Method for User Reporting of Spam Mobile Messages and Filter Node

• US 20150281153A1
• Filed: 10/11/2013
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anam Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: Anam Technologies Limited
• Inventors: Murtagh, John, Murtagh, Padraig, Looi, Kwok Onn
• Granted Patent: US 10,498,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

A method for user reporting of spam mobile messages includes causing mobile messages to pass through a filter node prior to delivery to a user and, in the filter node, creating a record corresponding to each mobile message. The record includes metadata extracted from the mobile message and the content of the mobile message. Each record is stored in an archive and each message is then routed to the user. The method also includes receiving a report message from the user indicating that a mobile message received by the user is a spam mobile message, retrieving the record corresponding to the spam mobile message from the archive, and associating the metadata in the retrieved record with the report message.

Claims

1. A method for user reporting of spam mobile messages, the method comprising:

causing mobile messages to pass through a filter node prior to delivery to a user;

in the filter node, creating a record corresponding to each mobile message, the record including metadata extracted from the mobile message and content of the mobile message;

storing each record in an archive;

routing each mobile message to the user;

receiving a report message from the user indicating that a mobile message received by the user is a spam mobile message;

retrieving the record corresponding to the spam mobile message from the archive;

associating the metadata in the retrieved record with the report message.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

using the metadata to identify a source of the spam mobile message.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 the method, wherein the step of receiving the report message comprises intercepting the report message at the filter node and the steps of retrieving and associating are also carried out in the filter node and wherein the method further comprises relaying the report message and the associated metadata to a Spam Reporting Service (SRS) server.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the report message comprises intercepting the report message at the filter node, and the method further comprises:

relaying the report message from the filter node to a Spam Reporting Service (SRS) server; and

intercepting, at the filter node, a request from the SRS server for the metadata,

wherein associating the metadata with the report message comprises providing the metadata to the SRS server in an additional message in response to the request.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metadata extracted from the mobile message includes a calling number of the mobile message.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the metadata extracted from the mobile message further includes one or more of:

a source network address of the mobile message;

a network address of a messaging center node such as a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) node or Multimedia Messaging Service Center (MMSC) node associated with the mobile message;

an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) associated with the user;

an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) associated with a source of the mobile message;

a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) or Visitor Location Register (VLR) address associated with the user;

a MSC/VLR address associated with the source of the mobile message;

an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) associated with the source of the mobile message;

an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the source of the mobile message; and

a cell-id associated with the source of the mobile message.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein storing each record in the archive comprises storing the content of the message in cleartext format.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein storing each record in the archive comprises storing the content of the message in a form of a content hash key based on an algorithm performed on content characters of the mobile message.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the content hash key is based on a checksum of the content characters of the mobile message.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the retrieving step further comprises:

upon receipt of the report message from the user, computing a content hash key of the-content of the report message; and

identifying the record corresponding to the mobile message by comparing the content hash key of the report message and an MSISDN of the user to a plurality of records in the archive.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the report message is a mobile message forwarded by the user to a spam reporting address in order to report the message as spam.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein associating the metadata in the retrieved record with the report message comprises:

creating a new report message including the content of the report message and the metadata;

appending the metadata to the report message;

or

providing the metadata in an additional message in response to a request.

13. A system for user reporting of spam mobile messages comprising:

means for causing mobile messages to pass through a filter node prior to delivery to a user;

means, in the filter node, for creating a record corresponding to each mobile message, the record including metadata associated with the mobile message and content of the mobile message;

means for storing each record in an archive;

means for routing each mobile message to the user;

means for receiving a report message from the user indicating that a mobile message received by the user is a spam mobile message;

means for retrieving the record corresponding to the spam mobile message from the archive;

means for associating the metadata in the retrieved record with the report message.

14. A method for facilitating user reporting of spam mobile messages in a filter node, the method comprising:

intercepting mobile messages prior to delivery to a user;

creating a record corresponding to each mobile message, the record including metadata associated with the mobile message and content of the mobile message;

storing each record in an archive;

allowing each intercepted mobile message to pass to the user;

intercepting a report message from the user indicating that a mobile message received by the user is a spam mobile message;

retrieving the record corresponding to the spam mobile message from the archive;

associating the metadata in the retrieved record with the report message; and

relaying the report message and the associated metadata to a Spam Reporting Service (SRS) server.

15. A filter node for facilitating user reporting of spam mobile messages, the node comprising:

means for intercepting mobile messages prior to delivery to a user;

means for creating a record corresponding to each mobile message, the record including metadata associated with the mobile message and the content of the mobile message;

means for storing each record in an archive;

means for allowing each intercepted mobile message to pass to the user;

means for intercepting a report message from the user indicating that a mobile message received by the user is a spam mobile message;

means for retrieving the record corresponding to the spam mobile message from the archive;

means for associating the metadata in the retrieved record with the report message; and

means for relaying the report message and the associated metadata to a Spam Reporting Service (SRS) server.