Method and apparatus for electronic mail filtering
First Claim
1. A message processing apparatus comprising:
- an electronic hardware processor;
a memory storing instructions that configure the electronic hardware processor to perform a method of processing messages on communication paths between a plurality of client devices and a server device, the method comprising;
receiving, in a particular order, a corresponding plurality of incoming messages from the plurality of client devices over network connections between the apparatus and the plurality of client devices and determining a corresponding plurality of client identities associated with the plurality of client devices,allocating a reputation score to each of the incoming messages according to the client identity associated with a client device from which the incoming message is received,storing the plurality of incoming messages in a message queue ordered according to a reputation score allocated to each of the incoming messages,extracting the plurality of messages from the message queue in an order according to their allocated reputation scores that is different than the particular order, andtransmitting the extracted messages to the server device in the order the messages are extracted from the message queue.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Messages having a reputation score higher than at least one message already on a queue are added to the queue when the queue has already reached the predetermined maximum permitted size. One or more messages having a low reputation score may be discarded from a bottom of the queue in favor of a new incoming message having a higher reputation score. This may be particularly useful in the context of Internet e-mail, wherein mail delivery protocols (i.e. SMTP) allow a connection for an incoming message to be held open for a limited time period and during this period the message processing apparatus does not assume responsibility for onward transmission of the message. Thus, the message processing apparatus is able to selectively accept only those messages having a highest reputation score for detailed analysis, without adversely affecting the operations performed by other parts of the electronic messaging system.
368 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A message processing apparatus comprising:
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an electronic hardware processor; a memory storing instructions that configure the electronic hardware processor to perform a method of processing messages on communication paths between a plurality of client devices and a server device, the method comprising; receiving, in a particular order, a corresponding plurality of incoming messages from the plurality of client devices over network connections between the apparatus and the plurality of client devices and determining a corresponding plurality of client identities associated with the plurality of client devices, allocating a reputation score to each of the incoming messages according to the client identity associated with a client device from which the incoming message is received, storing the plurality of incoming messages in a message queue ordered according to a reputation score allocated to each of the incoming messages, extracting the plurality of messages from the message queue in an order according to their allocated reputation scores that is different than the particular order, and transmitting the extracted messages to the server device in the order the messages are extracted from the message queue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of processing messages processing messages, comprising:
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receiving, via an electronic hardware processor and in a particular order, a plurality of incoming messages over network connections between a server device and a corresponding plurality of client devices; determining a corresponding plurality of client identities with respect to the plurality of client devices, allocating a reputation score to each of the incoming messages according to the client identity corresponding to the client device that transmitted the incoming message; storing the plurality of incoming messages in a message queue ordered according to their allocated reputation score, extracting, via the electronic hardware processor, the plurality of messages from the message queue in an order according to their allocated reputation scores that is different than the particular order, and transmitting, via the electronic hardware processor, the extracted messages to the server device in the order the messages are extracted from the message queue. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An electronic messaging system, comprising:
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a plurality of client devices arranged to send electronic messages wherein each of the client devices is associated with a predetermined client identity in the system; a plurality of server devices arranged to receive the electronic messages sent by the plurality of client devices; at least one message processing apparatus arranged to intercept the electronic messages with store-and-forward type interception between the plurality of client and at least one of the plurality of server devices, wherein the message processing apparatus comprises; an electronic hardware processor, and an electronic memory storing instructions that configure the processor to perform a method, the method comprising; receiving one of the electronic messages from a particular client device amongst the plurality of client devices and to determine the client identity with respect to the particular client devices, allocating a reputation score to the electronic message with respect to the client identity, storing the electronic message in a message queue containing a plurality of the electronic messages and ordered according to the reputation score allocated to each of the electronic messages, extracting an electronic message with the highest reputation score in the message queue from the message queue, and forwarding the extracted electronic message to the at least one of the plurality of server. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification