Managing electronic messages
First Claim
1. In a computer system that monitors electronic messages that are sent from senders to recipients, a method of determining whether an electronic message has been sent from an authorized sender, comprising:
- receiving an electronic message that includes information indicating the manner in which an electronic message was created, the information indicating one or more of an amount of keyboard activity or an amount of mouse activity used in creating the electronic message;
determining the manner in which the electronic message should be processed according to an analysis of the information indicating the manner in which an electronic message was created;
and processing the electronic message according to the analysis, the processing comprising;
initiating a first challenge-response protocol when the information indicating the manner in which the electronic message was created indicates that the electronic message was generated manually;
and initiating a second challenge-response protocol that is more intrusive than the first challenge-response protocol when the information indicating the manner in which the electronic message was created indicates that the electronic message was generated automatically.
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A recipient computer system may receive one or more electronic messages. The recipient computer system may send one, two, or more challenge messages to the sender of the electronic messages in determining whether to deliver the electronic message. The recipient computer system may accept or reject an electronic message based on the response, or lack of response, to the challenge messages. The recipient computer system may send two or more challenge messages at intervals. A sender computer system may record activity of the sender computer system for a recipient computer system to use in determining whether to deliver an electronic message. A sender computer system may provide a summary of that activity with an electronic message. A sender computer system may provide an authorization key for a recipient computer system to use in determining whether to deliver an electronic message. The authorization key may be generated by a third party.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. In a computer system that monitors electronic messages that are sent from senders to recipients, a method of determining whether an electronic message has been sent from an authorized sender, comprising:
- receiving an electronic message that includes information indicating the manner in which an electronic message was created, the information indicating one or more of an amount of keyboard activity or an amount of mouse activity used in creating the electronic message;
determining the manner in which the electronic message should be processed according to an analysis of the information indicating the manner in which an electronic message was created; and processing the electronic message according to the analysis, the processing comprising; initiating a first challenge-response protocol when the information indicating the manner in which the electronic message was created indicates that the electronic message was generated manually; and initiating a second challenge-response protocol that is more intrusive than the first challenge-response protocol when the information indicating the manner in which the electronic message was created indicates that the electronic message was generated automatically. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5)
- receiving an electronic message that includes information indicating the manner in which an electronic message was created, the information indicating one or more of an amount of keyboard activity or an amount of mouse activity used in creating the electronic message;
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2. In a computer system that monitors electronic messages that are sent from senders to recipients, a method of determining whether an electronic message has been sent from an authorized sender, comprising:
- receiving an electronic message that includes information indicating the manner in which an electronic message was created, the information indicating at least a portion of the amount of time spent in creating the electronic message and one or more of an amount of keyboard activity or an amount of mouse activity used in creating the electronic message;
determining the manner in which the electronic message should be processed according to an analysis of the information indicating the manner in which an electronic message was created; and processing the electronic message according to the analysis, the processing comprising; initiating a first challenge-response protocol when the information indicating the manner in which the electronic message was created indicates that the electronic message was generated manually; and initiating a second challenge-response protocol that is more intrusive than the first challenge-response protocol when the information indicating the manner in which the electronic message was created indicates that the electronic message was generated automatically.
- receiving an electronic message that includes information indicating the manner in which an electronic message was created, the information indicating at least a portion of the amount of time spent in creating the electronic message and one or more of an amount of keyboard activity or an amount of mouse activity used in creating the electronic message;
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6. A method of sending an electronic message, comprising:
- a computer of a sender of an electronic message monitoring computer activity of the sender prior to transmission of the electronic message;
the computer generating a data structure that includes information indicating the computer activity of the sender prior to transmission of the electronic message, the information indicating one or more of;
an amount of keyboard activity used in creating the electronic message, an amount of mouse activity used in creating the electronic message, or an amount of time spent in creating the electronic message;the computer attaching the data structure to the electronic message; and the computer transmitting the electronic message and attached data structure to a recipient identified in the electronic message. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- a computer of a sender of an electronic message monitoring computer activity of the sender prior to transmission of the electronic message;
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13. In a computer system that monitors electronic messages that are sent from senders to recipients, a method of determining whether an electronic message has been sent from an authorized sender, comprising:
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receiving an electronic message intended for a recipient that includes information indicating the manner in which the electronic message was created; determining the manner in which the electronic message should be processed according to an analysis of the information indicating the manner in which an electronic message was created; and processing the electronic message according to the analysis, including, when the information indicates that the electronic message was generated automatically; transmitting to the sender a first challenge message; specifying a predetermined time after an event from which a first response to the first challenge message should be received such that responding to the first challenge message would be impractical for a bulk messaging system; receiving the first response to the first challenge message;
if the first response to the first challenge message is correct and if the first response to the first challenge message is received after the predetermined time from the event, transmitting to the sender a second challenge message after a predetermined period of time has passed since transmitting the first challenge message and specifying that receipt of the first response to the first challenge message and a second response to the second challenge message must be separated from each other by at least a requested interval such that responding to the second challenge message would be impractical for a bulk messaging system;receiving a second response to the second challenge message; and if the second response to the second challenge message is correct, and if receipt of the first response and the second response are separated from each other by at least the requested interval, designating the sender as being authorized to send electronic messages to the recipient. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification