Community-based green list for antispam

• US 7,181,498 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2004
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Jing, Hu, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia; Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US10/790,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 709202-206, 709/207, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/238, 709/242, 709/249, 713/176
• 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 community-based “green list” (CGL) message filter for mail service providers. The CGL filtering enables trusted messages to be delivered directly into a user'"'"'s inbox folder and other messages to be delivered to other folders associated with the user. The CGL filtering indicates which messages are sent from those message addresses listed as friends in the user'"'"'s personal address book. Also, the scope of CGL filtering includes more than those message addresses that the user interacts with directly (one degree of separation). For example, the CGL filtering also evaluates message addresses that are connected more remotely to the user through other nodes (users) in the online community that are located multiple degrees of separation away from the user.

Claims

1. A method for filtering messages for a node on a network, comprising:

determining an adaptive cut-off radius for a community based in part on a rate of growth for membership in the community that is separated by a first degree of separation, wherein a cut-off degree of separation for the cut-off radius is adapted to be relatively large if the rate of growth is relatively high, and wherein the cut-off degree of separation for the cut-off degree of separation for the cut-off radius is adapted to be relatively small if the rate of growth is relatively low;

determining a degree of separation between each of a plurality of nodes that are associated with a first node, wherein the first node and at least a portion of the associated plurality of nodes are granted membership in the community based on a number of degrees of separation between the first node and a second node in the community, and wherein the granting of membership in the community is limited by at least the adaptive cut-off radius for the community;

determining a level of trust for the first node in the community based on the number of degrees of separation between the first node and another node in the community; and

if a message is received by the first node in the community from the other node in the community, employing the level of trust associated with the other node to determine if the message is to be delivered to at least one trusted folder associated with the first node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is one of email, Short Message Service (SMS), Multi-Media Message Service (MMS), and Instant Message (IM).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the degree of separation between each of the plurality of nodes associated with the first node, further comprises determining each degree of separation between each node based at least in part on a listing in at least one of a contact list, a buddy list, a received message, a forwarded message, a saved message, a sent message, an Internet Service Provider (ISP), an online chat room, an online group, on-line social network, and a message classified as non-spam.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of degrees of separation between the first node and the second node in the community is selectable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the level of trust associated with the other node is selectable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the trusted folder includes at least one of an inbox folder and a folder where unread messages are further processed after a period of time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the processing after a period of time further comprises at least one of deleting the message, a white list filter, a black list filter, and a content filter.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising if another message is received from a source outside the community of nodes, employing at least one anti-spam filter to perform at least one of delete the other message and deliver the message to an untrusted folder.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the degree of separation between each of the plurality of nodes, further comprises:

determining if one of the nodes in the plurality of nodes is separated by one degree of separation from a number of nodes that is greater than a predetermined level; and

identifying each node as a super node whose number of nodes that are separated by one degree of separation is greater than the predetermined level, wherein a level of trust for each node solely associated with super node is reduced.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the degree of separation, further comprises determining that a first degree of separation from the first node is a membership in at least one of a contact list and a buddy list.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the degree of separation, further comprises determining that a first degree of separation from the first node includes a listing in more than one of a contact list, a buddy list, a received message, a forwarded message, a sent message, an Internet Service Provider (ISP), an online chat room, an online group, an on-line social network, and a message classified as non-spam.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a high level of trust to each node that is separated from the first node by one degree of separation.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising if a number of first degree of separation associations with nodes for the first node is less than a threshold, automatically providing membership in the community to each node associated with the first node.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising revoking the level of trust associated with the other node based on actions related to unsolicited messages.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling each message alias for one node to be handled as the same node.

16. A server for filtering messages for a node on a network, comprising:

a memory for storing instructions; and

a processor for executing instructions to perform actions, including;

determining an adaptive cut-off radius for a community based in part on a rate of growth for membership in the community that is separated by a first degree of separation, wherein a cut-off degree of separation for the cut-off radius is adapted to be relatively large if the rate of growth is relatively high, and wherein the cut-off degree of separation for the cut-off radius is adapted to be relatively small if the rate of growth is relatively low;

determining a degree of separation between each of a plurality of nodes that are associated with a first node, wherein the first node and at least a portion of the associated plurality of nodes are granted membership in the community based on a number of degrees of separation between the first node and a second node in the community, and wherein the granting of membership in the community is controlled by at least the adaptive cut-off radius for the community;

determining a level of trust for the first node in the community based on the number of degrees of separation between the first node and another node in the community; and

if a message is received by the first node in the community from the other node in the community, employing the level of trust associated with the other node to determine if the message is to be delivered to at least one trusted folder associated with the first node.

17. A client on a network, comprising:

a memory for storing instructions; and

a processor for executing instructions to perform actions, including;

determining an adaptive cut-off radius for a community based in part on a rate of growth for each node in the community that is separated by a first degree of separation, wherein a cut-off degree of separation for the cut-off radius is adapted to be relatively large if the rate of growth is relatively high, and wherein the cut-off degree of separation for the cut-off radius is adapted to be relatively small if the rate of growth is relatively low;

receiving a determined degree of separation between each of a plurality of nodes that are associated with the client, wherein the client and at least a portion of the associated plurality of nodes are granted membership in the community based on a number of degrees of separation between the client and a first node in the community, and wherein the granting of membership in the community is controlled by at least the adaptive cut-off radius for the community;

receiving a determined level of trust for the client in the community based on the number of degrees of separation between the client and a second node in the community; and

if a message is received by the client from the second node in the community, employing the level of trust associated with the second node to determine if the message is to be delivered to at least one trusted folder associated with the client.

18. A computer processor readable storage media that includes executable data and program code that are executable by a computer processor for performing actions for filtering messages for a node on a network, comprising:

determining an adaptive cut-off radius for a community based in part on a rate of growth for membership in the community that is separated by a first degree of separation, wherein a cut-off degree of separation for the cut-off radius is adapted to be relatively large if the rate of growth is relatively high, and wherein the cut-off degree of separation for the cut-off degree of separation for the cut-off radius is adapted to be relatively small if the rate of growth is relatively low;

determining a degree of separation between each of a plurality of nodes that are associated with a first node, wherein the first node and at least a portion of the associated plurality of nodes are granted membership in the community based on a number of degrees of separation between the first node and a second node in the community, and wherein the granting of membership in the community is controlled by at least the adaptive cut-off radius for the community;

determining a level of trust for the first node in the community based on the number of degrees of separation between the first node and another node in the community; and

if a message is received by the first node in the community from the other node in the community, employing the level of trust associated with the other node to determine if the message is to be delivered to at least one trusted folder associated with the first node.