METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING SPAM MESSAGE IN MESSAGING SERVICE

• US 20110289169A1
• Filed: 02/02/2010
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-Min, Lee, Dong-Young, Lee, Seung-Jae, Lee, Ji-Hye
• Granted Patent: US 9,064,242 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing a spam message in a messaging service are disclosed. When a user reports a message determined as a spam message, he may directly select a sharing level of his personal information in order to prevent a leakage of the personal information according to a sharing policy, reports the spam message by transmitting only a hash value of the spam message in order to prevent an increase in traffic. With respect to reported spam messages, a user can access a spam server to check an errononeously reported message through a sorting algorithm.

Claims

1. A method for managing a spam message by a spam server, the method comprising:

determining whether or not a message requested to be transmitted by a transmission server corresponds to a spam-confirmed message by using a first sorting algorithm;

when the message is not a spam-confirmed message, determining whether or not the message is suspected as a spam message by using a second sorting algorithm; and

when the message corresponds to a spam-suspected message, adding an indication that the message corresponds to a spam-suspected message to the message and transmitting the same, and when the message is determined not to correspond to a spam message as a result of the using of the second sorting algorithm, determining that the message is a normal message and transmitting the message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when a user requests a release of spam over the message which has been transmitted together with the indication that the message corresponds to a spam-suspected message, correcting the sorting algorithm to correct a spam subject content class.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when a spam report is received with respect to the transmitted normal message, correcting the sorting algorithm to correct a spam subject content class.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the spam message is processed according to the spam release request or a spam report request within a spam report including a hash value with respect to the normal message and user information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the hash value is included in the normal message and transmitted by the spam server, or is generated by the terminal.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

comparing the hash value included in the spam report received from the user terminal and a previously stored hash value;

when there is no identical hash value, requesting original text of the message within the spam report from the transmission server; and

storing the original text of the message received from the transmission server and the hash value.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

comparing the hash value included in the spam report transmitted from the user terminal and a previously reported hash value; and

if there is an identical hash value, increasing a spam report counter of a previously reported message and the user by one step.

19. The method of claim 3, wherein the spam message is processed according to the spam release request or a spam report request within a spam report including a hash value with respect to the normal message and user information.

8. A method for managing a spam message by a terminal, the method comprising:

whenever a sharing policy is transmitted from a spam server, storing the sharing policy in the terminal;

when a spam is reported, informing a user about the latest sharing policy among the stored sharing policy, and inquiring of the user about whether to select alteration of a sharing extent or a sharing degree;

transmitting a sharing policy altered according to the user selection to a spam server and storing the same in the terminal; and

transmitting personal information according to the altered sharing policy to the spam server after a corresponding spam reporting or subsequent spam reporting.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the transmitting of the personal information comprises:

whenever the sharing policy is transmitted from the spam server, storing the same in the terminal;

whenever a spam is reported, informing a user about the latest sharing policy among the stored sharing policy, and inquiring of the user about whether to alter a sharing extent or a sharing degree; and

transmitting the personal information to the spam server according to the altered sharing policy.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein, in selecting, each ID having a different open extent and open degree is attached to the spam information to report the spam.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

before the sharing policy is stored in the terminal, checking whether or not the spam server can be acceptable by the terminal through an electronic signature or H MAC information.

12. A method for managing a spam message, the method comprising:

determining whether or not a message requested to be transmitted by a transmission server corresponds to a spam-confirmed message by using a first sorting algorithm;

if the message corresponds to a spam-confirmed message, storing, by a spam server, the message in a spam box without transmitting it to a terminal device;

when there is a request for checking the spam box by a user of the terminal with respect to the stored message, transmitting, by a transmission server, a list of spam messages, to the terminal;

if there is a request for releasing spam with respect to a message on the spam message list, attaching a spam flat to the message and transmitting the same to the user terminal; and

permanently deleting the message stored in the spam box when a certain time lapses.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the spam message is processed according to a spam release or a spam reporting request within the spam report including a hash value with respect to a normal message and user information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the hash value is a value which has been included in the normal message and transmitted by the spam server or a value generated by the user.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

comparing the hash value included in the spam report received from the user terminal and a previously stored hash value;

when there is no identical hash value, requesting original text of the message within the spam report from the transmission server; and

storing the original text of the message received from the transmission server and the hash value.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

comparing the hash value included in the spam report transmitted from the user terminal and a previously reported hash value; and

if there is an identical hash value, increasing a spam report counter of a previously reported message and the user by one step.

17. A terminal for reporting a spam message, the terminal comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a sharing policy from a spam server;

a storage medium configured to store the received sharing policy;

a processor configured to alter the sharing policy according to a user selection when the user reports the received message as a spam message; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the altered sharing policy to a spam server.

18. The terminal of claim 17, further comprising:

a converter configured to perform a hash function for extracting a hash value from original text of the message. A method and apparatus for managing a spam message in a messaging service are disclosed. When a user reports a message determined as a spam message, he may directly select a sharing level of his personal information in order to prevent a leakage of the personal information according to a sharing policy, reports the spam message by transmitting only a hash value of the spam message in order to prevent an increase in traffic. With respect to reported spam messages, a user can access a spam server to check an erroneously reported message through a sorting algorithm.