Method and apparatus for source-based message authorization and rejection

• US 20030061508A1
• Filed: 09/25/2001
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Communications Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Bhat, Vasudev
• Granted Patent: US 7,100,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management

Abstract

Unwanted electronic messages can be avoided by screening them before they enter a receiving client. Only messages from authorized sending parties are passed to the receiving client while messages from sending parties not previously authorized are discarded or returned. The same arrangement can be used with cellular and conventional telephones, facsimile machines, and other devices.

Claims

1. A method for blocking unwanted messages from a receiving device, comprising:

receiving a message from a sending party;

identifying the sending party;

determining whether the sending party is an authorized originator; and

in response to the foregoing step, passing the message to the receiving device or alternatively blocking the message.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, where determining whether the sending party is an authorized originator comprises determining whether the address of the sending party has been approved.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2, where determining whether the address of the sending party has been approved for receipt of messages comprises determining whether an e-mail address or a telephone number is authorized.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1, where determining whether an e-mail address is authorized comprises determining whether the domain of the address is authorized.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1, where determining whether the sending party is an authorized originator comprises determining whether the domain of the address of the sending party has been approved.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising discarding or returning the message.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising determining whether the size of the message is authorized.

8. A method for blocking unwanted messages from a receiving device, comprising:

receiving a message from a sending party;

identifying the sending party;

determining whether the sending party is an authorized originator or alternatively determining whether the sending party is an unauthorized originator; and

in response to the foregoing step, passing the message to the receiving device or alternatively blocking the message.

9. An apparatus for blocking unwanted messages from a receiving device, comprising:

an input device for receiving a message from a sending party;

identifier for identifying the sending party; and

a screening mechanism for determining whether the sending party is an authorized originator, and passing the message to the receiving device or alternatively blocking the message.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 9, where the screening mechanism comprises a database containing approved addresses.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 10, where the database contains authorized e-mail addresses or a telephone numbers.

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 9, where the screening mechanism comprises a database containing approved e-mail address domains.

13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a software mechanism for discarding or returning the message.

14. An apparatus as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a software routine for determining whether the size of the message is authorized.

15. An apparatus for blocking unwanted messages from a receiving device, comprising:

an input device for receiving a message from a sending party;

identifier for identifying the sending party; and

a screening mechanism for determining whether the sending party is an authorized originator or alternatively determining whether the sending party is an unauthorized originator, and passing the message to the receiving device or alternatively blocking the message.

16. A receiving device, comprising:

an input device for receiving a message from a sending party;

identifier for identifying the sending party; and

a screening mechanism for determining whether the sending party is an authorized originator, and accepting the message or alternatively blocking the message.

17. A receiving device as set forth in claim 16, where the screening mechanism comprises a database containing approved addresses.

18. A receiving device as set forth in claim 17, where the database contains authorized e-mail addresses or a telephone numbers.

19. A receiving device as set forth in claim 16, where the screening mechanism comprises a database containing approved e-mail address domains.

20. A receiving device as set forth in claim 16, further comprising a software mechanism for discarding or returning the message.

21. A receiving device as set forth in claim 16, further comprising a software routine for determining whether the size of the message is authorized.

22. A receiving device, comprising:

an input device for receiving a message from a sending party;

identifier for identifying the sending party; and

a screening mechanism for determining whether the sending party is an authorized originator or alternatively determining whether the sending party is an unauthorized originator, and accepting the message or alternatively blocking the message.

23. An apparatus for blocking unwanted messages from a receiving device, comprising:

an input device for receiving a message from a sending party;

means for identifying the sending party;

means for determining whether the sending party is an authorized originator; and

means, responsive to the means for determining, for passing the message to the receiving device or alternatively blocking the message.

24. An apparatus as set forth in claim 23, where the means for determining whether the sending party is an authorized originator comprises means for determining whether the address of the sending party has been approved.

25. An apparatus as set forth in claim 24, where the means for determining whether the address of the sending party has been approved for receipt of messages comprises means for determining whether an e-mail address or a telephone number is authorized.

26. An apparatus as set forth in claim 23, where the means for determining whether the sending party is an authorized originator comprises means for determining whether the domain of the address of the sending party has been approved.

27. An apparatus as set forth in claim 23, further comprising means for discarding or returning the message.

28. An apparatus as set forth in claim 23, further comprising means for determining whether the size of the message is authorized.

29. A method for blocking unwanted messages from a receiving device, comprising:

receiving a message from a sending party;

identifying the sending party;

determining whether the sending party is an authorized originator; and

blocking the message from the receiving device if the determining step reveals that the sending party is not an authorized originator.

31. The method of claims 29 or 30, wherein the step of determining whether the sending party is an authorized originator further comprises determining whether an address of the sending party has been approved for receipt of messages.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of determining whether the address of the sending party has been approved for receipt of messages further comprises determining whether either an e-mail address or a telephone number is present in a database of approved senders.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of determining whether the e-mail address or the telephone number is present in the database further comprises determining whether a domain for the email address or telephone number is present in the database of approved senders.

34. The method of claims 29 or 30, wherein the step of determining whether the sending party is an authorized originator further comprises determining whether a domain of the sending party is present in a database of approved senders.

35. The method of claim 29 or 30 further comprising discarding the message.

36. The method of claim 29 or 30 further comprising returning the message to the sending party.

37. The method of claim 29 or 30, further comprising determining whether a size of the message is authorized.

30. A method for blocking unwanted messages from a receiving device, comprising:

selecting one of an authorized originator list or a blocked originator list;

receiving a message from a sending party;

identifying the sending party;

determining, in response to the step of selecting a list, whether the sending party is on the authorized originator list or whether the sending party is on the blocked originator list; and

blocking the message from the receiving device if either the authorized originator list is selected and the sending party is not on the authorized originator list or the blocked originator list is selected and the sending party is on the blocked originator list.

38. A computer-based system having a processor and associated memory for blocking unwanted messages from a receiving device, comprising:

an input device for receiving a message from a sending party;

an identifier for identifying the sending party; and

a screening mechanism having a database of approved senders, the processor determining whether the sending party is an authorized originator by comparing the identifier with the approved senders and blocking the message from the receiving device when the sending party is not an authorized originator.

40. The system of claims 38 or 39, wherein the database of approved senders further comprises a list of approved e-mail addresses or approved telephone numbers for the approved senders.

41. The system of claims 38 or 39, wherein the database of approved senders further comprises a list of approved domains for the approved senders.

42. The system of claims 38 or 39, wherein the processor either discards the message or returns the message to the sender when the processor determines that the message is not from an authorized sender.

43. The system of claims 38 or 39 wherein said screening mechanism further comprises acceptable message size data, the processor blocking the message from the receiving device when the message is not consistent with the acceptable message size data.

39. A computer-based system having a processor and associated memory for blocking unwanted messages from a receiving device, comprising:

an input device for receiving a message from a sending party;

identifier for identifying the sending party; and

a screening mechanism having a database of approved senders and a database of blocked senders, the processor determining which database to use at any particular time, the processor blocking the message from the receiving device if the sending party is not an authorized originator, the processor determining an authorized originator by either finding the identifier within the database of approved senders or not finding the identifier with the database of blocked senders.