Method for removing unsolicited e-mail messages
US7310660B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 3, 2003 |
| Grant date | Dec 18, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 15, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L63/126
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A set of unsolicited e-mail messages is collected and “finger printed” by either sampling the unsolicited message and using portions of the samples to form the identifier or by hashing a portion of the message. These “finger prints” are used to construct an unsolicited message database. The client's e-mail messages are processed in off-line manner by periodically fetching their messages; “finger printing” each message in a manner identical to the unsolicited messages; checking to see if the “finger print” is in the unsolicited message database; discarding any messages with a “finger print” in the unsolicited message database; and forwarding any message with a “finger print” not in the unsolicited message database to the “clean” POP server. The client's e-mail messages can also be processed in a on-demand manner by intercepting their “clean” POP server request; fetching their mail from their “dirty” POP; “finger printing” each message in an manner identical to the unsolicited messages; checking to see if the “finger print” is in the unsolicited message database; forwarding any message with a “finger print” not in the unsolicited e-mail database to the “clean” POP server; and passing…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.