Email message filtering system and method

• US 20040172429A1
• Filed: 01/22/2004
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Internet Light and Power Inc.
• Original Assignee: Internet Light and Power Inc.
• Inventors: Goguen, Tristan
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99957 Garbage collection

Abstract

A system for eliminating unauthorized email messages (“spam email”) blocks all email messages except those that successfully pass through a matching process to verify certain characteristics of the email message, which may include the recipient'"'"'s email address, the sender'"'"'s email address, and the sender message handler Internet Protocol (IP) address. The invention provides a mechanism for authorizing a sender by “Adaptive Inheritance,” whereby a recipient can designate other email users to authorize senders on behalf of the recipient. In the preferred embodiment if the sender message handler Internet Protocol (IP) address does not match the sender'"'"'s email address, the sender'"'"'s message is automatically rejected. If the sender'"'"'s email address or domain name is not contained within the recipient'"'"'s PSD, the message is held and the message sender is given directions for requesting permission to send email to the recipient, with a Permission Request Form (PRF) posted at a web site. The completed PRF is made available to the recipient for review, and the recipient must add the sender to the PSD before any message from that sender can be forwarded to the recipient.

Claims

1. A system for blocking email messages sent over a communications network to a recipient, comprising

a recipient message handler for receiving email messages from senders,

at least one recipient permitted sender database (PSD) for storing sender information associated with senders authorized by the recipient,

at least one recipient group Permitted Sender Database (PSD) for storing sender information associated with all members of a recipient group of which the recipient is a member, and

a validation processor for comparing sender information in an email message received from a sender with corresponding sender information stored in the recipient PSD and the recipient group PSD,

whereby when sender information in an email message sent by a sender matches corresponding sender information stored in the recipient PSD or the recipient group PSD the email message is forwarded or made accessible to the recipient, otherwise the email message is not forwarded or made accessible to the recipient.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein when the sender information in an email message sent by a sender does not match corresponding sender information stored in the recipient PSD but does match sender information stored in the recipient group PSD, the sender information is added to the recipient PSD.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the sender information comprises a sender email address.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the sender information comprises a sender message handler Internet Protocol (IP) address.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein when the sender'"'"'s message handler internet protocol (IP) address does not match the message handler internet protocol (IP) address previously associated with that sender, the sender'"'"'s message is held.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein when sender information in an email message sent by a sender does not match corresponding information stored in the recipient PSD or the recipient group PSD the email message is held for a preset hold interval and a message is sent to the sender with directions for completing a permission request form for submission to the recipient.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein where the recipient does not add the sender to the recipient PSD before the preset hold interval expires, after the preset hold interval the sender'"'"'s email message is automatically deleted.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein where the recipient does not add the sender to the permitted sender database the sender'"'"'s email message is deleted.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein when the recipient adds a sender to the recipient PSD an email message is automatically sent to the sender notifying the sender of the addition of the sender to the recipient PSD.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein an email message is automatically sent to the sender notifying the sender of the refusal to add the sender to the permitted sender database.

11. A method of blocking email messages sent over a communications network to a recipient, comprising the steps of:

a. storing in a recipient PSD sender information associated with senders authorized by the recipient,

b. storing in a recipient group PSD sender information associated with senders authorized by at least one other recipient group member in a recipient group of which the recipient is a member,

c. receiving an email message from a sender,

d. comparing sender information in the email message received from the sender with corresponding sender information stored in the recipient PSD and the recipient group PSD, and

e. forwarding the email message to the recipient only if the sender information in the email message matches the corresponding sender information stored in the recipient PSD or the recipient class PSD.

12. The method of claim 11 including, when the sender information in an email message sent by a sender does not match corresponding sender information stored in the recipient PSD but does match sender information stored in the recipient group PSD, the step of adding the sender information to the recipient PSD.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein in step d. the sender information comprises a sender email address.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein in step d. the sender information comprises a sender message handler Internet Protocol (IP) address.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein if the sender'"'"'s message handler internet protocol (IP) address does not match the message handler internet protocol (IP) address previously associated with that sender, the sender'"'"'s message is held.

16. The method of claim 11 including after step d., when sender information in an email message sent by a sender does not match corresponding information stored in the recipient PSD or the recipient class PSD, the steps of holding the email message for a preset hold interval and sending a message to the sender with directions for completing a permission request form for submission to the recipient.

17. The method of claim 16 including, where the recipient fails to add the sender to the recipient PSD before the preset hold interval expires, the step of deleting the sender'"'"'s email message automatically after the preset hold interval.

18. The method of claim 16 including, where the recipient does not add the sender to the recipient PSD, the step of deleting the sender'"'"'s email message.

19. The method of claim 17 including, when the recipient adds a sender to the recipient PSD, the step of forwarding an email message to the sender notifying the sender of the addition of the sender to the recipient PSD.

20. The method of claim 18 including the step of notifying the sender that the recipient did not add the sender to the permitted sender database.