METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING AN E-MAIL FLOW

• US 20100088381A1
• Filed: 12/13/2007
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nexstage Co.
• Original Assignee: Nexstage Co.
• Inventors: Deslandres, Laurent
• Application Number:
  US12/522,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20100088381A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

A method for managing an e-mail flow between a plurality of messaging accounts (11, 13), includes the following steps: using a statistical study of the data relating to at least one messaging account (11, 13) among the plurality of messaging accounts (11, 13); determining at least one predetermined indicator concerning the messaging account (11, 13); based on the predetermined indicator and on at least one predetermined level associated with the indicator, determining at least one index relating to a state of the messaging account (11, 13); based on the index and on a predetermined level associated with the index, triggering a so-called alarm signal corresponding to the state of the messaging account (11, 13); based on the alarm signal, triggering at least one so-called management action for quantitatively reducing the e-mail flow with the messaging account (11, 13).

Claims

1. Method for managing email flows between at least one sender email account (11) and at least one recipient email account (13), the state of at least one of said email accounts being known, said method comprising the following steps:

determining, by a statistical study of data relating to the past activity of the email account the state of which is known (11, 13), at least one predefined indicator relating to said email account (11, 13);

determining, in relation to said predefined indicator and at least one predetermined level associated with said indicator, at least one index relating to the past activity of said email account the state of which is known (11, 13);

triggering, according to said index and a predetermined level associated with said index, a signal called an alarm signal corresponding to the state of said email account the state of which is known (11, 13); and

according to said alarm signal, triggering at least one operation, called a management operation, intended to quantitatively reduce the flow of emails relating to said email account the state of which is known (11, 13).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the email account the state of which is known is the recipient account (13) intended to receive at least one email sent by at least one sender email account (11).

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one indicator corresponds to an indicator called the reception indicator, determined by the statistical study of all or some of the emails previously received by the recipient email account (13) over a predetermined period.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that at least one reception indicator relates to a number of emails received, to a predefined email processing operation carried out on all or some of the emails received and/or to at least one reception mode of at least some of the emails received.

5. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the index corresponds to an index called a saturation index (SAT) relating to a reception state of the recipient email account (13).

6. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the management operation comprises at least one operation selected from the following list:

displaying an item of information relating to the alarm signal corresponding to the state of the receiving account at the level of at least one sender email account capable of potentially sending at least one email to said recipient email account.

blocking the sending of emails to the recipient email account (13); and

requesting confirmation of sending from a sender email account (11) desiring to send an email to the recipient email account (13).

7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the email account the state of which is known is the sender account (11) intended to send at least one email to at least one recipient email account (13).

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one indicator corresponds to an indicator called the send indicator, determined by a statistical study of all or some of the emails previously sent by the sender email account (11) over a predetermined period.

9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that at least one send indicator relates to a number of emails sent, to at least one predefined processing operation carried out on all or some of the emails sent, and/or to at least one sending mode of at least some of the emails sent.

10. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the index corresponds to an index called a pollution index relating to a sending state of the sender email account (11).

11. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the management operation comprises at least one operation selected from the following list:

a display of an item of information relating to the alarm signal corresponding to the state of the sender account (11);

at least one partial prohibition of sending emails by the sender email account (11); and

a request for confirmation of sending emails to the sender email account (11).

12. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it is implemented for managing the flows of emails between at least one sender email account (11) the state of which is known and at least one recipient email account (13) the state of which is known, said management being carried out in relation to at least one pollution index relating to said sender account (11) and/or at least one saturation index (SAT) relating to said recipient account (13).

13. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the management comprises taking into account a known absence state (ABS), declared or not, of a user of the recipient email account (13).

14. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that it also comprises a display at the level of the sender email account (11) of at least one item of information relating to its pollution state.

15. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that it also comprises a display at the level of the sender email account (11) of at least one item of information relating to the declared state of absence (ABS) and/or saturation (SAT) of at least one recipient email account (13).

16. System for managing the flow of emails between at least one sender email account (11) and at least one recipient email account (13), the state of at least one of said email accounts being known, said system comprising:

means for determining, by a statistical study of data relating to the past activity of the email account the state of which is known, at least one predefined indicator relating to said email account (11, 13);

means for determining, in relation to said predefined indicator and at least one predetermined level associated with said indicator, at least one index relating to the past activity of said email account the state of which is known (11, 13);

means for triggering, in relation to said index and a predetermined level associated with said index, a signal called an alarm signal corresponding to said state of said email account the state of which is known (11, 13); and

means for triggering at least one operation, called a management operation, intended to reduce quantitatively the flow of emails relating to said email account the state of which is known, in relation to said alarm signal.

17. System according to claim 16, characterized in that it is implemented for managing the flows of emails between at least one sender email account the state of which is known (11) and at least one recipient email account the state of which is known (13), said management being carried out in relation to at least one pollution index relating to said sender account (11) and/or at least one saturation index (SAT) relating to said recipient account (13).

18. System according to claim 16, characterized in that it also comprises:

means for displaying, at the level of a sender email account (11) the state of which is known, at least one item of information relating to its pollution state, and/or

means for displaying, at the level of a sender email account (11) at least one item of information relating to the declared state of absence (ABS) and/or saturation (SAT) of at least one recipient email account (13) the state of which is known.

19. System according to claim 17, characterized in that it also comprises:

means for displaying, at the level of a sender email account (11) the state of which is known, at least one item of information relating to its pollution state, and/or

means for displaying, at the level of a sender email account (11) at least one item of information relating to the declared state of absence (ABS) and/or saturation (SAT) of at least one recipient email account (13) the state of which is known.