Methods and systems for determining email addresses

• US 20100312837A1
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eGrabber, Inc.
• Original Assignee: eGrabber, Inc.
• Inventors: Gunasekar, Noel, Mukadam, Fatema Mansoor, Bodapati, Chandra
• Granted Patent: US 8,495,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method and system for a user to find an email address using the Internet. The user inputs the information that he wants to be verified or completed. A seeking unit determines the missing fields in the input information. The seeking unit may determine the missing information in the email address from various sources on the Internet, using a set of rules. The rules may be specified by the user or present in the database. The obtained search results are ranked by a ranking unit, based on the relevance of the scores. The seeking unit may also display the found email information along with the ranks to the user. The user has the option to sort the email information. The user may then select the most accurate email information, according to him, which is then used to populate the field in the information.

Claims

1. A method of providing a user with an email address of a second person using at lease one source available on the Internet, said method comprising steps of

identifying said at least one source of information;

querying said at least one source for email address of said second person;

collecting probable email addresses of said second person from said at least one source;

assigning a relevancy score to said probable email addresses; and

ranking said probable email addresses on basis of said relevancy score.

2. The method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein a source is a database comprising of a list of sources.

3. The method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein a source is a source detected on Internet, where said source is identified by querying search engines on Internet.

4. The method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein a source is a source provided by said user.

5. The method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein a seeking unit queries said at least one source for email address of said second person.

6. The method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein a ranking unit assigns said relevancy score to said probable addresses and ranks said probable email address on basis of said relevancy score.

7. The method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ranked probable email addresses are displayed to said user.

8. A method of providing a user with an email address of a second person by generating said email address using a set of rules, the method comprising steps of

finding web domain for a target organization;

finding email domain for said target organization;

collecting email addresses belonging to said email domain;

collecting corresponding names for said email addresses; and

inferring patterns from said email addresses and said corresponding names,

where said set of rules are generated by identifying patterns from email addresses collected.

9. The method, as claimed in claim 8, wherein said step of finding said web domain further comprises of querying search engines on Internet for said web domain.

10. The method, as claimed in claim 8, wherein said step of finding said email domain further comprises of querying said web domain for said email domain.

11. The method, as claimed in claim 8, wherein inferring patterns from said email addresses and said corresponding names further comprises steps of

extracting username from said email address;

calculating statistical information for each of a name and said username, wherein said name corresponds to said email address;

applying rules to each of said name and said username to obtain statistics;

summing up said statistics for all of said names and corresponding email addresses;

applying rules to said statistics to infer said patterns in said email addresses.

12. The method, as claimed in claim 8, wherein said statistics comprises of

alphabet count of said username;

number count of said username;

separator count of said username;

a match for first name of said name in said username; and

a match for last name of said name in said username.

13. The method, as claimed in claim 8, wherein priorities for said patterns are calculated, wherein a priority for a specific pattern of email address relies on probability of frequency of said specific pattern of email address.

14. A method for ranking an email address of a person obtained from a source, said ranking based on

priority of said source;

and

rules to determine validity of said email address, said rules comprising of

type of name match in said email address;

domain correlation with said email address;

company name of said person found in said source; and

name of said person found in said source.

15. The method, as claimed in claim 14, wherein said name match comprises of

a match of full name of said person with username in said email address;

a match of partial name of said person with username in said email address;

a match of substring of name of said person with username in said email address;

a match of initials of name of said person with username in said email address;

a match of name of said person and a second name of said person with username in said email address; and

a match of name of said person and name of said company.

16. The method, as claimed in claim 14, wherein said source of information is a database comprising of a list of sources.

17. The method, as claimed in claim 14, wherein said sources of information are sources detected on Internet, said sources being identified by querying search engines on Internet for said sources.

18. The method, as claimed in claim 14, wherein said source of information is a list of sources provided by said user.

19. The method, as claimed in claim 14, wherein high ranking is given to an email address on said email address satisfying conditions comprising of

a match of full name of said person with username in said email address;

a match of partial name of said person with username in said email address;

domain of said email address matches domain of said company;

company name of said person found in said source; and

name of said person found in said source.

20. The method, as claimed in claim 14, wherein medium ranking is given to an email address on said email address satisfying conditions comprising of

a match of full name of said person with username in said email address;

a match of partial name of said person with username in said email address;

domain of said email address matches domain of said company; and

company name of said person found in said source.

21. The method, as claimed in claim 14, wherein low ranking is given to an email address on said email address satisfying conditions comprising of

a match of full name of said person with username in said email address;

a match of initials of name of said person with username in said email address;

a match of characters present in name of said person with username in said email address; and

domain of said email address matches domain of said company.

22. A method for providing a user with name of company of a second person on providing email address of said second person, wherein said email address does not belong to a personal email domain, said method comprising steps of

extracting email domain from said email address;

query said email domain for said company name;

query business listing sources for said company name, if said email domain does not respond;

assigning a relevancy score to a plurality of company names, on receiving said plurality of company names; and

ranking said plurality of company names on basis of said relevancy score.

23. The method, as claimed in claim 22, wherein a seeking unit queries said email domain and said business listing sources for said company name.

24. The method, as claimed in claim 22, wherein a ranking unit assigns said relevancy score to said plurality of company names and ranks said plurality of company names on basis of said relevancy score.

25. The method, as claimed in claim 22, wherein said ranked plurality of company names are displayed to said user.

26. A method for providing a user with name of a second person, on said user providing email address of said second person, said method comprising steps of:

extracting user name from said email address;

displaying said name to said user, if said user name matches a pattern of user names used in mail client formats;

displaying said name to said user, if said name can be obtained from a plurality of sources;

displaying said name to said user, if said name can be obtained using said user name by pattern analysis; and

displaying said name to said user, if said name can be obtained from said user name using token comparison.

27. The method, as claimed in claim 26, wherein at least one of said plurality of sources is a job portal.

28. The method, as claimed in claim 26, wherein at least one of said plurality of sources is a company web site.

29. The method, as claimed in claim 26, wherein at least one of said plurality of sources is an online database.

30. The method, as claimed in claim 26, wherein at least one of said plurality of sources is available on Internet.

31. The method, as claimed in claim 26, wherein on obtaining said name from said plurality of sources, said name is further matched with said email address to check for correlation of said name and said email address.

32. The method, as claimed in claim 26, wherein said pattern analysis comprises steps of

generating most probable patterns based on said user name;

splitting said user name based on said most probable patterns; and

selecting one pattern from said most probable patterns, wherein said pattern is close to pattern of said user name.

33. The method, as claimed in claim 26, wherein said token comparison further comprises steps of

comparing said user name with a plurality of tokens in a token source;

selecting most probable token from said plurality of tokens as said name based on said user name.

34. The method, as claimed in claim 33, wherein said email address is present in said token source.

35. A system for providing a user with an email address of a second person using sources available on the Internet, said system comprising of

a seeking unit configured for

identifying said sources of information;

querying said sources for email address of said second person;

collecting probable email addresses of said second person from said sources; and

sending said probable email addresses to a ranking unit;

said ranking unit configured for

assigning a relevancy score to said probable email addresses; and

ranking said probable email addresses on basis of said relevancy score; and

a database configured for

storing said retrieved email addresses,

storing said relevancy score received from said ranking unit; and

storing said rankings received from said ranking unit.

36. The system, as claimed in claim 35, wherein said seeking unit is configured to identify said sources of information using at least one of

a database comprising of a list of sources;

sources detected on Internet; and

a list of sources provided by said user.

37. The system, as claimed in claim 35, wherein said seeking unit is configured to display said ranked probable email addresses to said user using a display.

38. A seeking unit for providing a user with an email address of a second person by generating said email address using a set of rules, wherein said set of rules are generated by identifying patterns in a plurality of email addresses and further comprising of at least one means configured to

find web domain of a target organization;

find email domain for said target organization;

collect email addresses from said email domain;

collect corresponding names for said email addresses; and

infer patterns in said email addresses from said email addresses and said corresponding names.

39. The system, as claimed in claim 38, wherein said seeking unit is configured to calculate priorities for said patterns, wherein a priority for a specific pattern of email address relies on probability of frequency of said specific pattern of email address.

40. A ranking unit for ranking an email address of a person obtained from a source, said ranking unit configure to perform said ranking based on

priority of said source;

and

rules to determine validity of said email address, said rules comprising of

type of name match in said email address;

domain correlation with said email address;

company name of said person found in said source; and

name of said person found in said source.

41. The ranking unit, as claimed in claim 40, wherein said ranking unit is configured to match said name based on factors comprising of

a match of full name of said person with username in said email address;

a match of partial name of said person with username in said email address;

a match of substring of name of said person with username in said email address;

a match of initials of name of said person with username in said email address;

a match of name of said person and a second name of said person with username in said email address; and

a match of name of said person and name of said company.

42. The ranking unit, as claimed in claim 40, wherein said ranking unit is configured to assign an email address a high ranking on said email address satisfying conditions comprising of

a match of full name of said person with username in said email address;

a match of partial name of said person with username in said email address;

domain of said email address matches domain of said company;

company name of said person found in said source; and

name of said person found in said source.

43. The ranking unit, as claimed in claim 40, wherein said ranking unit is configured to assign an email address a medium ranking on said email address satisfying conditions comprising of

a match of full name of said person with username in said email address;

a match of partial name of said person with username in said email address;

domain of said email address matches domain of said company; and

company name of said person found in said source.

44. The ranking unit, as claimed in claim 40, wherein said ranking unit is configured to assign an email address a high ranking on said email address satisfying conditions comprising of

a match of full name of said person with username in said email address;

a match of initials of name of said person with username in said email address;

a match of characters present in name of said person with username in said email address; and

domain of said email address matches domain of said company.

45. A system for providing a user with name of company of a second person on providing email address of said second person, wherein said email address does not belong to a personal email domain, said system comprising of

a seeking unit configured for

extracting email domain from said email address;

querying said email domain for said company name;

querying business listing sources for said company name, if said email domain does not respond; and

sending a plurality of company names to a ranking unit, on receiving said plurality of company names;

said ranking unit configured for

assigning a relevancy score to a plurality of company names, on receiving said plurality of company names; and

ranking said plurality of company names on basis of said relevancy score; and

a database configured for

storing said retrieved company names,

storing said relevancy score received from said ranking unit; and

storing said rankings received from said ranking unit.

46. The system, as claimed in claim 45, wherein a display is configured to display said ranked plurality of company names are displayed to said user.

47. A system for providing a user with name of a second person, on said user providing email address of said second person, said system comprising of a seeking unit configured for

extracting user name from said email address;

checking if said user name matches a pattern of user names used in mail client formats;

checking if said name can be obtained from a plurality of sources;

checking if said name can be obtained using said user name by pattern analysis; and

checking if said name can be obtained from said user name using token comparison.

48. The system, as claimed in claim 47, wherein said seeking unit on obtaining said name from said plurality of sources, is further configured to match said name with said email address to check for correlation of said name and said email address.