Method and apparatus for providing automatic e-mail filtering based on message semantics, sender's e-mail ID, and user's identity

• US 6,941,466 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2001
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daedalus Blue LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mastrianni, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khoshnoodi, Nadia
• Application Number:
  US09/791,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 713/154, 713/200, 340/5.2, 380/252, 705/51
• US Class Current: 726/22
• 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

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and apparatus for providing context-aware automatic e-mail filtering and reply generation based on message semantics, sender'"'"'s e-mail ID, and the user'"'"'s identity is provided. In one embodiment, e-mail received from objectionable sources as determined by the sender'"'"'s ID or the IP address from which the e-mail originate are deleted. In other embodiments, e-mail containing objectionable content as determined by the presence of objectionable words or phrases or by an objectionable score determined by assigning weights to various words and phrases that exceeds a threshold value. Other embodiments allow for attachments to be forwarded to a parent or system administrator and approval received from the parent or system administrator prior to allowing access to the attachment by the recipient.

Claims

1. A method of filtering electronic mail, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic mail message intended for a first recipient address;

identifying filtering definitions associated with the first recipient address;

determining whether a portion of the electronic mail message is a candidate for review by a screening user based on the filtering definitions;

responsive to a portion of the electronic mail message being a candidate for review, locking access to the portion of the electronic mail message to form a locked portion, wherein a user associated with the first recipient address cannot gain access to the locked portion until the locked portion is approved by the screening user; and

forwarding the locked portion of the electronic mail message to a second recipient address associated with the screening user.

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

determining whether the electronic mail message originated from objectionable source based on the filtering definitions associated with the first recipient; and

responsive to a determination that the electronic mail message originated from an objectionable source, deleting the electronic mail message without presentation of the electronic mail message to the user associated with the first recipient address.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the determination that the electronic mail message originated from an objectionable source is made based on a sender'"'"'s user name.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the determination that the electronic mail message originated from an objectionable source is made based on an Internet Protocol address from which the electronic mail message originated.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining whether the electronic mail message contains objectionable content; and

responsive to a determination that the electronic mail message contains objectionable content, deleting the electronic mail message with presentation of the electronic mail message to the screening user.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the determination that the electronic mail message contains objectionable content is based on a determination that an objectionable phrase is present within the electronic mail message.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the determination that the electronic mail message contains objectionable content is based on a determination that an objectionable score calculated by assigning weights to certain objectionable words and phrases exceeds a threshold value.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein that the portion of the electronic mail message is an attachment.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein determining whether a portion of the electronic mail message is a candidate for review includes scanning the attachment for embedded content.

10. A computer program product in a computer readable media for use in a data processing system for filtering electronic mail, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving an electronic mail message addressed to a first recipient;

second instructions for identifying filtering definitions associated with the first recipient;

third instructions for determining whether a portion of the electronic mail message is a candidate for review by a screening user based on the filtering definitions;

fourth instructions responsive to a portion of the electronic mail message being a candidate for review, for locking access to the portion of the electronic mail message to form a locked portion, wherein a user associated with the first recipient address cannot gain access to the locked portion until the locked portion is approved by the screening user; and

fifth instructions for forwarding the locked portion of the electronic mail message to a second recipient address associated with the screening user.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, the computer program product further comprising:

instructions for determining whether the electronic mail message originated from an objectionable source based on the filtering definitions associated with the first recipient; and

instructions, responsive to a determination that the electronic mail message originated from an objectionable source, for deleting the electronic mail message without presentation of the electronic mail message to the user associated with the first recipient address.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 11, wherein the determination that the electronic mail message originated from an objectionable source is made based on a sender'"'"'s user name.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 11, wherein the determination that the electronic mail message originated from an objectionable source is made based on an Internet Protocol address from which the electronic mail message originated.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, the computer program product further comprising:

instructions for determining whether the electronic mail message contains objectionable content; and

instructions, responsive to a determination that the electronic mail message contains objectionable content for deleting the electronic mail message with presentation of the electronic mail message to the screening user.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein the determination that the electronic mail message contains objectionable content is based on a determination that an objectionable phrase is present within the electronic mail message.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein the determination that the electronic mail message contains objectionable content is based on a determination that an objectionable score calculated by assigning weigh to certain objectionable words and phrases exceeds a threshold value.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, wherein the portion of the electronic mail message is an attachment.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 17, wherein determining whether a portion of the electronic mail message is a candidate for review includes scanning the attachment for embedded content.

19. An electronic mail filtering system, the system comprising:

a network interface which receives an electronic mail message intended for a first recipient address; and

a semantic engine having a first component, a second component, a third component, and a fourth component;

wherein

the first component identifies filtering definitions associated with the first recipient address;

the second component determines whether a portion of the electronic mail message is a candidate for review by a screening user based on the filtering definitions;

the third component, responsive to a portion of the electronic mail message being a candidate for review, locks access to the portion of the electronic mail message to form a locked portion, wherein a user associated with the first recipient address cannot gain access to the locked portion until the locked portion is approved by the screening user; and

forwarding the locked portion of the electronic mail message to a second recipient address associated with the screening user.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the semantic engine comprises a objectionable mail deletion component which, responsive to a determination that the electronic mail message originated from an objectionable source, deletes the electronic mail message without presentation of the electronic mail message to the user associated with the first recipient address.

21. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the objectionable mail deletion component uses a sender'"'"'s user name to determine whether that the electronic mail message originated from an objectionable source.

22. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the objectionable mail deletion component uses an Internet Protocol address from which the electronic mail originated to determine whether the electronic mail message originated from an objectionable source.

23. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the semantic engine includes an objectionable mail deletion component which, responsive to a determination that the electronic mail message contains objectionable content, deletes the electronic mail message after presentation of the electronic mail message to the screening user.

24. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the semantic engine includes an objectionable phrase determination component which makes a determination of whether the electronic mail message contains objectionable content based on a determination that an objectionable phrase is present within the electronic mail message.

25. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the semantic engine determines whether the electronic mail message contains objectionable content based on a determination of whether an objectionable score calculated by assigning weights to certain objectionable words and phrases exceeds a threshold value.

26. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the portion of the electronic mail message is an attachment.

27. The system as recited in claim 26, wherein the semantic engine, determines whether a portion of the electronic mail message is a candidate for review by scanning the attachment for embedded content.