Method and system for image verification to prevent messaging abuse
First Claim
1. A method for managing outbound message usage, comprising:
- determining a count of each recipient for each outbound message associated with a client;
if the count of each recipient is at least equal to a limit over at least one period of time, providing a visual challenge to the client; and
if the provided visual challenge is unresolved, disabling the client'"'"'s outbound message usage until the visual challenge is resolved, wherein the client'"'"'s outbound message usage includes a message composed by the client before the providing of the visual challenge to the client, and wherein disabling the client'"'"'s outbound message usage occurs prior to sending the composed message for the client over a network from a messaging system employed to originate each outbound message associated with the client, and wherein disabling the client'"'"'s outbound message usage further includes disabling an operable ability of the client to initially send any composed message to the messaging system for sending to any recipient.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is directed to a system and method for determining if a “spam” message is originating from a messaging account by challenging a particular client'"'"'s outbound email usage with a test that requires verification of content that is easily understood by a human being, not an automated computer program such as those used by “spammers.” If a limit on the number of recipients for outbound messages has been exceeded, a test is presented the next time a client attempts to send a message. The client must successfully answer the test within a relatively short period of time or else the ability to send messages will be disabled. Once disabled, the client can reinstate the ability to send messages by contacting a representative of the message system out of band, e.g., a telephone call to confirm legitimate outbound email use.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for managing outbound message usage, comprising:
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determining a count of each recipient for each outbound message associated with a client; if the count of each recipient is at least equal to a limit over at least one period of time, providing a visual challenge to the client; and if the provided visual challenge is unresolved, disabling the client'"'"'s outbound message usage until the visual challenge is resolved, wherein the client'"'"'s outbound message usage includes a message composed by the client before the providing of the visual challenge to the client, and wherein disabling the client'"'"'s outbound message usage occurs prior to sending the composed message for the client over a network from a messaging system employed to originate each outbound message associated with the client, and wherein disabling the client'"'"'s outbound message usage further includes disabling an operable ability of the client to initially send any composed message to the messaging system for sending to any recipient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A client for enabling management of outbound message usage, comprising:
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a memory for storing instructions; and a processor for enabling the processing of instructions to perform actions, including; enabling a determination of a count of each recipient for each outbound message associated with the client; if the count of each recipient is at least equal to a limit over at least one period of time, enabling a visual challenge to be provided to the client; and if the provided visual challenge is unresolved, enabling a disablement of the client'"'"'s outbound message usage until the visual challenge is resolved, wherein the client'"'"'s disabled outbound message usage includes disabling the client'"'"'s operable ability to initially send any message composed by the client to an outbound message server before the visual challenge is enabled to be provided to the client, and wherein enabling the disablement of the client'"'"'s outbound message usage occurs without employing an ability of the outbound message server to send any composed message for the client over a network from the outbound message server employed by the client to originate each outbound message associated with the client. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A server for enabling management of outbound message usage, comprising:
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a memory for storing instructions; and a processor for enabling the processing of instructions to perform actions, including; enabling a determination of a count of each recipient for each outbound message associated with a client; if the count of each recipient is at least equal to a limit over at least one period of time, enabling a visual challenge to be provided to the client; and if the provided visual challenge is unresolved, enabling a disablement of the client'"'"'s outbound message usage until the visual challenge is resolved, wherein the client'"'"'s outbound message usage includes sending any outbound message for the client from the server over a network connecting the server to each recipient, and wherein enabling the disablement of the client'"'"'s outbound message usage disables an operable ability by the client to initially send any outbound message from the client to the server, and sending, from the server, a message associated with enabling the visual challenge to be provided to the client. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform actions for the management of outbound message usage, the actions comprising:
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enabling a determination of a count of each recipient for each outbound message associated with a client; if the count of each recipient is at least equal to a limit over at least one period of time, enabling a visual challenge to be provided to the client; and if the provided visual challenge is unresolved, enabling a disablement of the client'"'"'s outbound message usage until the visual challenge is resolved, wherein the outbound message usage comprises originating any outbound message associated with the client from the computer over a network coupled to the computer, and wherein enabling the disablement of the client'"'"'s outbound message usage disables an operable ability by the client to initially send any outbound message from the client to another client, and prevents the sending of any outbound message associated with the recipient count that enabled the providing of the visual challenge.
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Specification