SYSTEM FOR ELIMINATING UNAUTHORIZED ELECTRONIC MAIL
First Claim
1. A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network comprising:
- (a) an email client for allowing the user to receive email sent on the network addressed to a unique email address of the user,(b) an email-receiving server connected between the network and the email client for receiving email addressed to the unique email address of the user, said email-receiving server having an authorized senders list (ASL) module which maintains an ASL list of email addresses of senders authorized to send email to the user, and(c) an email rejection module operable with the ASL module for rejecting the receipt of email addressed to the email address of the user if the email address of the sender is not one that is maintained on the ASL list for the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network employs an email-receiving server connected between the network and the user'"'"'s email client for receiving email addressed to the user and rejecting those in which the sender address does not match any of sender addresses maintained on an “authorized senders” list (ASL list). The ASL lists are maintained by an ASL manager in an ASL database operable with a spam processor module. A redirector module rejects the email if, upon sending a request for validation to the spam processor module, the sender'"'"'s address does not match any authorized sender address on the ASL list. Email rejected by the redirector module is redirected to a web-based messaging (WBM) module which sends a message to the sender to confirm that the sender is a legitimate sender of email to the intended recipient. If the sender logs on to confirm their status, the WBM module executes an interaction procedure which can only be performed by a human, in order to ensure that the confirmation procedure is not performed by a mechanical program. The ASL manager maintains the ASL lists based upon sender address data collected from various sources and analyses of various email usage factors, including sent email, received email, contact lists maintained by the user, user preference inputs, third party programs, etc.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network comprising:
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(a) an email client for allowing the user to receive email sent on the network addressed to a unique email address of the user, (b) an email-receiving server connected between the network and the email client for receiving email addressed to the unique email address of the user, said email-receiving server having an authorized senders list (ASL) module which maintains an ASL list of email addresses of senders authorized to send email to the user, and (c) an email rejection module operable with the ASL module for rejecting the receipt of email addressed to the email address of the user if the email address of the sender is not one that is maintained on the ASL list for the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for eliminating unauthorized email sent to a user on a network comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving email addressed to the unique email address of the user, (b) maintaining an authorized senders list (ASL list) of email addresses of external users authorized to send email to the user, and (c) rejecting the receipt of email sent to the email address of the user if the email address of the sender is not one maintained on the ASL list for the user. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An email server system for eliminating unauthorized email sent via a network to the server addressed to a unique email address for a user of the system comprising:
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(a) an authorized senders list (ASL) module which maintains an ASL list of email addresses of senders authorized to send email to the user, and (b) an email rejection module operable with the ASL module for rejecting the receipt of email addressed to the email address of the user if the email address of the sender is not one that is maintained on the ASL list for the user.
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- 19. An email server system according to claim 19, wherein the ASL module includes an ASL database for storing ASL lists of authorized sender addresses for respective subscribers of the system, a spam processor module for checking the ASL lists for matches, and an ASL manager for creating, maintaining, and updating the ASL lists.
Specification