Method and system for filtering spam using an adjustable reliability value
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method for evaluating electronic mail messages, comprising the steps of:
- identifying an electronic mail message from a particular sender as spam;
determining whether the particular sender of the electronic mail message identified as spam is stored in a database comprising;
a plurality of electronic mail addresses; and
a plurality of current reliability values, each associated with one of the electronic mail addresses;
reading from the database the current reliability value associated with the electronic mail address of the particular sender stored in the database;
determining whether the current reliability value associated with the electronic mail address of the particular sender is greater than a predefined threshold;
calculating a new reliability value for the electronic mail address of the particular sender by decreasing the particular sender'"'"'s current reliability value in response to the determination that the current reliability value associated with the particular sender is greater than a predefined threshold; and
changing the identification of the electronic mail message to not spam in response to the determination that the current reliability value associated with the particular sender is greater than the predefined threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A spam detection system can monitor incoming and outgoing email messages and prevent email messages from being delivered. This spam detection system incorporates a sender ranking system that maintains prior sender'"'"'s email addresses and an associated reliability value in a database. If an email message is categorized as spam, the system searches to see if the sender is located in the database. If the sender is located in the database and their reliability value is above a certain threshold, the sender'"'"'s reliability value is decreased and the email message is treated as not spam. If the sender is not located in the database, the email message is discarded as spam. If an email message is not categorized as spam, prior users located in the database will have their reliability values increased, while new users will be entered into the database at a default level.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for evaluating electronic mail messages, comprising the steps of:
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identifying an electronic mail message from a particular sender as spam; determining whether the particular sender of the electronic mail message identified as spam is stored in a database comprising; a plurality of electronic mail addresses; and a plurality of current reliability values, each associated with one of the electronic mail addresses; reading from the database the current reliability value associated with the electronic mail address of the particular sender stored in the database; determining whether the current reliability value associated with the electronic mail address of the particular sender is greater than a predefined threshold; calculating a new reliability value for the electronic mail address of the particular sender by decreasing the particular sender'"'"'s current reliability value in response to the determination that the current reliability value associated with the particular sender is greater than a predefined threshold; and changing the identification of the electronic mail message to not spam in response to the determination that the current reliability value associated with the particular sender is greater than the predefined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for filtering unsolicited electronic mail messages, comprising:
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a spam detection module operative to identify an electronic mail message from a particular sender as spam; a sender ranking database comprising; a plurality of electronic mail addresses; and a plurality of current reliability values, each associated with one of the electronic mail addresses; the friendly sender detection module operative to; reading the current reliability value associated with the electronic mail address of the particular sender stored in the sender ranking database; and determining whether the current reliability value associated with the electronic mail address of the particular sender is less than a predefined threshold; and a sender ranking database update module operative to calculating a new reliability value for the electronic mail address of the particular sender by decreasing the particular sender'"'"'s current reliability value in response to the determination that the current reliability value associated with the electronic mail address of the particular sender is less than a predefined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A computer implemented method for filtering unsolicited electronic mail messages, comprising the steps of:
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identifying an electronic mail message from a particular sender as not spam; determining whether the particular sender of the electronic mail message identified as not spam is stored in a database comprising; a plurality of electronic mail addresses; and a plurality of current reliability values, each associated with one of the electronic mail addresses; reading from the database the current reliability value associated with the electronic mail address of the particular sender stored in the database; and calculating a new reliability value by increasing the particular sender'"'"'s current reliability value for the electronic mail address of the particular sender of the electronic mail message stored in the database. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A computer implemented method for evaluating electronic mail messages, comprising the steps of:
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identifying an electronic mail message from the electronic mail address of the particular sender as spam; determining whether the electronic mail address of the particular sender of the electronic mail message identified as spam is stored in a database comprising; a plurality of electronic mail addresses; and a plurality of current reliability values, each associated with one of the electronic mail addresses; reading the current reliability value associated with the electronic mail address of the particular sender stored in the database; determining whether the current reliability value associated with the electronic mail address of the particular sender is less than a predefined threshold; calculating a new reliability value for the electronic mail address of the particular sender by decreasing the particular sender'"'"'s current reliability value in response to the determination that the current reliability value associated with the electronic mail address of the particular sender is less than a predefined threshold; and leaving the identification of the electronic mail message as spam in response to the determination that the current reliability value associated with the electronic mail address of the particular sender is less than the predefined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification