Method and apparatus for filtering electronic mail
First Claim
1. Apparatus for classifying messages comprising:
- a classification store configured to store classification data;
an update module operable to update classification data stored in said classification store;
a data store operable to store data indicative of items of content included in messages; and
a message classifier operable to utilise classification data stored in said classification store to classify messages including items of content identified by data stored in said data store, wherein said message classifier is operable to determine whether a message including items of content identified by data stored in said data store can be classified utilising data currently stored in said classification store and if a message can not be classified utilising the currently stored classification data to reassess the classification of a message including items of content identified by data in said data store after a delay utilising the classification data stored in said classification store after said delay as updated by said update module.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An authorisation server (11) is provided which attempts to classify messages as being wanted or unwanted messages. If a message is classified as an unwanted message it is stored in a black inbox (18) as part of an archive of unwanted messages If a message is classified as a wanted message it is sent to a user'"'"'s grey inbox (19) where the message can be reviewed. For messages whose status as a wanted or unwanted message is unclear the authorisation server (11) delays dispatch of such a message so that the message'"'"'s status can be reassessed using additional information received about similar messages. This further information is received either from honey pot computers (12,13) set up to receive unsolicited messages and also from user rejection of similar messages previously dispatched to users'"'"' grey inboxes (19) during the period of delay.
105 Citations
103 Claims
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1. Apparatus for classifying messages comprising:
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a classification store configured to store classification data;
an update module operable to update classification data stored in said classification store;
a data store operable to store data indicative of items of content included in messages; and
a message classifier operable to utilise classification data stored in said classification store to classify messages including items of content identified by data stored in said data store, wherein said message classifier is operable to determine whether a message including items of content identified by data stored in said data store can be classified utilising data currently stored in said classification store and if a message can not be classified utilising the currently stored classification data to reassess the classification of a message including items of content identified by data in said data store after a delay utilising the classification data stored in said classification store after said delay as updated by said update module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103)
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41. A method classifying electronic messages, comprising:
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storing classification data;
receiving data indicative of the content of a message;
utilising stored classification data to determine whether a message for which data indicative of its content has been received can be classified based on the currently stored classification data; and
if a message can not be classified utilising the currently stored classification data, reassessing the message for which data indicative of content has been received after a delay utilising stored classification data as updated during said delay. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A method of filtering electronic messages comprising:
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receiving an electronic message;
classifying a received message; and
selectively performing a control function on a received message on the basis of said classification, wherein said classification of a message includes delaying classification of a message and utilising feedback received on similar messages during said delay period to classify said message.
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70. Apparatus for filtering electronic message comprising:
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means for receiving an electronic message;
means for classifying a received message; and
means for selectively applying a control function to a received message on the basis of said classification wherein said classification means is operable to classify messages by delaying classification of a message and utilising feedback received on similar messages during said delay period to classify a said message.
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71. Apparatus for classifying messages comprising:
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a receiver operable to receive data indicative of items of content included in messages to be classified;
a classification store configured to store classification data; and
a message classifier operable to utilise stored classification data to classify messages including items of content as identified by data received by said receiver, wherein said classification store is configured to store data indicative of the content of messages of different categories and data indicative of the content of messages not having a confirmed category, said message classifier being operable to utilise said classification data indicative of the content of messages not having a confirmed category to model an expected variation in the data indicative of the content of messages in different categories and utilise said modelled variation to classify messages including items of content identified as received by said receiver. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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82. A method of classifying electronic messages comprising:
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storing classification data indicative of the content of messages of different categories and data indicative of the content of messages not having a confirmed category;
receiving data indicative of items of content included in messages to be classified;
modelling an expected variation in the data indicative of the content of messages in different categories utilising said stored classification data indicative of the content of messages not having a confirmed category; and
classifying messages including items of content as identified by received data utilising classification data and said modelled variation. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92)
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93. A method of classifying electronic messages comprising:
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storing classification data;
receiving data indicative of the content of a message to be classified; and
classifying a message for which data indicative of content is received utilising said stored classification data and a model of estimated expected changes to said classification data modelled to account for absence of feed back on one or more messages. - View Dependent Claims (94, 95)
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96. Apparatus for classifying electronic messages comprising:
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means for storing classification data;
means for receiving data indicative of the content of a message to be classified; and
means for classifying a message for which data indicative of content is received by said receiving means utilising classification data stored by said storing means and a model of estimated expected changes to said classification data modelled to account for absence of feed back on one or more messages. - View Dependent Claims (97, 98)
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Specification