Federated challenge credit system

• US 8,234,371 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Logue, Jay D., Landsman, Richard A., Sullivan, Timothy T., Goldman, Phillip Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue, Larry
• Application Number:
  US12/633,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods for reducing the number of challenge messages that are sent in response to an incoming message in situations where the incoming message is likely not unsolicited. The systems and methods include evaluating the behavior of a sender with regard to one or more federated messaging services and determining if the sender is approved or unapproved. If the sender is approved, the incoming message is deliver to a recipient'"'"'s inbox without issuing a challenge message. Unapproved senders are required to respond to a challenge message.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by a first server, storing, in a first database of the first server, first behavioral information about a first plurality of message senders that sent one or more messages to a first electronic messaging service hosted by the first server;

by a second server, storing, in a second database of the second server, second behavioral information about a second plurality of message senders that sent one or more messages to a second electronic messaging service hosted by the second server;

by the first server, sharing at least a portion of first behavior information about the first plurality of message senders with the second server;

by the second server, updating the stored second behavioral information about the second plurality of message senders based on the shared portion of first behavior information about the first plurality of message senders;

by the second server, sharing at least a portion of second behavior information about the second plurality of message senders with the first server;

by the first server, updating the stored first behavioral information about the first plurality of message senders based on the shared portion of second behavior information about the second plurality of message senders;

by the first server, storing, in the first database of the first server, an approval status for each message sender of the first plurality of message senders based on the updated first behavioral information;

by the second server, storing, in the first database of the first server, an approval status for each message sender of the second plurality of message senders based on the updated second behavioral information;

by the first server, receiving an incoming electronic message from a first message sender that is among both the first plurality of message senders and the second plurality of message senders;

by the first server, in response to receiving the incoming electronic message from the first message sender;

evaluating a first binary indicator representing a first approval status for the first sender in the first electronic messaging service hosted by the first server;

evaluating a second binary indicator representing a second approval status for the first sender in the second electronic messaging service hosted by the second server; and

based on the evaluation of the first binary indicator and the evaluation of the second binary indicator, determining that the first sender is approved by the first electronic messaging service and disapproved by the second electronic messaging service.

2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

by the first server, in response to determining that the first sender is approved by the first electronic messaging service and disapproved by the second electronic messaging service;

communicating with a challenge/response module associated with a recipient'"'"'s inbox to prevent a challenge message from being sent to the first sender and allowing delivery of the incoming electronic message to the recipient'"'"'s inbox.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

by the first server, in response to determining that the first sender is approved by the first electronic messaging service and disapproved by the second electronic messaging service;

communicating with a challenge/response module associated with a recipient'"'"'s inbox to initiate a challenge message in response to the incoming electronic message.

4. A system comprising:

a first server configured to;

store, in a first database of the first server, first behavioral information about a first plurality of message senders that sent one or more messages to a first electronic messaging service hosted by the first server; and

store, in the first database of the first server, an approval status for each message sender of the first plurality of message senders based on the first behavioral information; and

a second server configured to;

store, in a second database of the second server, second behavioral information about a second plurality of message senders that sent one or more messages to a second electronic messaging service hosted by the second server; and

store, in the second database of the second server, an approval status for each message sender of the second plurality of message senders based on the second behavioral information;

wherein the first server is further configured to;

receive a first incoming electronic message from a first message sender that is among both the first plurality of message senders and the second plurality of message senders; and

determine that the first sender is approved by the first electronic messaging service and disapproved by the second electronic messaging service.

5. The system as in claim 4, wherein the first server is further configured to:

in response to determining that the first sender is approved by the first electronic messaging service and disapproved by the second electronic messaging service;

communicate with a challenge/response module associated with a recipient'"'"'s inbox to prevent a challenge message from being sent to the first sender and allowing delivery of the incoming electronic message to the recipient'"'"'s inbox.

6. The system as in claim 4, wherein the first server is further configured to:

in response to determining that the first sender is approved by the first electronic messaging service and disapproved by the second electronic messaging service;

communicate with a challenge/response module associated with a recipient'"'"'s inbox to initiate a challenge message in response to the incoming electronic message.

7. The system as in claim 4, wherein the first server is further configured to share at least a portion of first behavior information about the first plurality of message senders with the second server;

and wherein the second server is further configured to update the stored second behavioral information about the second plurality of message senders based on the shared portion of first behavior information about the first plurality of message senders.

8. The system as in claim 7, wherein the second server is further configured to share at least a portion of second behavior information about the second plurality of message senders with the first server;

and wherein the first server is further configured to update the stored first behavioral information about the first plurality of message senders based on the shared portion of second behavior information about the second plurality of message senders.