Classification of electronic mail into multiple directories based upon their spam-like properties

• US 20050165895A1
• Filed: 01/23/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twitter Inc (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Crawford, Jason L., Wegman, Mark N., Rajan, Vadakkedathu Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,693,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

In an electronic mail system, an apparatus and method for providing, in addition to the conventional “Inbox” directory in which all incoming e-mails are normally received, a plurality of appropriately labeled directories for containing e-mails suspected of being spam, grading the level of spaminess of the incoming e-mails and then moving or copying the incoming e-mails into one or more of the spam directories based upon the e-mails'"'"' respective levels of spaminess.

Claims

1. A method classifying electronic mail into multiple directories based upon their spaminess, comprising the steps of:

providing an Inbox directory and two or more spam directories, each assigned a range of spaminess;

grading the e-mail for spaminess; and

assigning the e-mail into one or more of the directories whose assigned ranges of spaminess encompasses the spaminess grade of the incoming e-mail.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the spaminess ranges assigned to at least two of the directories overlap such that an e-mail whose grade is encompassed within the overlap is contained in both of such directories.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising presenting the user with an indication that the email has been placed in more than one directory.

4. The method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising prompting the user to take an action on the email that has been placed in more than one directory.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the action comprises voting on the spaminess of the incoming email.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising receiving new information on user behavior and re-grading email based on the new information.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 further comprising relocating email from one directory to another based on the re-grading.

8. A mail system comprising in combination:

a grader that analyses an incoming e-mail and assigns a grade to the incoming e-mail; and

an Inbox directory and two or more spam directories, each assigned a range of spaminess, the directories respectively containing the incoming e-mail whose spaminess grade is encompassed the spaminess range assigned to the directory.

9. The mail system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the spaminess ranges assigned to at least two of the directories overlap such that an incoming e-mail whose grade is encompassed within the overlap is contained in both of such directories.

10. A computer system including a processor for processing incoming mail, the system including an Inbox directory and a plurality of spam directories into which said incoming mail is processed, each said spam directory being assigned a range of spaminess into which the incoming e-mail for spaminess is delivered according to the respective assigned ranges of spaminess.

11. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for:

providing an Inbox directory and two or more spam directories, each assigned a range of spaminess;

grading the incoming e-mail for spaminess; and

delivering the incoming e-mail into one or more of the directories whose assigned ranges of spaminess encompasses the spaminess grade of the incoming e-mail.