E-mail filter and method thereof

• US 6,421,709 B1
• Filed: 07/07/1999
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast IP Holdings I LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Accepted Marketing, Inc.
• Inventors: McCormick, William B., Kopans, David, Stojanoff, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Application Number:
  US09/348,460
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207
• 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

Abstract

A system and method of filtering junk e-mails. A user is provided with or compiles a list of e-mail addresses or character strings which a user would not wish to receive to produce a first filter. A second filter is provided including names and character strings which the user wishes to receive. Any e-mail addresses or strings contained in the first filter will be automatically eliminated from the user'"'"'s system. Any e-mail addresses or strings contained in the second filter would be automatically sent to the user'"'"'s “in box”. Any e-mail not provided in either of the filtered lists will be sent to a “waiting room” for user review. This user review results in the user rejecting any e-mail, the addresses as well as specific character strings included in this e-mail would be transmitted to a central location to be included in a master list. This master list is periodically sent to each of the users allowing the first filter to be updated. A collaborative filter is used employing message base filtering that is not effected by e-mail header forgery and utilizes the networked intelligence of end users to maintain a highly inaccurate and comprehensive filter. The collaborative filter would then use the real-time input from the end users to keep the users involved in the filtering process.

Claims

1. A method for mail server side filtering electronic mail received over a communication medium comprising the steps of:

providing a first filter at the mail server including a list of spam messages which should not be sent to an end user;

receiving a first electronic message ultimately intended for one or more end users at the mail server;

comparing at the said mail server said received first electronic message to said spam messages provided in said first filter, said received first electronic message discarded if said received first electronic message is included as a spam message in said first filter and transmitting said first electronic message to the end user if said received first electronic message is not included as a spam message in said first filter;

providing a second filter at the mail server for the receipt of a second electronic message sent over the communications medium from an end user, said second electronic message received at said second filter considered to be a spam message by the end user;

providing a counter associated with said second filter;

counting the number of repeated second electronic messages received by said second filter;

adding said second electronic message to said first filter as a spam message, if said counter exceeds a predetermined value; and

adding said second electronic message to said first filter as a spam message, if said second filter determines that said second electronic message is a spam message.

2. A system for filtering electronic mail received over a communication medium to an end user'"'"'s computer, comprising:

a mail server for receiving first electronic messages intended to be received by the end user, said mail server provided at a location remote from the end user;

a first filter located at said mail server, said filter including a list of spam messages which should not be sent to the end user, said first filter also including a device for comparing at least a portion of the body of said first electronic messages with each of said spam messages;

a second filter located at said mail server for receiving second electronic messages transmitted over the communication medium to said mail server from the end users;

a counter and comparison device located at said mail server and in communication with said second filter for counting and classifying the number of said second electronic messages received by said second filter, said counting and comparison device determining the number of similar second electronic messages received by said second filter;

wherein when the number of similar second electronic messages received by said second filter exceeds a predetermined number, said similar second electronic message is added to said first filter as an additional spam message.