Email processing system
First Claim
1. An email processing system comprising:
- a first database configured to store a user'"'"'s email routing preferences;
a second database configured to store registration information on paying email senders, email identification analysis code configured to determine whether an incoming email is commercial bulk email; and
email routing code configured to selectively deliver the incoming email to a folder, wherein the folder is an inbox folder or a junk mail folder, or to prevent the incoming email from reaching the user, based at least partially on the user'"'"'s email routing preferences, the determination of the email identification analysis code, and the email sender registration information, wherein the email routing code is configured to deliver the incoming email to the junk folder if the email identification analysis code determines that the incoming email is commercial bulk email, the email sender is a paying sender, and the user'"'"'s email routing preferences indicate that commercial bulk email from a paying sender is to be delivered to the junk mail folder.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In accordance with the foregoing, in one embodiment of the present invention, an email processing system comprises a first database configured to store a user'"'"'s email routing preferences. The system further comprises a second database configured to store registration information on paying email senders. The system further comprises email identification analysis code configured to determine whether an incoming email is commercial bulk email. The system further comprises email routing code configured to selectively deliver the incoming email to a folder or to delete the incoming email. The email routing code routes email based at least partially on the user'"'"'s email routing preferences, the determination of the email identification analysis code, and the email sender registration information.
60 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An email processing system comprising:
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a first database configured to store a user'"'"'s email routing preferences;
a second database configured to store registration information on paying email senders, email identification analysis code configured to determine whether an incoming email is commercial bulk email; and
email routing code configured to selectively deliver the incoming email to a folder, wherein the folder is an inbox folder or a junk mail folder, or to prevent the incoming email from reaching the user, based at least partially on the user'"'"'s email routing preferences, the determination of the email identification analysis code, and the email sender registration information, wherein the email routing code is configured to deliver the incoming email to the junk folder if the email identification analysis code determines that the incoming email is commercial bulk email, the email sender is a paying sender, and the user'"'"'s email routing preferences indicate that commercial bulk email from a paying sender is to be delivered to the junk mail folder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for processing email comprising:
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receiving an incoming email addressed to a recipient;
identifying a sender of the incoming email and determining if the sender is a paying sender;
determining if the recipient has elected to receive nonpaying email from the sender;
determining if the recipient has elected to receive commercial bulk email from paying senders;
determining if the incoming email is commercial bulk email;
if the incoming email is not determined to be commercial bulk email, delivering the incoming email to an inbox folder; and
if the incoming email is determined to be commercial bulk email (a) delivering the incoming email to a junk mail folder if the sender is not a paying sender and if the recipient has not elected to receive nonpaying email from the sender;
(b) delivering the incoming email to an inbox folder if the sender is not a paying sender and if the recipient has elected to receive nonpaying email from the sender;
(c) delivering the incoming email to a junk mail folder if the sender is a paying sender and if the recipient has not elected to receive paying email from the sender;
(d) delivering the incoming email to an inbox folder if the sender is a paying sender and if the recipient has elected to receive paying email from paying senders. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus comprising:
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code, which when executed is configured to selectively deliver an incoming email to an inbox folder or a junk mail folder based on first and second user preference settings, wherein the first user preference setting controls whether an email recipient receives nonpaying emails from a particular sender, and wherein the second user preference setting controls whether an email recipient receives commercial bulk email from paying senders in the inbox folder; and
an accounting module configured to authenticate a sender of commercial bulk email as a paying sender, wherein the accounting module causes a charge to be applied to an account associated with the paying sender upon receipt of commercial bulk email from the paying sender in the inbox folder. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus comprising:
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a first instruction configured to identify a sender of an email and determine if the sender is a paying sender;
a second instruction configured to determine if a recipient of the email has elected to receive nonpaying email from the sender;
a third instruction configured to determine if a recipient of the email has elected to receive commercial bulk email from a paying sender;
a fourth instruction configured to determine if the email is commercial bulk email; and
a fifth instruction configured to deliver the email to an inbox folder or a junk mail folder based on the determinations made by the first and fourth instructions, and at least one of the second and third instructions. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification