Method for filtering mail messages for a plurality of client computers connected to a mail service system

US6092101A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Digital Equipment Corporation · US

Inventors

• Andrew Birrell · Los Altos, US
• Edward P. Wobber · Menlo Park, US
• Michael D. Schroeder · Webster, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 16, 1997
• Grant date: Jul 18, 2000
• Expiry date: Jun 16, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q10/107
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A computer implemented method for filtering mail messages in a distributed computer system. The distributed mail service system includes a plurality of client computers connected to a mail service system via a network. Mail messages are stored in message files of the mail service system. Each mail message is parsed and indexed to generate a full-text index of the mail service system. A query is composed, the query includes terms and operators. The query is stored in the mail service system as a named filter query. A new mail message received by the mail service system is parsed, indexed and searched to determine if the content of the new mail message does not match on the named filter query, in which case an inbox label and an unread label to the new mail message.