Bounce management
First Claim
1. A method for evaluating an incoming message using bounce rules created by a user comprising:
- upon receipt of a first message, determining from message contents whether said message is an informal status notification;
the determining comprising processing bounce rules, wherein each bounce rule comprises an attribute, an operator, and a value; and
performing a first follow-up action triggered by processing said bounce rules, wherein said first follow-up action is performed to avoid future bounces or to resend said first message.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a method and system for managing incoming potential bounce messages with user-created rules. Bounces that are not recognized by the SMTP may be identified and follow-up actions for these bounces may be performed. A user can create rules for analyzing an incoming message to determine whether the message is a bounce and select follow-up actions that will be performed if the message is determined to be a bounce. Further, manual verification of certain messages is possible if it is unclear that the message is a bounce. Management of bounces that are recognized by the SMTP is also improved. A user may create rules for determining a cause of delivery failure of formal DSNs and select follow-up actions depending on the cause of delivery failure, as well as other factors. Exemplary messages that may be analyzed include e-mails, SMS text messages and FAXes. Follow-up actions may be performed for both informal and formal DSNs to assist in preventing future bounces and to deliver the message. A follow-up action may include, for example, selecting another e-mail address or telephone number associated with the business partner who was the intended recipient. An integrated, user-friendly approach that is specific to addressing bounced e-mails is provided. For high-mass message scenarios, automated bounce management reduced the processing time needed to analyze a large volume of bounced e-mails, such those associated with a marketing campaign. Easy collection and analysis of bounced messages may also useful for providing feedback to vendors who sell e-mail addresses and/or telephone numbers.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for evaluating an incoming message using bounce rules created by a user comprising:
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upon receipt of a first message, determining from message contents whether said message is an informal status notification;
the determining comprising processing bounce rules, wherein each bounce rule comprises an attribute, an operator, and a value; and
performing a first follow-up action triggered by processing said bounce rules, wherein said first follow-up action is performed to avoid future bounces or to resend said first message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer readable medium storing thereon program instructions that, when executed, cause an executing device to:
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upon receipt of a first message, determine from message contents whether said message is an informal status notification by processing bounce rules, wherein each bounce rule comprises an attribute, an operator, and a value; and
perform a first follow-up action triggered by processing said bounce rules, wherein said first follow-up action is performed to avoid future bounces or to resend said first message. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for identifying and managing bounces comprising:
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a processor;
a memory coupled to said processor;
a bounce manager residing in said first memory and executed by said first processor, said bounce manager comprising;
bounce determination module for identifying informal delivery status notifications based on rules created by a user and triggering follow-up actions based on said rules; and
bounce management module for identifying a cause of failure for formal delivery status notifications based said user-created rules and triggering follow-up actions based on said rules. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification