Systems and methods for automatically updating electronic mail access lists

• US 20050114516A1
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mindshare Design, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mindshare Design, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Steven J., Schmidt, Kenneth A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,660,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A system and method for accepting a recipient identifier, wherein the recipient identifier can be used to identify an electronic mail (email) recipient; generating a petition based on the recipient identifier and at least one petition rule, wherein the at least one petition rule includes at least one of: 1) a sender identification method; and 2) a recipient; and wherein the petition can be used by a email provider to allow a recipient to receive email from a sender.

Claims

1. A method for modifying mail filters associated with a user of a mail system, the method comprising:

receiving a subscription request, the subscription request including user information;

generating a petition from the user information, the petition comprising a request for a sender to be added to a list of approved mail senders, the list associated with the user; and

transmitting a token storing the petition to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the token is a cookie.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user information comprises an identification method.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identification method includes an origin electronic mail address for the sender.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the identification method includes a digital signature.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user information comprises a user identifier.

7. A method for modifying mail filters associated with a user of a mail system, the method comprising:

receiving a subscription request, the subscription request including user information;

generating a petition from the user information, the petition comprising a request for a sender to be added to a list of approved mail senders, the list associated with the user; and

transmitting to the user a token storing a reference to a location of the petition.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a request for the petition from a party maintaining the list of approved mail senders; and

transmitting the petition in response to the request for the petition.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

including authentication credentials in the token; and

receiving authentication credentials with the request for the petition.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the token is a cookie.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the user information comprises an identification method.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identification method includes an origin electronic mail address for the sender.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the identification method includes a digital signature.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the user information comprises a user identifier.

15. A computer program product, stored on a computer readable medium, and including computer executable instructions for controlling a processor to modify mail filters, the instructions comprising:

receiving a subscription request, the subscription request including user information;

generating a petition from the user information, the petition comprising a request for a sender to be added to a list of approved mail senders, the list associated with the user; and

transmitting a token storing the petition to the user.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the token is a cookie.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the user information comprises an identification method.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the identification method includes an origin electronic mail address for the sender.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the identification method includes a digital signature.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the user information comprises a user identifier.

21. A computer program product, stored on a computer readable medium, and including computer executable instructions for controlling a processor to modify mail filters, the instructions comprising:

receiving a subscription request, the subscription request including user information;

generating a petition from the user information, the petition comprising a request for a sender to be added to a list of approved mail senders, the list associated with the user; and

transmitting to the user a token storing a reference to a location of the petition.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the instructions further comprise:

receiving a request for the petition from a party maintaining the list of approved mail senders; and

transmitting the petition in response to the request for the petition.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the instructions further comprise:

including authentication credentials in the token; and

receiving authentication credentials with the request for the petition.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the token is a cookie.

25. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the user information comprises an identification method.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the identification method includes an origin electronic mail address for the sender.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the identification method includes a digital signature.

28. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the user information comprises a user identifier.

29. A method for modifying mail filters, the method comprising:

receiving an identifier for a user from a user system;

checking the user system for the presence of a token, the token configured to initiate the processing of a petition for a sender to be added to a list of approved senders;

receiving the token; and

processing the petition.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein processing the petition comprises requesting permission from the user to add the sender to the list of approved senders.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising adding a sender address to the list of approved senders.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the petition includes an identification method.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the identification method is a sender mail address.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the identification method is a digital signature.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the token includes the petition.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the petition includes a reference to a petition location.

37. A computer program product, stored on a computer readable medium, and including computer executable instructions for controlling a processor to modify mail filters, the instructions comprising:

receiving an identifier for a user from a user system;

checking the user system for the presence of a token, the token configured to initiate the processing of a petition for a sender to be added to a list of approved senders;

receiving the token; and

processing the petition.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein processing the petition comprises requesting permission from the user to add the sender to the list of approved senders.

39. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the instructions further comprise adding a sender address to the list of approved senders.

40. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the petition includes an identification method.

41. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein the identification method is a sender mail address.

42. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein the identification method is a digital signature.

43. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the token includes the petition.

44. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the petition includes a reference to a petition location.

45. A system for modifying mail filters, the system comprising:

a server configured to;

receive a subscription request, the subscription request including user information; and

transmit a token to a user system, the token configured to enable processing of a petition comprising a request for a sender to be added to a list of approved mail senders, the list associated with the user; and

a petition generator configured to generate the petition from the user information.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the token contains the petition.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein the token contains a reference to a location of the petition.

48. The system of claim 45, wherein the petition includes an identification method.

49. The system of claim 45, wherein the identification method is a sender mail address.

50. The system of claim 45, wherein the identification method is a digital signature.

51. The system of claim 45, wherein the user information comprises a user identifier.

52. A system for modifying mail filters, the system comprising:

a server configured to;

receive a user identifier from a user system;

check the user system for the presence of a token, the token configured to initiate the processing of a petition for a sender to be added to a list of approved senders;

receive the token; and

a petition processor configured to process the petition.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein processing the petition comprises

requesting permission from the user to add the sender to the list of approved senders.

54. The system of claim 52, wherein the petition processor is further configured to add a sender address to the list of approved senders.

55. The system of claim 52, wherein the petition includes an identification method.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the identification method is a sender mail address.

57. The system of claim 55, wherein the identification method is a digital signature.

58. The system of claim 52, wherein the token includes the petition.

59. The system of claim 52, wherein the petition includes a reference to a petition location.