Address Couplet Communication Filtering

• US 20130246550A1
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: O'Reirdan, Michael John, Kemp, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,284,504 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system are disclosed that provide an approved address couplet listing for communication handling. An inbound communication including sender and recipient field entries may be compared as a pair or couplet against the listing to determine whether the inbound communication should be discarded, subjected to additional (spam related) processing, or forwarded for storage or delivery purposes. The comparison may take place in conjunction with one or more hashing functions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

comparing sender and recipient information indicated in a communication to a predefined list of routing identifiers, wherein each routing identifier includes one of a plurality of sender identifiers and one of a plurality of recipient identifiers, and wherein the predefined list includes one routing identifier that identifies a third party;

routing the communication based on the comparing of the sender and recipient information to the predefined list; and

granting access privileges to the third party to edit the one routing identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one of the plurality of sender identifiers in the one routing identifier includes an address of the third party.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the granting of the access privileges to the third party enables the third party to update the address of the third party.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the address of the third party is an email address.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the third party a modification to the one routing identifier; and

updating the one routing identifier according to the modification.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, with the modification from the third party, a trusted party certificate.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving the modification from the third party through an Internet portal or web page.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of recipient identifiers or the plurality of sender identifiers includes at least one wildcard designator.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one wildcard designator refers to a user name or a domain name.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one routing identifier includes a control extension, and wherein the granting of the access privileges to the third party is based on the control extension.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

routing the communication based on a control extension included in another routing identifier in the predefined list that matches the sender and recipient information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the control extension includes routing criteria different from the sender and recipient information.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

computer-readable medium, storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

extract routing information from a received communication, the routing information identifying a sender and an intended recipient;

compare the routing information to a predetermined list of sender and recipient associated pairs, wherein one sender and recipient associated pair in the predetermined list identifies a third party;

route the communication based on the comparing; and

update the one sender and recipient associated pair based on new identification information received from the third party and based on access privileges granted to the third party.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one sender and recipient associated pair includes an email address of the third party.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one sender and recipient associated pair includes a control command, and wherein the granting of the access privileges to the third party is based on the control command.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to receive the new identification information with a trusted party certificate associated with the third party.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the trusted party certificate is signed with a private key, and wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to verify the trusted party certificate using a public key associated with the third party.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive via a network portal, a request to edit the one sender and recipient associated pair, wherein the request is received with a password associated with the third party; and

receive the new identification information via the network portal.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one sender and recipient associated pair includes at least one wildcard designator.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one wildcard designator refers to a sender name, a recipient name, a sender domain name, or a recipient domain name.