OUTBOUND SPAM DETECTION AND PREVENTION
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer system for providing email to a group of users, the computer system configured to:
- cause an email composition screen of a user interface to be rendered at a client computer;
cause a reference image comprising an alphanumeric string within the image to appear within the email composition screen;
cause a first plurality of screening images comprising an alphanumeric string within each of the first plurality of screening images to contemporaneously appear within the email composition screen, each screening image of the first plurality differing from each other image of the first plurality; and
prevent a user from sending an email message if the user selects a screening image of the first plurality comprising an alphanumeric string that does not match the alphanumeric string within the reference image.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A usage control mechanism is disclosed for use in deterring automated “bot” access. When implemented within an email or messaging system, the mechanism and system prevents generation of spam by the bots, while also minimizing collateral deterrence of desirable human usage. In a disclosed embodiment, a reference image is part of a message composition screen, and a message may be composed but not sent unless a user selects, from a plurality of screening images, an image containing an alphanumeric string or other object that matches that of the reference image.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A computer system for providing email to a group of users, the computer system configured to:
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cause an email composition screen of a user interface to be rendered at a client computer; cause a reference image comprising an alphanumeric string within the image to appear within the email composition screen; cause a first plurality of screening images comprising an alphanumeric string within each of the first plurality of screening images to contemporaneously appear within the email composition screen, each screening image of the first plurality differing from each other image of the first plurality; and prevent a user from sending an email message if the user selects a screening image of the first plurality comprising an alphanumeric string that does not match the alphanumeric string within the reference image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer system for providing email to a group of users, the computer system configured to:
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provide an email account for a user; establish a probationary period for the user account; provide probationary email access to the user during the probationary period, the probationary email access comprising; a first email composition interface having a reference image comprising a reference alphanumeric string, a group of send button tags, and a group of screening images, each screening image corresponding to a send button tag of the group of send button tags; determine that the probationary period has lapsed; and provide non-probationary email access comprising a second composition interface different from the first composition interface. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A computer implemented method of minimizing spam traffic on an electronic messaging system, the method comprising:
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causing, with a server of the messaging system, a user interface for composing a message to be presented to a user on a client computer; presenting a test to a sender to allow or disallow sending of a message once the message is composed, said test comprising a reference image and a plurality of test images displayed adjacent a send button, the reference image and each of the test images comprising an alphanumeric string of alphanumeric characters, one of the strings of the plurality of test images having a string matching the string in the reference image. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A computer implemented method of minimizing spam traffic on an electronic messaging system, the method comprising:
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causing, with a server of the messaging system, a user interface for composing a message to be presented to a user on a client computer; presenting a test to a sender to allow or disallow sending of a message once the message is composed, said test comprising a reference image and a plurality of test images displayed adjacent a send button, the reference image and each of the test images representing comprising an object therein, each of the images being unique from each of the other images, one of the underlying objects of the plurality of test images having therein a matching object to that in the reference image, yet rendered differently than the reference image.
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Specification