Method and system for filtering unauthorized electronic mail messages

• US 6,868,436 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2000
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Fleming, Hoyt A. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HIEU C
• Application Number:
  US09/634,691
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709206-207, 709/217, 709/224, 709/103, 707/1, 707/7, 707/10, 707/102, 707/100, 707/200, 706 45- 48
• 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 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A computer system and method for filtering unauthorized electronic mail messages that are sent by senders to a user. The system includes a list of the identifications of the senders who are authorized to send an electronic mail message to the user. When an electronic mail message is received, the system determines whether the sender of the electronic mail message is authorized by determining whether the identification of sender in the electronic mail message is in the list of the identifications of the senders who are authorized. When the sender of the electronic mail message is determined to be authorized, the system stores the electronic mail message in an Inbox folder. When the sender of the electronic mail message is determined to be not authorized, the system stores the electronic mail message in a Junk Mail folder. In this way, the electronic mail messages are automatically stored in the appropriate folder based on whether the sender is authorized so that the user can view the Inbox folder containing the electronic mail messages sent by authorized senders separately from the Junk Mail folder containing the electronic mail messages sent by unauthorized senders.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for filtering unauthorized electronic mail messages that are sent by senders to a user, each sender having an identification, each electronic mail message including the identification of the sender, the method comprising:

providing a list of the identifications of the senders who are authorized to send an electronic mail message to the user;

for each of a plurality of electronic mail messages,

determining whether the sender of the electronic mail message is authorized by determining whether the identification of sender in the electronic mail message is in the provided list of the identifications of the senders who are authorized;

when the sender of the electronic mail message is determined to be authorized, storing the electronic mail message in a first folder designated for electronic mail messages received from authorized senders;

when the sender of the electronic mail message is determined to be not authorized, storing the electronic mail message in a second folder designated for electronic mail messages received from unauthorized senders, the second folder being optionally viewable by the user;

when the user sends an electronic mail message to a recipient, the identification of the recipient is automatically added to the provided list of the identifications of senders who are authorized to send electronic mail message to the user,

whereby the electronic mail messages are automatically stored in the appropriate folder based on whether the sender is authorized so that the user can view the first folder containing the electronic messages sent by authorized senders separately from the second folder containing the electronic mail messages sent by unauthorized senders.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the provided list of the identifications of he senders is generated by adding the identification of senders of previously received electronic mail messages.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the provided list of the identifications of the senders is generated by adding the identification of recipients of previously sent electronic mail messages.