Adaptive automatic email domain name correction

• US 10,079,847 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2017
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LMP Software, LLC
• Original Assignee: LMP Software, LLC
• Inventors: Isenberg, Henri J., Laughton, Ronald B., Cashin, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Aftab N.
• Application Number:
  US15/481,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20170295134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 709206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/37 E-mail addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1425 Traffic logging, e.g. anomaly detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1483 service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12

Abstract

A system and methods for correcting domain names in invalid email addresses are described herein. The method includes receiving email failure information including a bad domain name. The bad domain name is compared to valid domain names in a valid domain name database and a match distance of the bad domain name to valid domain names in the valid domain name database is evaluated. Confidence scores for the valid domain names are prepared based on the match distance. Valid domain names having confidence scores exceeding a domain match threshold are identified. A valid domain name with a confidence score exceeding the domain match threshold is selected. The method involves heuristics and machine learning. System administrator intervention may be received to assist in the selecting. An email note is sent to the corrected domain name.

Claims

1. A method for correcting domain names in email addresses to increase email success, the method performed by a correction system implemented on at least one server having at least one processor and memory, the method comprising:

the correction system sending a plurality of email to the plurality of email addresses;

the correction system receiving email failure information including a bad domain name for some of the email addresses;

for each of the email addresses for which failure information is received, the correction system;

comparing the bad domain name to valid domain names in a valid domain name database including evaluating a match distance of the bad domain name to valid domain names in the valid domain name database, wherein the evaluating the match distance comprises computing a Levenshtein Distance;

determining confidence scores for the valid domain names based on the match distance, wherein the confidence scores are evaluated by dividing the match distance by the greater of a length of the invalid domain name and the valid domain name, and subtracting a result of the dividing from 1, such that when the result of the dividing is greater than 1, the confidence score is 0% as reflected by

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the selecting a valid domain name comprises selecting a single valid domain name with the greatest confidence score exceeding the domain match threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the selecting a valid domain name comprises applying tie-breaking rules when there are multiple valid domain names with a greatest confidence score exceeding the domain match threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the correction system obtaining system administrator review of the selecting.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the selecting includes seeking system administrator selection of a single valid domain name from those valid domain names exceeding the domain match threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the domain match threshold is an evolving value based on ongoing performance of the method.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the correction system checking whether there are valid domain names having a confidence score exceeding a domain match threshold;

when there are no valid domain names with confidence scores exceeding the domain match threshold, the correction system providing a no match found notice.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the bad domain name is a second level domain name.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the bad domain name is a top level domain name with character length greater than 3.

10. A storage medium storing a program of a correction system having instructions stored thereon which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

sending a plurality of email to the plurality of email addresses;

receiving email failure information including a bad domain name for some of the email addresses;

for each of the email addresses for which failure information is received

comparing the bad domain name to valid domain names in a valid domain name database including evaluating a match distance of the bad domain name to valid domain names in the valid domain name database, wherein the evaluating the match distance comprises computing a Levenshtein Distance;

determining confidence scores for the valid domain names based on the match distance, wherein the confidence scores are evaluated by dividing the match distance by the greater of a length of the invalid domain name and the valid domain name, and subtracting a result of the dividing from 1, such that when the result of the dividing is greater than 1, the confidence score is 0% as reflected by

11. The storage medium of claim 10 wherein the selecting a valid domain name comprises selecting a single valid domain name with the greatest confidence score exceeding the domain match threshold.

12. The storage medium of claim 10 wherein the selecting a valid domain name comprises applying tie-breaking rules when there are multiple valid domain names with a greatest confidence score exceeding the domain match threshold.

13. The storage medium of claim 10 further comprising obtaining system administrator review of the selecting.

14. The storage medium of claim 10 wherein the selecting includes seeking system administrator selection of a single valid domain name from those valid domain names exceeding the domain match threshold.

15. The storage medium of claim 10 wherein the domain match threshold is an evolving value based on ongoing performance of the operations.

16. The storage medium of claim 10 further comprising:

checking whether there are valid domain names having a confidence score exceeding a domain match threshold;

when there are no valid domain names with confidence scores exceeding the domain match threshold, providing a no match found notice.

17. The storage medium of claim 10 wherein the bad domain name is a second level domain name.

18. The storage medium of claim 10 wherein the bad domain name is a top level domain name with character length greater than 3.