Electronic message delivery with estimation approaches and complaint, bond, and statistics panels

• US 7,970,832 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Validity, Inc. (Validity Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Return Path Incorporated (Validity Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moore, James F., Perry, George Thomas Jr., Flury, Andrew, Peterson, Patrick R., Banister, Scott, Olivier, Michael Varney
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US10/856,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20100281535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,587 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

Interfaces for message delivery approaches are disclosed. The interface may include pages for administering accounts for senders, pages for administering message processing systems, and pages for viewing information about senders or message processing systems. In another aspect, automatic alert mechanisms are disclosed. The alert mechanisms send a message to one or more users or machines that have been registered to receive alerts. Alerts may be triggered by any event related to a sender, a message, or a message processing system or may be triggered by any other condition or event. In another aspect, techniques for automatically disabling senders are disclosed. The automatic disabling of a sender may be triggered by any event related to a sender, a message, or a message processing system or may be triggered by any other condition or event.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver, comprising:

receiving a query about whether the sender of the message satisfies specified sending criteria;

creating and storing information relating to whether the sender satisfies the specified sending criteria;

providing a complaints panel as part of a graphical user interface that reports the information;

providing a bond panel as part of the graphical user interface; and

providing a statistics by IP address panel as part of the graphical user interface;

wherein providing the complaints panel comprises;

providing a number of complaints allowed for a certain period of time for the sender indicator;

providing a number of complaints received during the certain period of time for the sender indicator;

providing a difference between the number of complaints allowed for the sender and the number of complaints received for the sender during the certain period of time indicator;

providing a percentage of complaints received for the sender as compared to the complaints allowed for the sender during the certain period of time indicator; and

providing the number of complaints received for the sender during the certain period of time as a function of all messages sent by the sender indicator.

2. A method of facilitating transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver, comprising:

receiving a query about whether the sender of the message satisfies specified sending criteria;

creating and storing information relating to whether the sender satisfies the specified sending criteria;

providing a complaints panel as part of a graphical user interface that reports the information;

providing a bond panel as part of the graphical user interface; and

providing a statistics by IP address panel as part of the graphical user interface;

wherein providing the bond panel comprises;

providing a maximum allowed volume for the sender for a particular period of time indicator;

providing an original value of the bond indicator;

providing a value of the bond at the beginning of the particular period of time indicator;

providing an outstanding debts for the sender indicator; and

providing a projected value for the bond at the end of the particular period of time indicator.

3. A method of facilitating transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver, comprising:

receiving a query about whether the sender of the message satisfies specified sending criteria;

creating and storing information relating to whether the sender satisfies the specified sending criteria;

providing a complaints panel as part of a graphical user interface that reports the information;

providing a bond panel as part of the graphical user interface; and

providing a statistics by IP address panel as part of the graphical user interface;

wherein providing the statistics by IP address panel comprises;

providing an IP address indicator;

providing a hostname indicator;

providing a seven-day volume indicator;

providing a month-to-day volume indicator;

providing a last month'"'"'s volume indicator;

providing a peak daily volume indicator;

providing a complaints indicator;

providing a spamtraps indicator;

providing a blacklists indicator;

providing a sender status indicator; and

providing an age of status indicator.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein providing the complaints indicator comprises:

providing a seven-day complaints indicator;

providing a month-to-date complaints indicator;

providing a seven-day complaints per millions messages sent indicator; and

providing a month-to-date complaints per millions messages sent indicator.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein providing the spamtraps indicator comprises

providing a last-25-hours spamtraps indicator;

and

providing a month-to-day spamtraps indicator.

6. A method of facilitating transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver, comprising:

receiving a query about whether the sender of the message satisfies specified sending criteria;

creating and storing information relating to whether the sender satisfies the specified sending criteria;

providing an administrative panel as part of a graphical user interface that displays the information; and

providing a company statistics panel as part of the graphical user interface;

wherein providing the administrative panel comprises;

providing a selectable upload bond transaction link,

providing a selectable generate history link;

providing a research domain or IP address panel; and

providing a search for bond group panel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the research domain or IP address panel comprises:

providing an IP address or domain name entry field;

providing a time period entry field; and

providing a selectable processing mechanism.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the search for bond group panel comprises:

providing a company name or email text entry field; and

providing a selectable processing mechanism.

9. A method of facilitating transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver, comprising:

receiving a query about whether the sender of the message satisfies specified sending criteria;

creating and storing information relating to whether the sender satisfies the specified sending criteria;

providing an administrative panel as part of a graphical user interface that displays the information; and

providing a company statistics panel as part of the graphical user interface;

wherein providing the company statistics panel comprises;

providing a filter by status indicator;

providing a status selection mechanism;

providing a selectable processing mechanism;

providing a selection indicator;

providing a company information indicator;

providing a seven-day volume column;

providing a month-to-day volume indicator;

providing a last-month volume indicator;

providing a seven-day complaints indicator;

providing a month-to-day complaints indicator;

providing a seven-day complaints per million messages sent indicator;

providing a month-to-day complaints per million messages sent indicator;

providing a month-to-day spamtraps indicator;

providing a status indicator; and

providing an age of status indicator.

10. A method of facilitating transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver, comprising:

receiving a query about whether the sender of the message satisfies specified sending criteria;

creating and storing information relating to whether the sender satisfies the specified sending criteria;

providing an administrative panel as part of a graphical user interface that displays the information;

providing a complaints panel as part of the graphical user interface; and

providing a statistics by IP address panel as part of the graphical user interface;

wherein providing the administrative panel comprises;

providing a selectable upload bond transaction link,

providing a selectable generate history link;

providing a research domain or IP address panel; and

providing a search for bond group panel.

11. A method of facilitating transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver, comprising:

receiving a query about whether the sender of the message satisfies specified sending criteria;

creating and storing information relating to whether the sender satisfies the specified sending criteria;

providing an administrative panel as part of a graphical user interface that displays the information;

providing a complaints panel as part of the graphical user interface; and

providing a statistics by IP address panel as part of the graphical user interface;

wherein providing the complaints panel comprises;

providing a certain period of time for the sender indicator;

providing a number of complaints received during the certain period of time for the sender indicator;

providing a difference between a number of complaints allowed for the sender and the number of complaints received for the sender during the certain period of time indicator;

providing a percentage of complaints received for the sender as compared to the complaints allowed for the sender during the certain period of time indicator; and

providing a number of complaints received for the sender during the certain period of time as a function of all messages sent by the sender indicator.

12. A method of facilitating transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver, comprising:

receiving a query about whether the sender of the message satisfies specified sending criteria;

creating and storing information relating to whether the sender satisfies the specified sending criteria;

providing an administrative panel as part of a graphical user interface that displays the information;

providing a complaints panel as part of the graphical user interface; and

providing a statistics by IP address panel as part of the graphical user interface;

wherein providing the statistics by IP address panel comprises;

providing an IP address indicator;

providing a hostname indicator;

providing a month-to-day volume indicator;

providing a month-to-day complaints indicator;

providing a month-to-day complaints per million messages sent indicator;

providing a month-to-day spamtraps indicator;

providing a blacklists indicator; and

providing a bonded indicator.

13. A method of facilitating transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver, comprising:

receiving a query about whether the sender of the message satisfies specified sending criteria;

creating and storing information relating to whether the sender satisfies the specified sending criteria;

providing a complaints panel as part of a graphical user interface that reports the information;

providing a bond panel as part of the graphical user interface;

providing a statistics by IP address panel as part of the graphical user interface;

providing an administrative panel as part of the graphical user interface; and

providing a sender information panel as part of the graphical user interface;

wherein providing the administrative panel comprises;

providing a selectable upload bond transaction link,

providing a selectable generate history link;

providing a research domain or IP address panel; and

providing a search for bond group panel.

14. A method of facilitating transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver, comprising:

receiving a query about whether the sender of the message satisfies specified sending criteria;

creating and storing information relating to whether the sender satisfies the specified sending criteria;

providing a complaints panel as part of a graphical user interface that reports the information;

providing a bond panel as part of the graphical user interface;

providing a statistics by IP address panel as part of the graphical user interface;

providing an administrative panel as part of the graphical user interface; and

providing a sender information panel as part of the graphical user interface;

wherein providing the bond panel comprises;

providing a maximum allowed volume for the sender for a particular period of time indicator;

providing an original value of the bond indicator;

providing a value of the bond at the beginning of the particular period of time indicator providing an outstanding debts for the sender indicator; and

providing a projected value for the bond at the end of the particular period of time indicator.

15. A method of facilitating transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver, comprising:

receiving a query about whether the sender of the message satisfies specified sending criteria;

creating and storing information relating to whether the sender satisfies the specified sending criteria;

providing a complaints panel as part of a graphical user interface that reports the information;

providing a bond panel as part of the graphical user interface;

providing a statistics by IP address panel as part of the graphical user interface;

providing an administrative panel as part of the graphical user interface; and

providing a sender information panel as part of the graphical user interface;

wherein providing the complaints panel comprises;

providing a number of complaints allowed for a certain period of time for the sender indicator;

providing a number of complaints received during the certain period of time for the sender indicator;

providing a difference between the number of complaints allowed for the sender and the number of complaints received for the sender during the certain period of time indicator;

providing a percentage of complaints received for the sender as compared to the complaints allowed for the sender during the certain period of time indicator; and

providing a number of complaints received for the sender during the certain period of time as a function of all messages sent by the sender indicator.

16. A method of facilitating transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver, comprising:

receiving a query about whether the sender of the message satisfies specified sending criteria;

creating and storing information relating to whether the sender satisfies the specified sending criteria;

providing a complaints panel as part of a graphical user interface that reports the information;

providing a bond panel as part of the graphical user interface;

providing a statistics by IP address panel as part of the graphical user interface;

providing an administrative panel as part of the graphical user interface; and

providing a sender information panel as part of the graphical user interface;

wherein providing the sender information panel comprises;

providing a view/edit sender profile link;

providing a manage alerts link;

providing a required bond value indication mechanism;

providing a maximum allowed monthly volume indication mechanism;

providing a time period selection mechanism;

providing an output type selection mechanism;

providing a selectable processing mechanism;

providing a membership selection mechanism;

providing an IP address addition and deletion mechanism;

providing a ticket number selection mechanism;

providing a text display and entry field; and

providing a second selectable processing mechanism.

17. A method of facilitating transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver, comprising:

receiving a query about whether the sender of the message satisfies specified sending criteria;

creating and storing information relating to whether the sender satisfies the specified sending criteria;

providing a complaints panel as part of a graphical user interface that reports the information;

providing a bond panel as part of the graphical user interface;

providing a statistics by IP address panel as part of the graphical user interface;

providing an administrative panel as part of the graphical user interface; and

providing a sender information panel as part of the graphical user interface;

wherein providing the statistics by IP address panel comprises;

providing an IP address indicator;

providing a hostname indicator;

providing a seven-day volume indicator;

providing a month-to-day volume indicator;

providing a last month'"'"'s volume indicator;

providing a peak daily volume indicator;

providing a complaints indicator;

providing a spamtraps indicator;

providing a blacklists indicator;

providing a sender status indicator;

providing an age of status indicator;

providing a status selection mechanism;

providing a selectable processing mechanism; and

providing a selection column.

18. A method of facilitating transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver, comprising:

receiving a query about whether the sender of the message satisfies specified sending criteria;

creating and storing information relating to whether the sender satisfies the specified sending criteria;

providing an administrative panel as part of a graphical user interface that displays the information; and

providing a company statistics panel as part of the graphical user interface;

wherein providing the company statistics panel comprises;

providing a filter by status indicator;

providing a company information indicator;

providing a seven-day volume column;

providing a month-to-day volume indicator;

providing a last-month volume indicator;

providing a seven-day complaints indicator;

providing a month-to-day complaints indicator;

providing a seven-day complaints per million messages sent indicator;

providing a month-to-day complaints per million messages sent indicator;

providing a month-to-day spamtraps indicator;

providing a status indicator; and

providing an age of status indicator.