Message handling with selective user participation

• US 7,546,348 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2004
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Quest Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SonicWALL, Inc. (SonicWall Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wilson, Brian K., Eikenberry, Scott D., Koblas, David A., Uyeda, Damon K., Ng, Kwok H.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUOC H
• Application Number:
  US10/830,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,875 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/203, 709/216, 709/222, 709/232
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Abstract

Handling a message comprises: classifying an incoming message for a recipient, storing the classified message and providing a notification to the recipient, wherein the notification includes summary information about the classified message and an interface that allows the recipient to operate on the classified message.

Claims

1. A method of handling a message, comprising:

executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor classifies an incoming message addressed to a recipient prior to the message being delivered to a recipient inbox;

storing the classified message in a database in memory, the database dedicated to storage of messages of a particular classification, storage of the classified message occurring subsequent to message classification; and

providing a notification to the recipient concerning receipt of the classified message, wherein the notification includes summary information about the classified message and a universal resource locator (URL) link to a graphic user interface coupled to the database storing the classified message, wherein the graphic user interface allows the recipient to operate on the classified message in an environment at the dedicated database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the classified message is classified as potentially junk.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphic user interface allows the recipient to retrieve the classified message from the dedicated database for delivery to the user inbox.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphic user interface allows the recipient to change the classification of the classified message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphic user interface allows the recipient to permanently delete the message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphic user interface allows the recipient to view detail of the classified message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the environment at the dedicated database includes a web page.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is a first notification, the method further comprising providing a second notification to the recipient inbox after a specified interval, wherein the second notification includes information about a later message that is classified after the first notification has been provided to the recipient inbox.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification includes a reason for classifying the message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is generated based on a template.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is generated based on a template that includes a variable.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is generated based on a template that includes a variable for recipient name.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is generated based on a template that includes a variable for message count.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is generated based on a template that includes a variable for number of quarantine days.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is generated based on a template that includes a variable for a storage location.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is generated based on a template that includes a variable for the classified message.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification provides a configuration option to the recipient.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification provides a configuration option to the recipient, and the configuration option allows the recipient to configure a notification interval.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification provides a configuration option to the recipient, and the configuration option allows the recipient to configure a sender address of the notification.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification provides a configuration option to the recipient, and the configuration option allows the recipient to select a delegate for notification processing.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying the recipient.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the notification is provided to the recipient after the recipient is verified.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein verifying the recipient includes collaborating with a message server.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying the recipient by collaborating with a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) server.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the incoming message is designated to a mailing list to which the recipient subscribes.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the incoming message is designated to a mailing list to which the recipient subscribes;

the method further comprising detecting a request from the recipient and operating on the classified message according to the request for the recipient only.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is the result of coalescing a first notification for a first mailing list and a second notification.

28. A message handling system comprising:

a message filter stored in memory and executable by a processor to classify incoming messages prior to the messages being delivered to an inbox associated with a recipient;

a database stored in memory, the database configured to store messages of a particular classification, storage of the classified message occurring subsequent to message classification; and

a message server configured to provide a notification to the recipient, wherein the notification includes summary information about the classified message and a universal resource locator (URL) link to a graphic user interface coupled to the database storing the classified message, wherein the graphic user interface allows the recipient to operate on the classified message an environment at the dedicated database.

29. A computer-readable storage medium have embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for handling a message, the method comprising:

classifying an incoming message for a recipient prior to the message being delivered to a recipient inbox;

storing the classified message in a database dedicated to storage of messages of a particular classification, storage of the classified message occurring subsequent to message classification; and

providing a notification to the recipient concerning receipt of the classified message, wherein the notification includes summary information about the classified message and a universal resource locator (URL) link to a graphic user interface coupled to the database storing the classified message, wherein the graphic user interface allows the recipient to operate on the classified message in an environment at the dedicated database.