Method and apparatus to enable mass message publications to reach a client equipped with a filter

• US 7,539,729 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proofpoint Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cloudmark Incorporated (Proofpoint Incorporated)
• Inventors: Prakash, Vipul Ved
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin; Kenny S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoang; Hieu T
• Application Number:
  US10/663,204
• Time in Patent Office: 2,080 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

In accordance with one embodiment, a method is provided. The method comprises maintaining a database of registered electronic publications for a plurality of clients; configuring a set of clients to query the database to determine if a publication received from a content publisher is registered; and delivering the publication to an inbox associated with the client if the publication is registered.

Claims

1. A method to filter an electronic publication published by a content publisher, the method comprising:

the content publisher registering the electronic publication with a server, the registering of the electronic publication including;

assigning to the electronic publication, a randomly selected unique address to which the content publisher is to deliver content associated with the electronic publication;

assigning a publication identification (ID) to electronic publication, and

registering content of the electronic publication by computing a signature of the content and associating the signature with the electronic publication via the publication ID;

receiving a further content at a client;

receiving, at the server, a request from the client to determine whether the further content is registered;

wherein the request including a further signature of the further content;

determining that the further content is registered by using the further signature as a key to search for the signature at the server via the publication ID;

providing the client with the publication ID based on determining that the further content is registered;

the publication ID allowing the client to associate the further content with the electronic publication;

wherein the publication ID allowing the client to automatically move the further content into a client inbox if the further electronic publication is on a subscribed list stored on the client; and

the publication ID allowing the client to automatically block or move the further content into a client spam folder if the further electronic publication is on an unsubscribed list stored on the client.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the content publisher is remote from the client.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the registering of the publication includes associating a publication name with the publication ID and the randomly selected unique address to which the content is delivered by the content provider.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the registering of the content includes accessing the content at the randomly selected unique address;

computing a signature of the content that includes data representative of the content; and

storing the signature in a database of the server with the publication ID.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the publication includes a mass email publication and the published content includes one or more email messages.

6. A method to manage mass electronic publication delivery, the method comprising:

a content publisher registering a electronic publication with a server, the registering of the electronic publication including;

assigning to the electronic publication a randomly selected unique address to which the content publisher is to deliver content associated with the electronic publication;

assigning a publication identification (ID) to electronic publication, and

registering content of the electronic publication by computing a signature of the content and associating the signature with the electronic publication via the publication ID;

receiving a further content at a client;

receiving, at the server, a request from the client to determine whether the further content is registered;

wherein the request including a further signature of the further content;

determining that the further content is registered by using the further signature as a key to search for the signature at the server via the publication ID;

providing the client with the publication ID based on determining that the further content is registered;

the publication ID allowing the client to associate the further content with the electronic publication;

wherein the publication ID allowing the client to automatically move the further content into a client inbox if the further electronic publication is on a subscribed list stored on the client; and

the publication ID allowing the client to automatically block or move the further content into a client spam folder if the further electronic publication is on an unsubscribed list stored on the client.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6, further comprising:

receiving input related to the content from a plurality of separate clients; and

rating the content based on the input, wherein the rating provides an indication of whether the content is spam.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising sending the rating to a further client to determine a default characterization of the content by the further client.

9. A method for managing an inbox on a client machine, the method comprising:

a content publisher registering a electronic publication with a server, the registering of the electronic publication including;

assigning to the electronic publication, a randomly selected unique address to which the content publisher is to deliver content associated with the electronic publication;

assigning a publication identification (ID) to electronic publication, and

registering content of the electronic publication by computing a signature of the content and associating the signature with the electronic publication via the publication ID;

receiving, from a content publisher, a further content at the client machine;

sending a request from the client machine to the server to determine whether the further content is registered;

wherein the request including a further signature of the further content;

determining that the further content is registered by using the further signature as a key to search for the signature at the server via the publication ID;

providing the client machine with the publication ID based on determining that the further content is registered;

the publication ID allowing the client machine to associate the further content with the electronic publication;

wherein the publication ID allowing the client machine to automatically move the further content into a client inbox if the further electronic publication is on a subscribed list stored on the client machine; and

the publication ID allowing the client machine to automatically block or move the further content into a client spam folder if the further electronic publication is on an unsubscribed list stored on the client machine.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, including performing an authentication operation to authenticate the content publisher responsive to the receiving of the further content from the content publisher.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the authentication operation includes sending authentication information received from the content publisher to the server for verification of the authentication information.

12. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the publication includes a mass email publication and the content includes at least one email message.

13. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the client machine provides a user interface (UI) that includes an unblock button that is user-selectable to indicate that the publication is to be placed on the subscribed list, and a block button that is user-selectable to indicate that the publication is to be placed on the unsubscribed list.