Method and system for filtering unauthorized electronic mail messages

• US 8,209,387 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Inventors: Fleming, Hoyt A. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao, Ranodhi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Richardson, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US12/642,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20100100944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A computer system and method for filtering unauthorized electronic mail messages that are sent by senders to a user. The system includes a list of the identifications of the senders who are authorized to send an electronic mail message to the user. When an electronic mail message is received, the system determines whether the sender of the electronic mail message is authorized by determining whether the identification of sender in the electronic mail message is in the list of the identifications of the senders who are authorized. When the sender of the electronic mail message is determined to be authorized, the system stores the electronic mail message in an Inbox folder. When the sender of the electronic mail message is determined to be not authorized, the system stores the electronic mail message in a Junk Mail folder. In this way, the electronic mail messages are automatically stored in the appropriate folder based on whether the sender is authorized so that the user can view the Inbox folder containing the electronic mail messages sent by authorized senders separately from the Junk Mail folder containing the electronic mail messages sent by unauthorized senders.

Claims

1. A computer system having a default location for storing received electronic mail messages each of which includes a respective identification of a sender of the electronic mail message, the computer system comprising:

a storage device retaining a record of the identifications of the senders who are authorized to send an electronic mail message to the user; and

a processing system operable to compare the identification of a sender of each electronic mail message with the record of the identifications retained in the storage device to determine that the sender of the electronic mail message is authorized responsive to a comparison match and to determine that the sender of the electronic mail message is unauthorized in the absence of a comparison match, the processing system being operable to cause the electronic mail message to be stored in the default location only if the sender of the electronic mail message is determined to be authorized, the processing system being operable to forward the received electronic mail message to an other user if the sender of the electronic mail message is determined to be unauthorized, the processing system further being operable to allow the user to receive the electronic mail message responsive to the other user providing an indication that the electronic mail message should be viewed by the user even though the electronic mail message was sent by an unauthorized sender.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the default location comprises a message folder.

3. The computer system of claim 2 wherein the default location comprises an in-box message folder.

4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the processing system if operable to automatically delete any electronic mail message received from an unauthorized sender.

5. A computer system receiving electronic mail messages each of which has a sender, the computer system including a personal list of authorized senders that is personalized to a recipient, the computer system comprising:

a system for filtering unauthorized received electronic mail messages, the system including a list generator for automatically generating a list of senders authorized to send electronic mail messages, the list being shared by multiple recipients of electronic mail messages; and

a processor operable for each of a plurality of received electronic mail messages to determine whether the sender of the electronic mail message is designated as being authorized by determining whether the sender is in the generated list of authorized senders and determining whether the sender of the electronic mail message is designated as being unauthorized by determining that the sender is not in either list;

wherein electronic mail messages from senders that are designated as unauthorized are stored in a first location, and messages from senders that are designated as authorized are stored in a different location that said first location; and

wherein the processor is further operable to allow a user to receive an electronic mail message responsive to another user providing an indication that the electronic mail message should be viewed by the user from the first location even though the electronic mail message was designated as being authorized.

6. The computer system of claim 5 wherein the system for filtering unauthorized received electronic mail messages is operable to generate the list of authorized senders by adding the senders of previously received electronic mail messages to the list.

7. The computer system of claim 5 wherein the system for filtering unauthorized received electronic mail messages is operable to generate the list of authorized senders by adding the recipients of previously sent messages to the list.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage apparatus having at least one computer program disposed thereon, the at least one program configured to, when executed:

evaluate a first electronic message sent from a sender, the first electronic message addressed to a user, the evaluation determining that an identity of the sender is on a first list of pre-approved sender identities; and

make the first electronic message available to be selectively viewed by the user from a first directory location when the identity of the sender is on the first list, the first directory location comprising a primary directory location from which electronic messages received by the user and not determined to be junk are to be selected for initial viewing by the user; and

wherein the at least one computer program is further configured to, when executed, make the first electronic message available to be selectively viewed by the user from a second directory location separate from the first directory location when it is determined that the identity of the sender is not on the first list, the second directory location comprising a directory location from which electronic messages received by the user and determined to be junk are to be selected for initial viewing by the user; and

wherein the at least one computer program is further configured to, when executed, allow the user to receive an electronic mail message responsive to another user providing an indication that the electronic mail message should be viewed by the user from the first directory location even though the electronic mail message was sent by an unauthorized sender.

9. The computer readable apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one computer program is further configured to provide a visual indication to the user that the identity of the sender of the first electronic message is not on the first list when it is determined that the identity of the sender is not on the first list, the visual indication visually identifying the first electronic message from among other electronic messages in a list of electronic messages in the first directory location.

10. The computer readable apparatus of claim 9, wherein the provision of the visual indication is performed if it is further determined that the first electronic message comprises junk.

11. The computer readable apparatus of claim 8, wherein the making of the first electronic message available to be selectively viewed by the user from the first directory location is performed regardless of whether or not the first electronic message is determined to be junk.

12. The computer readable apparatus of claim 8, wherein the making of the first electronic message available to be selectively viewed by the user from the second directory location is performed if it is further determined that the first electronic message comprises junk.

13. The computer readable apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one program is further configured to provide the user with an option to enable the making of the first electronic message available from the second directory location to be performed regardless of whether or not the first electronic message is otherwise determined to be junk.

14. The computer readable apparatus of claim 13, wherein the making of the first electronic message available to be selectively viewed by the user from the first directory location is performed regardless of whether or not the first electronic message is determined to be junk.

15. The computer readable apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one program is further configured to enable the user to add the identity of the sender to the first list upon the user identifying the electronic message in the second directory location.

16. The computer readable apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one program is further configured to enable the user to remove the identity of the sender from the first list upon the user identifying the electronic message in the first directory location.

17. The computer readable apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the at least one program is further configured to separately determine if the identity of the sender is on a second list of pre-approved send identities, the making of the first electronic message available to be selectively viewed by the user from the first directory location being performed when it is determined that the identity of the sender is on the second list; and

the wherein the at least one program is further configured to is configured to share the second list of pre-approved sender identities among a plurality of users, the first list of pre-approved sender identities being personal to the user.

18. The computer readable apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one program is further configured to share the first list of pre-approved sender identities among multiple users.

19. The computer readable apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first list of pre-approved sender identities is unmodifiable by the user.

20. The computer readable apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first list of pre-approved sender identities comprises a combination of first sender identities denoted by the user as business-related, and second sender identities denoted by the user as social-related.

21. The computer readable apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one program is further configured to:

send a second electronic message from the user, addressed to a recipient; and

automatically add an identity of the recipient to the first list.

22. The computer readable apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one program is further configured to provide the user with an option to automatically update the first list of pre-approved sender identities with a block of pre-existing identities.

23. The computer readable apparatus of claim 22, wherein the block of identities corresponds to recipients of electronic messages previously sent by the user.