System and method for regulating electronic messages

• US 7,818,425 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2005
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US11/190,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20060010220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,910 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/238, 709/245, 709/221, 709/254, 348/14.08, 370/254
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

A system for regulating e-mail comprises a database of information profiling legitimate e-mail usage. When an e-mail is received at the system, it is scrutinized relative to the information in the database. If the e-mail is found to be legitimate based upon this evaluation, it is delivered to the intended recipient. If, however, the e-mail appears on the basis of the evaluation to be the last in a series of illegitimate e-mails or otherwise has characteristics inconsistent with the profile of legitimate e-mail usage, the e-mail may not be delivered and the postmaster and administrator at the source of the e-mail is contacted.

Claims

1. A method for regulating electronic messages comprising:

maintaining, by a computer, statistics for a plurality of registered electronic message source domains;

maintaining, by the computer, target statistics for the plurality of registered electronic message source domains, wherein the target statistics for one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains are reflective of an agreement with the one registered electronic message source domain and differ from the target statistics being maintained for an other of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains that are reflective of an agreement with the other registered electronic message source domain, the agreement of the one registered electronic message source domain including an agreement to pay for delivery of electronic messages from the one registered electronic message source domain;

receiving an electronic message from the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains, and in response to receiving the electronic message from the one of the plurality of registered electronic source domains, determining whether the electronic message originates from more than one source based on the number of hops that the electronic message has taken and updating the maintained statistics for the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains to reflect receipt of the electronic message;

determining, by the computer, whether the updated maintained statistics for the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains comply with the target statistics for the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains;

determining, by the computer, whether the electronic message from the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains complies with target profile characteristics established for an electronic message from the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains, the target profile characteristics for the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains and the target statistics for the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains being different, the target profile characteristics for the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains and the target statistics for the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains being stored in a profile associated with the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains; and

if either the updated maintained statistics no longer comply with the target statistics for the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains or the electronic message received from the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains does not comply with target profile characteristics established for an electronic message from the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains, taking a remedial action for the received electronic message from the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintained statistics for one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains comprise the number of electronic messages received.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether an electronic message received is from one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the target statistics for the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains comprise a limit on the number of electronic messages received from the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains within a period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the agreement with the one registered electronic message source domain includes receiving electronic messages from the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains during off-peak hours.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the remedial action comprises at least one of performing a notification and returning the electronic message to the sender of the electronic message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the target profile characteristics relate to at least one of a size of an electronic message received from the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains, a type of attachments for an electronic message received from the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains, a number of recipients for an electronic message received from the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains, and a number of hops that an electronic message received from the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains had taken.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the target profile characteristics comprise a size limit for an electronic message received from the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the target profile characteristics comprise the types of attachments that are acceptable for an electronic message received from the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the target profile characteristics comprise a limit of the number of recipients for an electronic message received from the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the target profile characteristics comprise a limit on the number of hops that an electronic message received from the one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains had taken.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the remedial action comprises at least one of performing a notification and returning the electronic message to the sender of the electronic message.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the remedial action comprises performing a notification.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining statistics for a plurality of unregistered sources.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, if an electronic message is received from one of the plurality of unregistered sources, updating the maintained statistics for the one of the plurality of unregistered electronic message sources to reflect receipt of the electronic message.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining whether the updated maintained statistics for the one of the plurality of unregistered electronic message sources complies with target statistics for electronic message sources in a category to which the unregistered electronic message source belongs.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising taking a remedial action if the updated maintained statistics for the one of the plurality of unregistered electronic message sources fails to comply with target statistics for electronic message sources in a category to which the unregistered electronic message source belongs.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the remedial action comprises at least one of performing a notification and returning the electronic message to the sender of the electronic message.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the target profile characteristics relate to at least one of a size of an electronic message received from an unregistered electronic message source, a type of attachments for an electronic message received from an unregistered electronic message source, a number of recipients for an electronic message received from an unregistered electronic message source, and a number of hops that an electronic message received from an unregistered electronic message source had taken.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the target profile characteristics comprise a size limit for an electronic message received from an unregistered electronic message source.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the target profile characteristics comprise the types of attachments that are acceptable for an electronic message received from an unregistered electronic message source.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the target profile characteristics comprise a limit of the number of recipients for an electronic message received from an unregistered electronic message source.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the target profile characteristics comprise a limit on the number of hops that an electronic message received from an unregistered electronic message source had taken.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the remedial action comprises at least one of performing a notification and returning the electronic message to the sender of the electronic message.

26. The method of claim 17, further comprising, if the electronic message received from the one of the plurality of unregistered electronic message sources complies with target profile characteristics for an electronic message received from unregistered electronic message sources, determining whether the electronic message received from the one of the plurality of unregistered electronic message sources contains a virus.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising taking a remedial action if the electronic message received from the one of the plurality of unregistered electronic message sources contains a virus.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the remedial action comprises performing a notification.

3. The method of claim , wherein the maintained statistics for one of the plurality of registered electronic message source domains comprises the number of electronic messages received within a period.