Consolidated email filtering user interface

• US 20050080642A1
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daniell, W. Todd
• Application Number:
  US10/686,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20050080642A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for detecting an undesired email message. Some embodiments of such systems comprise detection mechanisms for detecting undesired email from an email service of a user. Accordingly, a user interface may be provided to access and activate each detection mechanism from one graphical interface display. Other systems and methods are also provided.

Claims

1. An email system for providing email service to a user, comprising:

an email client to retrieve email messages from a mail server of the user;

a plurality of detection mechanisms that detect undesired email messages from the retrieved mail; and

a single graphical user interface control to provide, to the user, access to each of the detection mechanisms from one graphical display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of detection mechanisms include a mechanism that detects an email message if the sender of the email message is not on a list of senders authorized by the user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of detection mechanisms include a mechanism that detects an email message if the sender of the email is on a list of unauthorized senders.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of detection mechanisms include a mechanism that detects an email message if the email message contains a textual content string that is on a list of unauthorized textual content strings.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of detection mechanisms include a mechanism that is configured to:

analyze the overall content of previous email messages that have been detected; and

detect an email message if the content of the message is similar to the overall content of the previous messages.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of detection mechanisms include:

a first detection mechanism that detects an email message if the sender of the email message is not on a list of senders authorized by the user;

a second detection mechanism that detects an email message if the sender of the email is on a list of unauthorized senders;

a third detection mechanism that detects an email message if the email message contains a textual content string that is on a list of unauthorized textual content string; and

a fourth detection mechanism that is configured to;

analyze the overall content of previous email messages that have been detected;

compare the content of an email message to the overall content and assign a score reflective of a level of similarity for the email message; and

detect the email message if the score is higher than a designated score.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the single graphical interface comprises:

a first interface mechanism to activate the first detection mechanism;

a second interface mechanism to activate an interface to edit the list of senders authorized by the user;

a third interface mechanism to activate the second detection mechanism;

a fourth interface mechanism to activate an interface to edit the list of senders not authorized by the user;

a fifth interface mechanism to activate the third detection mechanism;

a sixth interface mechanism to activate an interface to edit the list of unauthorized textual content strings;

a seventh interface mechanism to activate the fourth detection mechanism, and

an eighth interface mechanism to adjust the designated score.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the interface to edit the list of unauthorized textual content strings is configured to display a list of the detected textual content strings in particular undesired email message that was detected by the third detection mechanism, the interface to edit the list of unauthorized textual content strings further configured to substitute different textual strings for the detected textual content strings.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the interface to edit the list of unauthorized textual content strings is configured to display a particular undesired email message with the detected textual content strings in the particular undesired email message highlighted so that the user may select a particular highlighted detected textual content string, the interface to edit the list of unauthorized textual content strings being configured to remove the particular highlighted detected textual content string from the unauthorized list of textual content strings.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the email client displays a particular undesired email message in a particular manner that is representative of the particular detection mechanism that detected the particular undesired email message.

11. A system for providing email service, comprising:

means for providing a plurality of detection mechanisms for detecting undesired email messages; and

means for providing access to each of the detection mechanisms from a single graphical interface control, wherein said each of the detection mechanisms may be configured and activated from the single graphical interface control.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of detection mechanisms include a means for detecting of an email message from a sender that is not on a list of senders authorized by the user.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of detection mechanisms include a means for detecting an email message from a sender that is on a list of unauthorized senders.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of detection mechanisms include a means for detecting an email message that contains a textual content string that is on a list of unauthorized textual content strings.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of detection mechanisms include a means for detecting that an email message has content that is similar to the overall content of previous messages that have been determined to be undesirable.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of detection mechanisms include:

first means for detecting an email message from a sender that is not on a list of senders authorized by the user;

second means for detecting an email message from a sender that is on a list of unauthorized senders;

third means for detecting an email message that contains a textual content string that is on a list of unauthorized textual content strings; and

fourth means for detecting that an email message has content that is similar to the overall content of previous messages that have been determined to be undesirable.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for activating the first means from the single graphical interface control,

means for activating a means for editing the list of senders authorized by the user from the single graphical interface control;

means for activating the second means from the single graphical interface control;

means for activating a means for editing the list of senders not authorized by the user from the single graphical interface control;

means for activating the third means from the single graphical interface control;

means for activating a means for editing the list of unauthorized textual content strings from the single graphical interface control; and

means for activating the fourth means from the single graphical interface control.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for displaying a particular undesired email message in a particular manner that is representative of the particular detection mechanism that detected the particular undesired email message.

19. A method for providing email service, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of detection approaches for detecting undesired email messages; and

providing access to each of the detection approaches from a single graphical interface control, wherein said each of the detection approaches may be configured and activated from the single graphical interface control.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of detection approaches include an approach that detects an email message if the sender of the email message is not on a list of senders authorized by the user.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of detection approaches include an approach that detects an email message if the sender of the email is on a list of unauthorized senders.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of detection approaches include an approach that detects an email message if the email message contains a textual content string that is on a list of unauthorized textual content strings.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of detection approaches include an approach that analyzes the overall content of previous email messages that have been detected and detects an email message if the content of the message is similar to the overall content of the previous messages.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of detection approaches include:

a first approach that detects an email message if the sender of the email message is not on a list of senders authorized by the user;

a second approach that detects an email message if the sender of the email is on a list of unauthorized senders;

a third approach that detects an email message if the email message contains a textual content string that is on a list of unauthorized textual content string; and

a fourth approach that analyzes the overall content of previous email messages that have been detected and detects an email message if the content of the message is similar to the overall content of previous messages according to a designated content score.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

from the single graphical interface control, activating the first detection approach;

from the single graphical interface control, activating an interface for editing the list of senders authorized by the user;

from the single graphical interface control, activating the second detection approach;

from the single graphical interface control, activating an interface to edit the list of senders not authorized by the user;

from the single graphical interface control, activating the third detection approach;

from the single graphical interface control, activating an interface for editing the list of unauthorized textual content strings;

from the single graphical interface control, activating the fourth detection mechanism, and

from the single graphical interface control, adjusting the designated content score.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the interface to edit the list of unauthorized textual content strings is configured to display a list of the detected textual content strings in particular undesired email message that was detected by the third approach, the interface to edit the list of unauthorized textual content strings further configured to substitute different textual strings for the detected textual content strings.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the interface to edit the list of unauthorized textual content strings is configured to display a particular undesired email message that was detected by the third approach with the detected textual content strings in the particular undesired email message highlighted so that the user may select a particular highlighted detected textual content string, the interface to edit the list of unauthorized textual content strings being configured to remove the particular highlighted detected textual content string from the unauthorized list of textual content strings.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of:

displaying a particular undesired email message in a particular manner that is representative of the particular detection approach that detected the particular undesired email message.