System for selective delivery of electronic communications

• US 20030187942A1
• Filed: 08/15/2002
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Blue, Richard D., Quine, Douglas B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,596,600 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for selective delivery of electronic communications to reduce the amount of unwanted email (spam) that is received. An electronic message is not delivered to a recipient until the sender address is verified. If the address is not verified, it can be compared to a database that includes known spammers. Also, records of spamming and forged emails can be compiled and forwarded to an enforcement agency.

Claims

1. A method for selective delivery of electronic communications comprising the steps of:

receiving a communication;

parsing the communication;

determining a sender address associated with the communication;

validating the sender address format;

if the sender address format is not valid, then deleting the communication;

if the sender address format is valid, then determining if the trace data is valid,

if the trace data is valid, then delivering the communication to a recipient electronic address;

if the trace data is not valid, then transmitting a request to the sender electronic address to authenticate an origin of the communication;

storing the communication electronically until a response to the request to authenticate is received from the sender electronic address,

if an affirmative response to the request to authenticate is received from the sender electronic address, then delivering the communication to the recipient electronic address;

if the request to authenticate is returned from the sender electronic address as undeliverable, then storing an indication that the sender electronic address is undeliverable.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining a reason that the request to authenticate was undeliverable.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

evaluating the reason that the request to authenticate was undeliverable; and

determining whether to deliver the communication as a function of the reason.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining a default time interval, after which unresponsive requests to the sender electronic address to authenticate results corrective action. {corrective action to sender and ask recipient if they want it}

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of accumulating data relating to sender addresses that are undeliverable.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

comparing a particular sender electronic address or domain name to a database; and

indicating when there is a match between the particular sender electronic address or domain name and a database entry.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of

notifying the recipient that the request to authenticate has been returned from the sender electronic address as undeliverable.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 further comprising:

providing the recipient with an opportunity to request delivery or request deletion of the communication.

9. A method for selective delivery of electronic communications comprising the steps of:

receiving a communication;

parsing the communication;

determining a sender address associated with communication;

validating the sender address;

if the sender address is not valid, then deleting the communication;

if the sender address is valid, then transmitting the communication to a recipient electronic address.

10. A method for selective delivery of electronic communications comprising the steps of:

receiving a communication;

parsing the communication;

determining a sender address associated with the communication;

determining if trace data within the communication is valid,

if the trace data is valid, then delivering the communication to a recipient electronic address;

if the trace data is not valid, then transmitting a request to the sender electronic address to confirm that the communication originated from the sender electronic address.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

storing the communication electronically until a response to the request is received from the sender electronic address;

if an affirmative response to the request is received from the sender electronic address, then deliver the communication to the recipient electronic address; and

if the request is returned from the sender electronic address as undeliverable, then store an indication that the sender electronic address is undeliverable.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising the step of:

determining a reason that the request to authenticate was undeliverable.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

evaluating the reason that the request to authenticate was undeliverable; and

determining whether to deliver the communication as a function of the reason.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the step of

notifying the recipient that the request to authenticate has been returned from the sender electronic address as undeliverable.

15. A method for selective delivery to a recipient address of electronic communications comprising the steps of:

receiving a communication from a sender electronic address;

parsing the communication;

determining whether the communication is authenticated by a digital certificate;

if there is not a digital certificate, then transmitting a message to the sender electronic address that only digitally certified communications are received by the recipient address;

if there is a digital certificate, then transmitting the communication to the recipient electronic address.

16. A method for selective delivery of electronic communications comprising the steps of:

receiving a communication from a sender electronic address;

parsing the communication;

determining whether a portion of the sender electronic address includes undesired information;

transmitting a request to the sender electronic address to authenticate an origin of the communication when a portion of the sender electronic address includes undesired information;

storing the communication electronically until a response to the request to authenticate is received from the sender electronic address,

if an affirmative response to the request to authenticate is received from the sender electronic address, then delivering the communication to the recipient electronic address;

if the request to authenticate is returned from the sender electronic address as undeliverable, then storing an indication that the sender electronic address is undeliverable.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

examining a plurality of communications; and

establishing a profile of undesired information based on portions of the plurality of communications.

18. A method for linking a transaction origination address to a reply communication comprising:

allocating a range of electronic addresses to a particular recipient;

assigning a unique recipient electronic address when the recipient is initiating electronic communication with a sender address;

maintaining a list of associations between assigned unique recipient electronic addresses and communications;

utilizing the assigned unique recipient electronic address when transmitting communications from the recipient;

receiving, by the recipient, a plurality of return communications, each return communication including one of the unique recipient electronic addresses; and

identifying the sender electronic address as a function of the unique recipient email address.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 further comprising the step of:

notifying a third party when the sender electronic address does not relate to an address contacted by the recipient.

20. A method for identifying disconnects within an electronic communication comprising:

establishing hyperlink text data;

establishing hyperlink Uniform Resource Locator data;

comparing the hyperlink text data and the hyperlink Uniform Resource Locator data; and

establishing an alert condition when the hyperlink text data and the hyperlink Uniform Resource Locator data do not correspond.

21. A method for identifying disconnects within an electronic communication comprising:

establishing hyperlink data;

establishing text data;

comparing the hyperlink data and the text data; and

establishing an alert condition when the hyperlink data and the text data do not correspond.

22. A method for identifying disconnects within an electronic communication comprising:

establishing hyperlink data;

establishing sender address data;

comparing the hyperlink data and the sender address data; and

establishing an alert condition when the hyperlink data and the sender address data do not correspond.

23. A method for accumulating data relating to an unsubscribe request comprising:

receiving an undesired electronic communication from a sender electronic address at a recipient electronic address;

transmitting a first unsubscribe electronic communication from the recipient to a third party electronic address;

transmitting a second unsubscribe electronic communication from the third party electronic address to the sender electronic address; and

accumulating unsubscribe data by the third party.