Method and program for handling spam emails

• US 20060259558A1
• Filed: 12/14/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lite-On Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lite-On Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Yen, Wen Yi
• Application Number:
  US11/300,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259558A1
• 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

Abstract

A method for handling spam emails is provided. The method is executed by an email client computer connected to a first mail server and comprises the following steps. An email received from the first mail server is identified as a spam email or a valid email first according to at least one judgment condition. A number of spam emails received from the same sender identity as a sender identity of the email is then accumulated if the email is identified as a spam email. A warning message about the sender identity is then issued to a second mail server of the sender of the email or a network police if the number is larger than a threshold value.

Claims

1. A method for handling spam emails, executed by an email client computer connected to a first mail server and comprising the steps of:

identifying an email received from the first mail server as a spam email or not a spam email according to at least one judgment condition;

accumulating a number of spam emails received from the same sender identity as the sender identity of the email if the email is identified as a spam email; and

issuing a warning message about the sender identity to a second mail server of the sender of the email or a network police if the number of spam emails is larger than a threshold value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the warning message to the second mail server of the sender is an email to the administrator of the second mail server for requesting the second mail server to prohibit the sender from sending spam emails.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the warning message to the network police is an email for accusing the sender of sending spam emails.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

retrieving some information of the email from a first mail server of the email client computer as a reference for a user of the email client computer to determine whether the email is a spam email when the at least one judgment condition is not sufficient to identify the email as a spam email.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the some information is selected from a group including sender name, sender email address, title, date sent, file size, and a combination thereof.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sender identity is selected from a group including sender name, sender email address, IP address of sender mail server, and a combination thereof.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one judgment condition includes a white list and keywords, and the email is identified as not a spam email if the sender identity of the email exists in the white list or the keywords do not appear in the context and title of the email.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the white list is set according to a group including sender name, sender email address, IP address of sender mail server, and a combination thereof.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the email is identified as a spam email in one of the following conditions:

first condition;

the white list is set according to sender name and sender email address, and if either the sender name or the sender email address of the email is not in the white list;

second condition;

the white list is set according to sender name and IP address of sender mail server, and if either the sender name or the IP address of the sender mail server of the email is not in the white list; and

third condition;

the white list is set according to sender email address and IP address of sender mail server, and if either the IP address of the sender mail server or the sender email address of the email is not in the white list.

10. A program for handling spam emails, loaded into an email client computer connected to a first mail server and comprising:

instructions for directing the email client computer to identify an email received from the first mail server as a spam email or not a spam email according to at least one judgment condition;

instructions for directing the email client computer to accumulate a number of spam emails received from the same sender identity as the sender identity of the email if the email is identified as a spam email; and

instructions for directing the email client computer to issue a warning message about the sender identity to a second mail server of the sender of the email or a network police if the number is larger than a threshold value.

11. The program according to claim 10, wherein the program is a built-in or plug-in module of an email client application software executed by the email client computer for receiving and sending emails.

12. The program according to claim 10, wherein the warning message to the second mail server of the sender is an email to the administrator of the second mail server for requesting the second mail server to prohobit the sender from sending spam email.

13. The program according to claim 10, wherein the warning message to the network police is an email for accusing the sender of sending spam emails.

14. The program according to claim 10, wherein the program further comprises instructions for directing the email client computer to retrieve some information of the email from-the first mail server of the email client computer as a reference for a user of the email client computer to determine whether the email is a spam email by himself when the at least one judgment condition is not sufficient to identify the email as a spam email.

15. The program according to claim 14, wherein the some information is selected from a group including sender name, sender email address, title, date sent, file size, and a combination thereof.

16. The program according to claim 10, wherein the sender identity is selected from a group including sender name, sender email address, IP address of sender mail server, and a combination thereof.

17. The program according to claim 10, wherein the at least one judgment condition includes a white list and keywords, and the email is identified as not a spam email if the sender identity of the email exists in the white list or the keywords do not appear in the context and title of the email.

18. The program according to claim 17, wherein the white list is set according to a group including sender name, sender email address, IP address of sender mail server, and a combination thereof.

19. The program according to claim 18, wherein the email is identified as a spam email in one of the following conditions:

first condition;

the white list is set according to sender name and sender email address, and if either the sender name or the sender email address of the email is not in the white list;

second condition;

the white list is set according to sender name and IP address of sender mail server, and if either the sender name or the sender email address of the email is not in the white list; and

third condition;

the white list is set according to sender email address and IP address of sender mail server, and if either the IP address of the sender mail server or the sender email address of the email is not in the white list.