Method and apparatus for filtering E-mail
First Claim
1. A server having a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:
- creating at least one fictitious email probe email address selected to appear on spam email mailing lists and to receive sample spam email messages;
receiving a request to retrieve e-mail messages on behalf of a client;
retrieving one or more e-mail messages from a mail server on behalf of the client;
filtering the e-mail messages based on one or more rules to produce one or more filtered e-mail messages, the rules being dynamically established utilizing sample email messages retrieved from one or more probes and aged based on frequency of use; and
transferring one or more of the filtered e-mail messages to the client, while storing the e-mail messages not transferred to the client in a memory on the server.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A server is disclosed for filtering e-mail messages. The server receives requests to retrieve e-mail messages on behalf of a client and then retrieves e-mail messages from a mail server on behalf of the client. The server then filters the e-mail messages based on one or more rules and transfers the filtered e-mail messages to the client. In addition, the server continues to filter the e-mail messages after the client has disconnected from the server. In one embodiment of the invention the e-mail message recipient is sent a notification by the server indicating that messages have been filtered. The recipient is then able to scan the filtered messages and insure that the messages have been filtered correctly. In another embodiment, a third party scans the e-mail messages on behalf of the e-mail user to make this determination. Also disclosed is an e-mail filter comprising an application programming interface and a plurality of dynamically loaded rule modules adapted to interface with the API. The rule modules are activated and deactivated based on usage. Specifically, rule modules which have not been used for a predetermined period of time are deactivated. In addition, different rule modules are assigned different weighted values based on the probability that the rule module will accurately filter e-mail messages and/or on the content of the e-mail messages.
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Citations
60 Claims
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1. A server having a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:
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creating at least one fictitious email probe email address selected to appear on spam email mailing lists and to receive sample spam email messages;
receiving a request to retrieve e-mail messages on behalf of a client;
retrieving one or more e-mail messages from a mail server on behalf of the client;
filtering the e-mail messages based on one or more rules to produce one or more filtered e-mail messages, the rules being dynamically established utilizing sample email messages retrieved from one or more probes and aged based on frequency of use; and
transferring one or more of the filtered e-mail messages to the client, while storing the e-mail messages not transferred to the client in a memory on the server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A first server having a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:
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creating at least one fictitious email probe email address selected to appear on spam email mailing lists and to receive sample spam email messages;
retrieving messages from a second server on behalf of a client;
sorting messages into two or more groups based on one or more rules, the rules being dynamically established utilizing sample email messages retrieved from one or more probes and aged based on frequency of use; and
forwarding messages sorted into one of the groups to the client, while storing the messages not forwarded to the client in a memory on the first server. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. An e-mail filter comprising:
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an application programming interface (“
API”
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a plurality of rule handling filter modules adapted to interface with the API, the plurality of rule handling filter modules adapted to filter e-mail messages based on one or more rules to produce one or more filtered e-mail messages, the filtered e-mail messages transferred to a client, the rules being dynamically established utilizing sample email messages retrieved from one or more probes and aged based on frequency of use, wherein one or more fictitious probes are created to appear on spam email mailing lists and to receive sample spam email messages; and
a storage module on a server to store e-mail messages not transferred to the client. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A server having a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:
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creating at least one fictitious email probe email address selected to appear on spam email mailing lists and to receive sample spam email messages;
receiving a request to retrieve e-mail messages on behalf of a client;
retrieving one or more e-mail messages from a mail server on behalf of the client;
filtering the e-mail messages based on one or more rules to produce one or more filtered e-mail messages, the rules being dynamically established utilizing sample email messages retrieved from one or more probes and aged based on frequency of use; and
transferring one or more of the filtered e-mail messages to the client, while storing the e-mail messages not transferred to the client in a memory on the server. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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Specification