Filtering and managing electronic mail

• US 20100312843A1
• Filed: 08/06/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aristotle.Net, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aristotle.Net, Inc.
• Inventors: Robinson, John D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

Filtering and managing electronic mail is accommodated by allowing a user to designate an approved subject line phrase whose presence allows an incoming message to bypass certain message filtering operations. E-mail messages sent to the user are examined to determine whether their subject line includes the approved phrase. When the phrase is present in the message subject line, delivery of the message to the user is accommodated according to the settings prescribed by the user. E-mail management is also accommodated by allowing a user to download a message from a mail server to an e-mail client and subsequently restore the message onto the mail server as though it had not yet been downloaded.

Claims

1. A method for managing electronic mail messages, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic mail message addressed to a particular user;

retrieving an approved subject line phrase corresponding to the particular user;

parsing the electronic mail message and determining whether a subject line in the electronic mail message includes the approved subject line phrase;

accommodating delivery of the electronic mail message to the particular user where it is determined that the approved subject line phrase is included in the electronic mail message subject line.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a sender for the electronic mail message; and

adding the sender to an approved sender list upon determining that the approved subject line phrase is included in the electronic mail message line.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular user inputs the approved subject line phrase pursuant to an e-mail filter settings configuration, and passes the approved subject line phrase to parties from whom the particular user intends to accept e-mail messages.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the approved subject line phrase is absent from the electronic mail message subject line; and

applying additional e-mail filtering criteria where it is determined that the approved subject line phrase is absent from the electronic mail message subject line.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

designating the electronic mail message to a delete category where the approved subject line phrase is absent from the electronic mail message and the additional e-mail filtering criteria indicate the electronic mail message to be clearly identified as undesired.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

designating the electronic mail message to a spam holding category where the approved subject line phrase is absent from the electronic mail message and the additional e-mail filtering criteria do not indicate the electronic mail message to be clearly identified as undesired and do not indicate the electronic mail message to be clearly identified as desired.

7. A computer program product, for managing electronic mail messages, the computer program product stored on a computer readable medium and adapted to perform operations comprising:

receiving an electronic mail message addressed to a particular user;

retrieving an approved subject line phrase corresponding to the particular user;

parsing the electronic mail message and determining whether a subject line in the electronic mail message includes the approved subject line phrase;

accommodating delivery of the electronic mail message to the particular user where it is determined that the approved subject line phrase is included in the electronic mail message subject line.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a sender for the electronic mail message; and

adding the sender to an approved sender list upon determining that the approved subject line phrase is included in the electronic mail message line.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the particular user inputs the approved subject line phrase pursuant to an e-mail filter settings configuration, and passes the approved subject line phrase to parties from whom the particular user intends to accept e-mail messages.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the approved subject line phrase is absent from the electronic mail message subject line; and

applying additional e-mail filtering criteria where it is determined that the approved subject line phrase is absent from the electronic mail message subject line.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

designating the electronic mail message to a delete category where the approved subject line phrase is absent from the electronic mail message and the additional e-mail filtering criteria indicate the electronic mail message to be clearly identified as undesired.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

designating the electronic mail message to a spam holding category where the approved subject line phrase is absent from the electronic mail message and the additional e-mail filtering criteria do not indicate the electronic mail message to be clearly identified as undesired and do not indicate the electronic mail message to be clearly identified as desired.

13. An e-mail management system for managing electronic mail messages, the system comprising:

a mail filtering module, which receives an electronic mail message addressed to a particular user; and

an approved subject phrase module, in communication with the mail filtering module, which retrieves an approved subject line phrase corresponding to the particular user;

parses the electronic mail message and determines whether a subject line in the electronic mail message includes the approved subject line phrase; and

communicates with the mail filtering module to accommodate delivery of the electronic mail message to the particular user where it is determined that the approved subject line phrase is included in the electronic mail message subject line.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the approved subject phrase module also determines a sender for the electronic mail message, and communicates with a remaining filter options module to add the sender to an approved sender list upon determining that the approved subject line phrase is included in the electronic mail message line.