feedback from at least some of the plurality of potential recipients indicating that electronic messages having particular characteristics may be unwanted electronic messages;
receiving an electronic message that has the particular characteristics; and
indicating the electronic message is unwanted based on the feedback received from the at least some of the plurality of potential recipients. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon an electronic messaging filter, the electronic messaging filter being configured to:
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receive an electronic message;
categorize the electronic message as an unwanted electronic message based on feedback received from a plurality of electronic messaging recipients; and
indicate to at least one of the plurality of message recipients that the electronic message is unwanted. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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36. In a client computer system that is used by one or more electronic messaging recipients to receive electronic messages, a method for an electronic message recipient to provide collaborative feedback associated with an electronic message, the method comprising:
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an act of outputting an electronic message;
an act of receiving collaborative feedback from the electronic messaging recipient indicating that the electronic message may be an unwanted electronic message;
an act of transferring the collaborative feedback to a collaborative filter module that will combine the received collaborative feedback with collaborative feedback from the other electronic messaging recipients. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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38. An electronic messaging server configured to collaboratively filter electronic messages, comprising:
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one or more processing units; and
one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon an electronic messaging filter, the electronic messaging filter being configured to;
receive an electronic message;
categorize the electronic message as an unwanted electronic message based on feedback received from a plurality of electronic messaging recipients; and
indicate to at least one of the plurality of message recipients that the electronic message is unwanted.
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Specification