Systems and methods for blocking delivery of an electronic communication

• US 7,054,907 B1
• Filed: 12/26/2001
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sherwood, Amy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARQADLE, YASIN M
• Application Number:
  US10/025,954
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for blocking delivery of an electronic communication. In an embodiment, a method includes receiving at least a portion of a first electronic communication that includes a first electronic communication source address and a first electronic communication recipient address. User electronic communication blocking profile data is accessed, in which the user electronic communication blocking profile data includes a plurality of user electronic communication blocking records. Each user electronic communication blocking record of at least a subset of the plurality of user electronic communication blocking records includes a recipient identifier field to store a recipient identifier and a sender identifier field to store a sender identifier. A first user electronic communication blocking record is selected based at least in part on the first electronic communication source address and the first electronic communication recipient address. Delivery of the first electronic communication to the first electronic communication recipient address is blocked based at least in part on the selected first user electronic communication blocking record.

Claims

1. A method for blocking an electronic communication, the method comprising:

receiving at least a portion of a first electronic communication, the first electronic communication including a first electronic communication source address and a first electronic communication recipient address;

accessing user electronic communication blocking profile data, the user electronic communication blocking profile data including a plurality of user electronic communication blocking records, each user electronic communication blocking record of at least a subset of the plurality of user electronic communication blocking records including a recipient identifier field to store a recipient identifier and a sender identifier field to store a sender identifier;

selecting a first user electronic communication blocking record of a plurality of blocking records for at least two of a plurality of recipient addresses based at least in part on the first electronic communication source address and the first electronic communication recipient address;

blocking delivery of the first electronic communication to the first electronic communication recipient address based at least in part on the selected first user electronic communication blocking record;

receiving at least a portion of a second electronic communication, the second electronic communication including a second electronic communication source address and a second electronic communication recipient address, the second electronic communication recipient address being different from the first electronic communication recipient address;

selecting a second user electronic communication blocking record from at least two of a plurality of blocking records based at least in part on the second electronic communication source address and the second electronic communication recipient address; and

blocking delivery of the second electronic communication to the second electronic recipient address based at least in part on the selected second user electronic communication blocking record;

wherein blocking delivery of the first electronic communication includes sending a failure message to the source, wherein the failure message is an indication that the transmission of the e-mail message has permanently failed;

wherein each user electronic communication blocking record of at least a subset of the plurality of user electronic communication blocking records further includes a message field to store a message;

wherein blocking delivery of the first electronic communication to the first electronic recipient address includes sending an electronic communication to the first electronic communication source address, the electronic communication to the first electronic communication source address including at least in part a message stored in the message field of the selected first user electronic communication blocking record;

wherein each user electronic communication blocking record of at least a subset of the plurality of user electronic communication blocking records further includes an action identifier field to store an action identifier;

wherein blocking deliver of the first electronic communication to the first electronic recipient address includes deleting the first electronic communication; and

wherein blocking delivery of the first electronic communication includes indicating that the first electronic communication cannot be accepted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic communication is an electronic mail message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic communication is an instant message.

4. A method for blocking delivery of one or more electronic mail (“

e-mail”

) messages transmitted under the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (“

SMTP”

), the method comprising;

establishing an SMTP transmission channel with a sender SMTP, the SMTP transmission channel communicating at least a portion of a first e-mail message;

receiving the at least a portion of a first e-mail message, the first e-mail message including at least a first e-mail sender address and a first e-mail recipient address;

accessing user e-mail blocking profile data, the user e-mail blocking profile data including a plurality of user e-mail blocking records, each user e-mail blocking record of at least a subset of the plurality of user e-mail blocking records including a recipient identifier field to store a recipient identifier and a sender identifier field to store a sender identifier;

selecting a first user e-mail blocking record of a plurality of blocking records for at least two of a plurality of recipient addresses based at least in part on the first e-mail sender address and the first e-mail recipient address;

blocking delivery of the first e-mail message to the first e-mail recipient address based at least in part on the selected first user e-mail blocking record;

receiving at least a portion of a second e-mail message, the second e-mail message including at least a second e-mail sender address and a second e-mail recipient address, the second e-mail recipient address being different from the first e-mail recipient address;

selecting a second user e-mail blocking record based at least in part on the second e-mail sender address and the second e-mail recipient address; and

blocking delivery of the second e-mail message to the second e-mail recipient address based at least in part on the selected second user e-mail blocking record;

wherein receiving the at least a portion of the first e-mail message includes receiving the first e-mail sender address as part of an SMTP MAIL command and the first e-mail recipient address as part of an SMTP RCPT command;

wherein blocking delivery of the first e-mail message to the first e-mail recipient address based at least in part on the selected first user e-mail blocking record includes sending a failure message to the SMTP receiver in response to the SMTP RCPT command, wherein the failure message is an indication that the transmission of the e-mail message has permanently failed;

wherein the failure message includes at least in part a message from the selected first user e-mail blocking record;

wherein the failure message indicates that e-mail cannot be delivered to the first e-mail recipient address;

wherein receiving at least a portion of a first e-mail message includes receiving at least the first e-mail message subsequent to receiving an SMTP DATA command;

wherein blocking delivery of the first e-mail message to the first e-mail recipient address based at least in part on the selected first user e-mail blocking record includes sending an e-mail blocked message to the first e-mail sender address; and

wherein blocking delivery of the first e-mail message to the first e-mail recipient address based at least in part on the selected first user e-mail blocking record includes deleting the first e-mail message.

5. A system for blocking delivery of an electronic communication, the system comprising:

a network port;

a processor coupled to the network port; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing a plurality of instructions to be executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions including instructions to;

receive at least a portion of the electronic communication, the electronic communication including an electronic communication source address and an electronic communication recipient address,

access user electronic communication blocking profile data, the user electronic communication blocking profile data including a plurality of user electronic communication blocking records of a plurality of blocking records for at least two of a plurality of recipient addresses, each user electronic communication blocking record of at least a subset of the plurality of user electronic communication blocking records including a recipient identifier field to store a recipient identifier and a sender identifier field to store a sender identifier,

select a user electronic communication blocking record based at least in part on the electronic communication source address and the electronic communication recipient address, and

block delivery of the electronic communication to the electronic communication recipient address based at least in part on the selected user electronic communication blocking record;

wherein the electronic communication is an electronic mail message;

wherein each user electronic communication blocking record of at least a subset of the plurality of user electronic communication blocking records further includes an action identifier field to store an action identifier;

wherein each user electronic communication blocking record of at least a subset of the plurality of user electronic communication blocking records further includes a message field to store a message;

wherein blocking delivery of the electronic communication includes sending a failure message to the source address, wherein the failure message is an indication that the transmission of the electronic communication has permanently failed;

wherein blocking delivery of the electronic communication to the electronic recipient address includes sending an electronic communication to the electronic communication source address, the electronic communication to the electronic communication source address including at least in part a message stored in the message field of the selected user electronic communication blocking record; and

wherein each user electronic communication blocking record of at least a subset of the plurality of user electronic communication blocking records further includes an action identifier field to store an action identifier.

6. A computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions to be executed by a processor for blocking delivery of an electronic communication, the plurality of instructions comprising instructions to:

receive at least a portion of the electronic communication, the electronic communication including an electronic communication source address and an electronic communication recipient address;

access user electronic communication blocking profile data, the user electronic communication blocking profile data including a plurality of user electronic communication blocking records, each user electronic communication blocking record of at least a subset of the plurality of user electronic communication blocking records including a recipient identifier field to store a recipient identifier and a sender identifier field to store a sender identifier;

select a user electronic communication blocking record based at least in part on the electronic communication source address and the electronic communication recipient address; and

block delivery of the electronic communication to the electronic communication recipient address based at least in part on the selected user electronic communication blocking record;

wherein each user electronic communication blocking record of at least a subset of the plurality of user electronic communication blocking records further includes an action identifier field to store an action identifier;

wherein each user electronic communication blocking record of at least a subset of the plurality of user electronic communication blocking records further includes a message field to store a message;

wherein the instructions to block delivery of the electronic communication to the electronic recipient address include instructions to send an electronic communication to the electronic communication source address, the electronic communication to the electronic communication source address including at least in part a message stored in the message field of the selected user electronic communication blocking record;

wherein each user electronic communication blocking record of at least a subset of the plurality of user electronic communication blocking records further includes an action identifier field to store an action identifier;

wherein the electronic communication is an electronic mail message and

wherein blocking delivery of the electronic communication includes sending a failure message to the source address, wherein the failure message is an indication that the transmission of the electronic communication has permanently failed.

7. A system for blocking delivery of an electronic communication, the system comprising:

means for receiving at least a portion of the electronic communication, the electronic communication including an electronic communication source address and an electronic communication recipient address;

means for accessing user electronic communication blocking profile data, the user electronic communication blocking profile data including a plurality of user electronic communication blocking records, each user electronic communication blocking record of at least a subset of the plurality of user electronic communication blocking records including a recipient identifier field to store a recipient identifier and a sender identifier field to store a sender identifier;

means for selecting a user electronic communication blocking record of a plurality of blocking records for at least two of a plurality of recipient addresses based at least in part on the electronic communication source address and the electronic communication recipient address; and

means for blocking delivery of the electronic communication to the electronic communication recipient address based at least in part on the selected user electronic communication blocking record;

wherein each user electronic communication blocking record of at least a subset of the plurality of user electronic communication blocking records further includes a message field to store a message;

wherein the means for blocking delivery of the electronic communication to the electronic recipient address includes means for sending an electronic communication to the electronic communication source address, the electronic communication to the electronic communication source address including at least in part a message stored in the message field of the selected user electronic communication blocking record;

wherein the electronic communication is an electronic mail message;

wherein the means for blocking delivery of the electronic communication to the electronic recipient address includes means for deleting the electronic communication; and

wherein means for blocking delivery of the electronic communication includes means for sending a failure message to the source address, wherein the failure message is an indication that the transmission of the electronic communication has permanently failed.