Actionable quarantine summary

• US 8,583,740 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Oswall, Michael J., Carroll, Dorion A., Petry, Scott M., Cox, Fredric L., Lund, Peter K., Hoggatt, Lisa M., Beeson, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilles, Jude Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Means, Jaren M
• Application Number:
  US10/908,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20060242708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,123 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/204, 709/205, 726/24
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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

Disclosed herein are systems, methods and the like for the management of filtered messages and filtering settings. Embodiments use the interaction of a user and a notification message to execute commands/requests. In one aspect, a notification message is used to notify a computer user of filtered incoming electronic messages that are stored in a quarantine server and database. In one embodiment, the notification message comprises message data having information regarding incoming messages blocked from reaching the destination server and stored in the quarantine server and database. Also in this embodiment, the message includes user interface data selectable by the user to manage the handling of incoming messages. In addition, the message includes action logic associated with the user interface data and configured to execute the selections made by the user by sending commands from the user'"'"'s computer to the quarantine server and database via a computer network.

Claims

1. A method of notifying a computer user of incoming electronic messages sent to a recipient address of the user but are blocked from reaching a destination electronic message server associated with the user'"'"'s computer using a central message processing system and stored in a quarantine server and database separate from the destination electronic message server, the method comprising:

sending a notification e-mail message by the central message processing system to an e-mail address of the user, the notification e-mail message having information regarding incoming messages blocked from reaching the destination electronic message server, wherein the information is viewable within the notification e-mail message and comprises portions of a message body associated with one or more of the blocked incoming messages, wherein the incoming messages are stored in the quarantine server and database by the central message processing system, the notification e-mail message comprising user interface data and action logic to manage the handling of the stored incoming messages, wherein the action logic is configurable to execute selections made by the user to manage the handling of the stored incoming messages without having to log-on to a webpage; and

further comprising providing presentation data associated with the user interface data for arranging and displaying options associated with the user interface data within the notification e-mail message.

2. A method according to claim 1, the presentation data further operable for determining the arranging and displaying of the message data within the notification message.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the action logic comprises embedding executable code in the notification message.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the executable code is selected from the group consisting of Java, Java scripts, HTML logic, HTTP logic, and Active X.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing user interface data to manage the handling of incoming messages comprises providing user interface data further selectable by the user to manage settings of a user profile associated with the user, whereby incoming messages are blocked and stored in accordance with the settings in the user profile.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the notifying occurs in accordance with the settings in the user profile.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the message data comprises message content, message header information, message subject information, types of attachments with the message or priority status of the message.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the executed selection comprises one or more HTML commands.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing user interface data selectable by the user to manage the handling of incoming messages further comprises providing user interface data further selectable by the user to manage the deletion of messages stored in the quarantine database, ignoring messages, moving messages into a designated folder, delivering message to user'"'"'s inbox, viewing a message, adding a sender of a message to a blocked sender list, adding a sender of a message to an approved sender list, or delivering messages to other destinations designated by the user.

10. A method of managing incoming electronic messages sent to a recipient address of the user but are blocked from reaching a destination electronic message server associated with a user'"'"'s computer using a central message processing system and stored in a quarantine server and database separate from the destination electronic message server, the method comprising:

providing message data provided in a notification e-mail message sent to the recipient address of the user, the notification e-mail message having information regarding incoming messages blocked from reaching the destination electronic message server and stored in the quarantine server and database by the central message processing system, wherein the information is viewable within the notification e-mail message and comprises portions of a message body associated with one or more of the blocked incoming messages;

receiving, at the central message processing system, data associated with one or more selections from a user interface provided in the notification e-mail message for managing the handling of incoming messages, the notification e-mail message comprising action logic configurable to execute the selections made by the user to manage the handling of the stored incoming messages without having to log-on to a webpage; and

further comprising providing presentation data associated with the user interface data for arranging and displaying options associated with the user interface data within the notification e-mail message.

11. A method according to claim 10, the presentation data further operable for determining the arranging and displaying of the message data within the notification message.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises sending commands to the quarantine server and database using executable code embedded in the notification message.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the executable code is selected from the group consisting of Java, Java scripts, HTML logic, HTTP logic, and Active X.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein selecting user interface data to manage the handling of incoming messages further comprises selecting user interface data in order to manage settings of a user profile associated with the user, whereby incoming messages are blocked and stored in accordance with the settings in the user profile.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the notifying occurs in accordance with the settings in the user profile.

16. A method according to claim 10, wherein the message data comprises message content, message header information, message subject information, types of attachments with the message or priority status of the message.

17. A method according to claim 10, wherein the executed selection comprises one or more HTML commands.

18. A method according to claim 10, wherein selecting user interface data to manage the handling of incoming messages further comprises selecting user interface data in order to the delete messages stored in the quarantine database, ignore messages, move messages into a designated folder, deliver message to user'"'"'s inbox, viewing a message, adding a sender of a message to a blocked sender list, adding a sender of a message to an approved sender list, or deliver messages to other destinations designated by the user.

19. A system for managing the quarantining of incoming electronic messages, the system comprising:

a centralized electronic message processing service installed and running on one or more computing devices connected to a communications network, the centralized electronic message processing service configured to intercept electronic messages sent to a recipient address of the user from sending electronic message servers via destination electronic message servers, and to identify one or more of the electronic messages as unwanted by a user;

a quarantine server and database installed on one or more computing devices in communication with the electronic message processing service and configured to receive and store the one or more electronic messages identified as unwanted by the electronic message processing service;

a user profile database installed on one or more computing devices in communication with the electronic message processing service and configured to store a user profile providing parameters to the processing service for intercepting the electronic messages and providing parameters to the quarantine server and database for managing the one or more electronic messages stored;

a notification message server installed on one or more computing devices in communication with the electronic message processing service, and associated with the quarantine server and database and with the user profile database, and configured to generate a notification e-mail message based on the one or more stored electronic messages and to transmit the notification e-mail message to the e-mail address of the user based on the parameters in the user profile, the notification e-mail message comprising;

message data having information regarding one or more stored electronic messages, wherein the information is viewable within the notification e-mail message and comprises portions of a message body associated with one or more of the blocked incoming messages;

a user interface and action logic to manage the handling of the stored incoming messages, wherein the action logic is configurable to execute selections made by the user to manage the handling of the stored incoming messages without having to log-on, to a webpage; and

further comprising providing presentation data associated with the user interface data for arranging and displaying options associated with the user interface data within the notification e-mail message.

20. A system according to claim 19, the presentation data further operable for arranging and displaying of the message data within the notification message.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein the action logic comprises executable code embedded in the notification message.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein the executable code is selected from the group consisting of Java, Java scripts, HTML logic, HTTP logic, and Active X.

23. A system according to claim 19, wherein the user interlace data is further selectable to manage settings of a user profile associated with the user, whereby incoming messages are blocked and stored in accordance with the settings in the user profile.

24. A system according to claim 23, wherein the settings in the user profile include when the notification message is sent to the user.

25. A system according to claim 19, wherein the message data comprises message content, message header information, message subject information, types of attachments with the message or priority status of the message.

26. A system according to claim 19, wherein the executed selection comprises one or more HTML commands.

27. A system according to claim 19, wherein the user interface data being selectable to manage the handling of incoming messages comprises being selectable to manage the deletion of messages stored in the quarantine database, ignoring messages, moving messages into a designated folder, delivering message to user'"'"'s inbox, viewing a message, adding a sender of a message to a blocked sender list, adding a sender of a message to an approved sender list, or delivering messages to other destinations designated by the user.

28. A method for managing the quarantining of incoming electronic messages the method comprising:

intercepting electronic messages sent to recipient addresses of users from sending electronic message servers via destination electronic message servers using a central message processing system;

identifying one or more of the electronic messages as unwanted by a user using the central message processing system;

storing the one or more electronic messages identified as unwanted;

generating a notification e-mail message by the central message processing system and having information regarding handling incoming electronic messages in the message body;

transmitting the notification e-mail message to the e-mail address of the user using the central message processing system;

providing message data, in the notification e-mail message, the message data having information regarding the stored one or more identified electronic messages, wherein the information is viewable within the notification e-mail message and comprises portions of a message body associated with one or more of the blocked incoming messages;

receiving, at the central message processing system data associated with one or more selections from a user interface provided in the notification e-mail message for managing the handling of incoming messages, the notification e-mail message comprising action logic configurable to execute the selections made by the user to manage the handling of the stored incoming messages without having to log-on to a webpage; and

further comprising providing presentation data associated with the user interface data for arranging and displaying options associated with the user interface data within the notification e-mail message.

29. A method according to claim 28, the presentation data further operable for determining arranging and displaying of the message data within the notification message.

30. A method according to claim 28, wherein the executed selection comprises sending commands from the user'"'"'s computer using executable code embedded in the notification message.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein the executable code is selected from the group consisting of Java, Java scripts, HTML logic, HTTP logic, and Active X.

32. A method according to claim 28, wherein selecting user interface data further comprises selecting user interface data in order to manage settings of a user profile associated with the user, whereby incoming messages are blocked and stored in accordance with the settings in the user profile.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein the generating a notification message occurs in accordance with the settings in the user profile.

34. A method according to claim 28, wherein the message data comprises message content, message header information, message subject information, types of attachments with the message or priority status of the message.

35. A method according to claim 28, wherein the executed selection comprises one or more HTML commands.

36. A method according to claim 28, wherein selecting user interface data message in order to manage the handling of incoming messages comprises selecting user interface data to manage the deletion of messages stored in the quarantine database, ignoring messages, moving messages into a designated folder, delivering message to user'"'"'s inbox, viewing a message, adding a sender of a message to a blocked sender list, adding a sender of a message to an approved sender list, or delivering messages to other destinations designated by the user.