Apparatus and method for precluding e-mail distribution
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of controlling electronic mail (e-mail) message transmission over a network comprised of:
- receiving, by a third entity, a first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses from a first entity, wherein said first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses represents e-mail addresses to which an e-mail message could be sent;
compiling, by said third entity, a second set of hash encoded e-mail addresses, wherein said second set of hash encoded e-mail addresses represents e-mail addresses to which said e-mail message should not be sent;
sorting said first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a first ordered list;
sorting said second set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a second ordered;
comparing the first entry in said first ordered list to the first entry in said second ordered list then successive entries in said second ordered list, until the value of an entry in said second ordered list equals or exceeds the value of the first entry in said first list; and
removing, by said third entity, from said first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses, each hash encoded e-mail address that is in said second set of hash encoded e-mail addresses thereby yielding a third set of hash encoded e-mail addresses, wherein said third set of hash encoded e-mail addresses represents e-mail addresses to which said e-mail message will be sent,wherein a second entity is a source of said e-mail message and wherein the first, second, and third entities are different entities.
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Abstract
E-mail addresses are converted by a hashing function into hash codes. An e-mail mass mailer that can have millions of addresses hash codes all addresses to which a message might be sent to form a first list. An entity that wishes to exclude delivery of a message to various e-mail addresses, hash codes such addresses to form a second list. Hash codes in the first list that are also in the second list are purged from the first list to yield a third list of hash codes, each of which represents an e-mail address to which a message may be sent.
27 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method of controlling electronic mail (e-mail) message transmission over a network comprised of:
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receiving, by a third entity, a first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses from a first entity, wherein said first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses represents e-mail addresses to which an e-mail message could be sent; compiling, by said third entity, a second set of hash encoded e-mail addresses, wherein said second set of hash encoded e-mail addresses represents e-mail addresses to which said e-mail message should not be sent; sorting said first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a first ordered list; sorting said second set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a second ordered; comparing the first entry in said first ordered list to the first entry in said second ordered list then successive entries in said second ordered list, until the value of an entry in said second ordered list equals or exceeds the value of the first entry in said first list; and removing, by said third entity, from said first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses, each hash encoded e-mail address that is in said second set of hash encoded e-mail addresses thereby yielding a third set of hash encoded e-mail addresses, wherein said third set of hash encoded e-mail addresses represents e-mail addresses to which said e-mail message will be sent, wherein a second entity is a source of said e-mail message and wherein the first, second, and third entities are different entities. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 30, 32, 34)
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7. A method of controlling electronic mail (e-mail) message transmission over a network comprised of:
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receiving, by a third entity, a first set of hash codes from a first entity, wherein said first set of hash codes represents e-mail addresses to which an e-mail message could be sent; receiving, by said third entity, a second set of hash codes from a second entity, wherein said second set of hash codes represents e-mail addresses to which said e-mail message should not be sent; sorting said first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a first ordered list; sorting said second set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a second ordered; comparing the first entry in said first ordered list to the first entry in said second ordered list then successive entries in said second ordered list, until the value of an entry in said second ordered list equals or exceeds the value of the first entry in said first list; and removing, by said third entity, from said first set of hash codes, each hash code that is in said second set thereby yielding a third set of hash codes, wherein said third set of hash codes represents e-mail addresses to which said e-mail message will be sent, wherein said second entity is a source of said e-mail message and wherein the first, second, and third entities are different entities. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 31, 33, 35, 36)
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11. A method of controlling electronic mail (e-mail) message transmission over a network comprised of:
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receiving, by a third entity, a first set of hash codes from a first entity, wherein said first set of hash codes represents e-mail addresses to which an e-mail message could be sent; receiving, by said third entity, a second set of hash codes from a second entity, wherein said second set of hash codes represents e-mail addresses to which said e-mail message should not be sent; sorting said first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a first ordered list; sorting said second set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a second ordered; comparing the first entry in said first ordered list to the first entry in said second ordered list then successive entries in said second ordered list, until the value of an entry in said second ordered list equals or exceeds the value of the first entry in said first list; and creating, by said third entity, a third set of hash codes that is comprised of the first set of hash codes minus hash codes that appear in the second set of hash codes, said third set of hash codes representing e-mail addresses to which said e-mail message will be sent, wherein said second entity is a source of said e-mail message and wherein the first, second, and third entities are different entities. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of controlling electronic mail (e-mail) message transmission over a data network comprised of:
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receiving, by a third entity, a first set of hash codes from an e-mail mass mailer, said first set of hash codes being received via said data network, wherein said first set of hash codes represents e-mail addresses to which an e-mail message could be sent; sorting said first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a first ordered list; sorting a second set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a second ordered, wherein said second set of hash codes represents e-mail addresses to which said e-mail message should not be sent; comparing, by a third entity, said first set of hash codes to said second set of hash codes; and removing, by said third entity, form said first set of hash codes, hash codes that are in said second set of hash codes to yield a third set of hash codes that represents e-mail addresses to which said e-mail message will be sent, wherein a second entity is a source of said e-mail message and wherein the first, second, and third entities are different entities. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A method of controlling electronic mail (e-mail) message transmission over a data network comprised of:
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receiving, by a third entity, a first set of hash codes from an e-mail mass mailer, said first set of hash codes being received via said data network and representing e-mail addresses to which an e-mail message could be sent; sorting said first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a first ordered list; sorting a second set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a second ordered, wherein said second set of hash codes represents e-mail addresses to which said e-mail message should not be sent; comparing, by said third entity, said first set of hash codes to said second set of hash codes; and creating, by said third entity, a third set of hash codes that is comprised of hash codes in said first set of hash codes that are not in said second set of hash codes, wherein said third set of hash codes represents e-mail addresses to which said e-mail message will be sent, wherein a second entity is a source of said e-mail message and wherein the first, second, and third entities are different entities. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method of controlling electronic mail (e-mail) message transmission over a network comprised of:
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receiving, by a third entity, a first set of hash coded e-mail addresses from a first entity, wherein said first set of hash coded e-mail addresses represents e-mail addresses to which an e-mail message could be sent; compiling, by said third entity, a second set of hash coded e-mail addresses, wherein said second set of hash coded e-mail addresses represents e-mail addresses to which said e-mail message should not be sent; sorting said first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a first ordered list; sorting said second set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a second ordered; identifying, by said third entity, hash coded e-mail addresses in said first set of hash coded e-mail addresses that do not appear in said second set of hash coded e-mail addresses; and removing, by said third entity, from said first set of hash coded e-mail addresses, each hash coded e-mail address that is not in said second set of hash coded e-mail addresses thereby yielding a third set of hash coded e-mail addresses that represent e-mail addresses to which said e-mail message will be sent, wherein a second entity is a source of said e-mail message and wherein the first, second, and third entities are different entities. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A method of sending an electronic mail (e-mail) message to a plurality of e-mail addresses comprised of:
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hash coding, by a first entity, a first list of e-mail addresses to yield a first list of hash coded e-mail addresses, wherein said first list of hash coded e-mail addresses represents e-mail addresses to which an e-mail message could be sent; hash coding, by a second entity, a second list of e-mail addresses to yield a second list of hash coded-email addresses, wherein said second list of hash coded e-mail addresses represents e-mail addresses to which said e-mail message should not be sent; transmitting, by said first entity, said first list of hash coded e-mail addresses to an e-mail address filtration service provider; transmitting, by said second entity, said second set of hash coded e-mail addresses to said e-mail address filtration service provider; comparing the first entry in a first ordered list to the first entry in a second ordered list then successive entries in said second ordered list, until the value of an entry in said second ordered list equals or exceeds the value of the first entry in said first list; and creating, by said e-mail address filtration service provider a third list of hash coded e-mail addresses, said third set of hash codes that is comprised of the first set of hash codes minus hash codes that appear in the second set of hash codes, wherein said third list of hash coded e-mail addresses represents e-mail addresses to which said e-mail message will be sent, wherein said second entity is a source of said e-mail message and wherein the first, second, and third entities are different entities.
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24. An apparatus for controlling electronic mail (e-mail) message transmission over a network comprised of:
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a computer, operatively coupled to a data network, wherein said data network includes or is operatively coupled to a first entity and a second entity, wherein said computer is capable of receiving from said first entity a first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses, wherein said first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses represents e-mail addresses to which an e-mail message could be sent, and wherein said second entity is the source of said e-mail message; a first memory device, operatively coupled to said computer, said first memory device storing a second set of hash encoded e-mail addresses representing e-mail addresses to which an e-mail message should not be sent; and said first memory device also storing program instructions which when executed, by said computer, cause said computer to; store in said first memory device, at least part of said first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses; sort said first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a first ordered list; sort said second set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a second ordered; compare the first entry in said first ordered list to the first entry in said second ordered list then successive entries in said second ordered list, until the value of an entry in said second ordered list equals or exceeds the value of the first entry in said first list; remove from said first set of encoded e-mail addresses stored in said memory, each encoded e-mail address in said second set of encoded e-mail addresses that is also in said first set of encoded e-mail addresses thereby yielding a third set of encoded e-mail addresses, said third set of encoded e-mail addresses being encoded e-mail addresses to which said e-mail message will be sent; and store at least part of said third set of encoded e-mail addresses in said memory, wherein the first and second entities are different entities. - View Dependent Claims (25, 37, 39, 41)
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26. An apparatus for controlling electronic mail (e-mail) message transmission over a network comprised of:
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a computer, operatively coupled to a data network, wherein said data network includes or is operatively coupled to a first entity and a second entity, wherein said computer is capable of receiving from said first entity a first set of hash codes, wherein said first set of hash codes represents e-mail addresses to which an e-mail message could be sent, wherein said second entity is the source of said e-mail message, and wherein said computer is also capable of executing program instructions; a first memory device, operatively coupled to said computer, said first memory device storing a second set of hash codes, wherein said second set of hash codes represents e-mail addresses to which an e-mail message could not be sent; said first memory device also storing program instructions which when executed by said computer cause said computer to; store in said first memory device, at least part of said first set of hash codes; sort said first set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a first ordered list; sort said second set of hash encoded e-mail addresses into a second ordered; compare the first entry in said first ordered list to the first entry in said second ordered list then successive entries in said second ordered list, until the value of an entry in said second ordered list equals or exceeds the value of the first entry in said first list; remove from said first set of hash codes, each hash code in said second set of hash codes, yielding a third set of hash codes, said third set of hash codes representing e-mail addresses to which an e-mail message will be sent; and store at least part of said third set of hash codes in said memory, wherein the first and second entities are different entities. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 38, 40, 42)
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Specification