Restricting the volume of outbound electronic messages originated by a single entity
First Claim
1. A method of approving an electronic message for sending, the method comprising:
- logging a client into a communication system configured to be used by a client to generate and send electronic messages;
generating, at the communication system, a ticket that is configured to be used a limited number of times by the client when sending electronic messages;
storing, at the communication system, an indication of the ticket;
providing the ticket to the client;
receiving, at the communication system, a request from the client to send an electronic message, the request being associated with the ticket and an electronic message composed at the client after the client receives the ticket;
accessing, at the communication system, the indication of the ticket;
determining, at the communication system and based on the accessed indication of the ticket, whether the ticket has already been used by the client the limited number of times when sending electronic messages;
sending the electronic message from the communication system if the determination indicates that the ticket has not been used by the client the limited number of times; and
preventing the electronic message from being sent from the communication system if the determination indicates that the ticket has been used by the client the limited number of timeswherein the request from the client to send an electronic message is a request to send the electronic message to a recipient, andwherein sending the electronic message from the communication system includes sending the electronic message without the ticket to a second communication system associated with the recipient.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The volume of outgoing electronic messages from a given entity may be restricted by preventing the messages, such as spam, from being sent. Messages may be restricted, for example, by serializing outgoing messages using a mutual-exclusion locking technique or by using a ticket-based system. Serialization may occur, for example, at a web level in web-based implementations. In one system, a limited-use ticket is generated that allows an entity to send one or more electronic messages, and the ticket is provided to the entity. A request is received from the entity to send an electronic message, and the request is associated with the ticket and the electronic message. After receiving the request, a determination is made as to whether the ticket is valid and, if the ticket is determined to be valid, the electronic message is approved for sending.
175 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method of approving an electronic message for sending, the method comprising:
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logging a client into a communication system configured to be used by a client to generate and send electronic messages; generating, at the communication system, a ticket that is configured to be used a limited number of times by the client when sending electronic messages; storing, at the communication system, an indication of the ticket; providing the ticket to the client; receiving, at the communication system, a request from the client to send an electronic message, the request being associated with the ticket and an electronic message composed at the client after the client receives the ticket; accessing, at the communication system, the indication of the ticket; determining, at the communication system and based on the accessed indication of the ticket, whether the ticket has already been used by the client the limited number of times when sending electronic messages; sending the electronic message from the communication system if the determination indicates that the ticket has not been used by the client the limited number of times; and preventing the electronic message from being sent from the communication system if the determination indicates that the ticket has been used by the client the limited number of times wherein the request from the client to send an electronic message is a request to send the electronic message to a recipient, and wherein sending the electronic message from the communication system includes sending the electronic message without the ticket to a second communication system associated with the recipient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of approving an electronic message for sending, the method comprising:
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logging a client into a communication system configured to be used by a client to generate and send electronic messages; steps for generating, at the communication system, a ticket that is configured to be used a limited number of times by the client when sending electronic messages; storing, at the communication system, an indication of the ticket; providing the ticket to the client; receiving, at the communication system, a request from the client to send an electronic message, the request being associated with the ticket and an electronic message composed at the client after the client receives the ticket; accessing, at the communication system, the indication of the ticket; steps for determining, at the communication system and based on the accessed indication of the ticket, whether the ticket has already been used by the client the limited number of times when sending electronic messages; sending the electronic message from the communication system if the determination indicates that the ticket has not been used by the client the limited number of times; and preventing the electronic message from being sent from the communication system if the determination indicates that the ticket has been used by the client the limited number of times wherein the request from the client to send an electronic message is a request to send the electronic message to a recipient, and wherein sending the electronic message from the communication system includes sending the electronic message without the ticket to a second communication system associated with the recipient.
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21. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed, operate to cause a communication system to perform operations comprising:
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logging a client into the communication system, wherein the communication system is configured to be used by a client to generate and send electronic messages; generating, at the communication system, a ticket that is configured to be used a limited number of times by the client when sending electronic messages; storing, at the communication system, an indication of the ticket; providing the ticket to the client; receiving, at the communication system, a request from the client to send an electronic message, the request being associated with the ticket and an electronic message composed at the client after the client receives the ticket; accessing, at the communication system, the indication of the ticket; determining, at the communication system and based on the accessed indication of the ticket, whether the ticket has already been used by the client the limited number of times when sending electronic messages; sending the electronic message from the communication system if the determination indicates that the ticket has not been used by the client the limited number of times; and preventing the electronic message from being sent from the communication system if the determination indicates that the ticket has been used by the client the limited number of times wherein the request from the client to send an electronic message is a request to send the electronic message to a recipient, and wherein sending the electronic message from the communication system includes sending the electronic message without the ticket to a second communication system associated with the recipient. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification