US5999932A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System and method for filtering unsolicited electronic mail messages using data matching and heuristic processing
Assignee: Gen Digital Inc
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Filing: 1998-01-13
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Granted: 1999-12-07
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Expires: 2018-01-13
Abstract
Abstract A system for eliminating unsolicited electronic mail generates and stores a user inclusion list including identification data for identifying e-mail desired by the user. Data from one or more fields of incoming electronic mail messages are compared with the identification data stored in the user inclusion list. If the electronic mail message data matches corresponding identification data from the user inclusion list, the e-mail message is marked with a first display code, such as "OK." If no match is detected, the system performs at least one heuristic process to determine whether the electronic mail message may be of interest to the user. If the message satisfies one or more criteria as determined by the heuristic process and is therefore of potential interest to the user, the message is marked with a second display code, such as "NEW." If the e-mail message does not satisfy any of the heuristic criteria, the e-mail message may be marked with a third display code, such as "JUNK." The processed e-mail messages are displayed to the user in a display mode corresponding to the display codes respectively assigned to the messages.
Inventors
- 👤 Sunil Paul
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 17:56
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/10; G06Q10/107; H; H04; H04L; H04L51/00; H04L51/21; H04L51/212; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99936
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
206 words
A method for filtering electronic mail addressed to a user, comprising the steps of: storing a user inclusion list including identification data for identifying e-mail desired by the user; receiving an electronic mail message; comparing data from said received electronic mail message with said identification data; upon identifying a match between said electronic mail message data and said identification data, marking said electronic mail with a first display code; displaying in a first display format said electronic mail message marked with the first display code to the user; upon failing to detect a match between said electronic mail message data and said identification data, performing at least one heuristic process to determine whether said electronic mail message may be of interest to the user; upon identifying an electronic mail message of interest to the user, marking said electronic mail with a second display code; displaying said electronic mail message marked with said second display code to the user in a second display format; upon failing to identify an electronic mail message of interest to the user, marking the electronic mail message with a third display code; and displaying said electronic mail message marked with said third display code to the user in a third display format.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
206 words
A method for filtering electronic mail addressed to a user, comprising the steps of: storing a user inclusion list including identification data for identifying e-mail desired by the user; receiving an electronic mail message; comparing data from said received electronic mail message with said identification data; upon identifying a match between said electronic mail message data and said identification data, marking said electronic mail with a first display code; displaying in a first display format said electronic mail message marked with the first display code to the user; upon failing to detect a match between said electronic mail message data and said identification data, performing at least one heuristic process to determine whether said electronic mail message may be of interest to the user; upon identifying an electronic mail message of interest to the user, marking said electronic mail with a second display code; displaying said electronic mail message marked with said second display code to the user in a second display format; upon failing to identify an electronic mail message of interest to the user, marking the electronic mail message with a third display code; and displaying said electronic mail message marked with said third display code to the user in a third display format.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said inclusion list is created and updated based upon e-mail message data stored in the user's e-mail inbox.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said inclusion list is created and updated based upon e-mail message data stored in the user's e-mail outbox.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said inclusion list is created and updated based upon e-mail message data stored in the user's e-mail address book.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said inclusion list is created and updated in response to e-mail message data stored in the user's personal manager program.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said identification data includes a plurality of categories of data corresponding to selected fields of e-mail messages received by the user.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 6, wherein said electronic mail data is data stored in selected fields of said received electronic mail message.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said first display code indicates that said electronic mail message has a first status, said second display code indicates that said electronic mail message has a second status, and said third display code indicates said electronic mail message has a third status.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of varying said inclusion list in response to data from received electronic mail messages marked with said first or second display code.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
134 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one heuristic process includes at least one of the following tests: (a) a test to determine whether a first field of said received electronic mail message matches a corresponding entry in said user inclusion list; (b) a test to determine whether said first field of said received electronic mail message has a domain that matches an Internet domain of one or more entries in the corresponding category of said user inclusion list; (c) a test to determine whether the first field of said received electronic mail message has a domain that matches one of a pre-defined list of domains; or (d) a test to determine whether a second field of said received electronic mail message matches a second entry in said user inclusion list.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of filtering said electronic mail message using an exclusion list.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method according to claim 11, wherein, when the data from said electronic mail message matches data stored in said exclusion list, said electronic mail message is marked with said third display code and displayed to the user in said third display mode.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said inclusion list is created and updated based upon e-mail message data stored in the user's real-time awareness and notification system.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
243 words
A system for eliminating unsolicited electronic mail, comprising: an inclusion list processor for storing identification data for identifying e-mail desired by the user; an e-mail storage unit for storing incoming electronic mail messages; an e-mail filter for filtering said stored incoming electronic mail messages in accordance with said identification data stored in said inclusion list processor and for marking each of said electronic mail messages with one of a plurality of display codes to indicate a status of each of said messages; and a user interface for displaying said filtered electronic mail messages to a user in accordance with said display codes; wherein said filtering performed by said e-mail filter includes the steps of (a) comparing data from said incoming electronic mail messages with said identification data; (b) upon identifying a match between said electronic mail message data and said identification data, marking said electronic mail with a first display code; (c) transmitting said electronic mail message marked with the first display code to said user interface; (d) upon failing to detect a match between said electronic mail message data and said identification data, performing at least one heuristic process to determine whether said electronic mail message may be of interest to the user; (e) upon identifying an electronic mail message of interest to the user, marking said electronic mail message with a second display code; and (f) transmitting said electronic mail message marked with said second display code to said user interface.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
243 words
A system for eliminating unsolicited electronic mail, comprising: an inclusion list processor for storing identification data for identifying e-mail desired by the user; an e-mail storage unit for storing incoming electronic mail messages; an e-mail filter for filtering said stored incoming electronic mail messages in accordance with said identification data stored in said inclusion list processor and for marking each of said electronic mail messages with one of a plurality of display codes to indicate a status of each of said messages; and a user interface for displaying said filtered electronic mail messages to a user in accordance with said display codes; wherein said filtering performed by said e-mail filter includes the steps of (a) comparing data from said incoming electronic mail messages with said identification data; (b) upon identifying a match between said electronic mail message data and said identification data, marking said electronic mail with a first display code; (c) transmitting said electronic mail message marked with the first display code to said user interface; (d) upon failing to detect a match between said electronic mail message data and said identification data, performing at least one heuristic process to determine whether said electronic mail message may be of interest to the user; (e) upon identifying an electronic mail message of interest to the user, marking said electronic mail message with a second display code; and (f) transmitting said electronic mail message marked with said second display code to said user interface.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system according to claim 14, wherein said user interface further enables the user to modify said identification data stored in said inclusion list processor.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
52 words
A system according to claim 14, wherein said filtering further comprises the steps of: upon failing to identify an electronic mail of interest to the user, marking the electronic mail message with a third display code; and transmitting said electronic mail message marked with said third display code to said user interface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system according to claim 14, wherein said system is implemented within a user terminal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system according to claim 14, wherein said system is implemented within a central network server.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system according to claim 14, wherein said inclusion list is created and updated based upon e-mail message data stored in the user's e-mail inbox.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system according to claim 14, wherein said inclusion list is created and updated based upon e-mail message data stored in the user's e-mail outbox.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
A system according to claim 14, wherein said inclusion list is created and updated based upon e-mail message data stored in the user's e-mail address book.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
27 words
A system according to claim 14, wherein said inclusion list is created and updated in response to e-mail message data stored in the user's personal manager program.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system according to claim 14, wherein said identification data includes a plurality of categories of data corresponding selected fields of incoming e-mail messages.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system according to claim 23, wherein said electronic mail data is data stored in said selected fields of said received electronic mail message.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
50 words
A system according to claim 16, wherein said first display code indicates that said electronic mail message has a first status, said second display code indicates that said electronic mail message has a second status, and said third display code indicates that said electronic mail message has a third status.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system according to claim 14, wherein said inclusion list processor varies said inclusion list in response to data from received electronic mail messages marked with said first or second display code.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
110 words
A system according to claim 14, wherein said at least one heuristic process includes one or more of the following tests: (a) a test to determine whether a first field of said received electronic mail message matches a corresponding entry in said user inclusion list; (b) a test to determine whether said first field of said received electronic mail message has a domain that matches an Internet domain of one or more entries in the corresponding category of said user inclusion list; or (c) a test to determine whether said first field of said received electronic mail message has a domain that matches one of a pre-defined list of domains.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
57 words
A system according to claim 14, further comprising the step of filtering said electronic mail message using an exclusion list, wherein, when the data from said electronic mail message matches data stored in said exclusion list, said electronic mail message is marked with said third display code and displayed to the user in said third display mode.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system according to claim 14, wherein said inclusion list is created and updated based upon e-mail message data stored in the user's real-time awareness and notification system.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
199 words
A method for filtering electronic mail addressed to a user, comprising the steps of: storing a user inclusion list including identification data for identifying e-mail desired by the user; receiving an electronic mail message; comparing data from said received electronic mail message with said identification data; upon identifying a match between said electronic mail message data and said identification data, marking said electronic mail with a first display code; displaying in a first display format said electronic mail message marked with the first display code to the user; upon failing to detect a match between said electronic mail message data and said identification data, performing at least one heuristic process to determine whether said electronic mail message may be of interest to the user; upon identifying an electronic mail message of interest to the user, marking said electronic mail with a second display code; displaying said electronic mail message marked with said second display code to the user in a second display format; and upon failing to identify an electronic mail message of interest to the user, marking the electronic mail message with a third display code such that said electronic mail message is not displayed to the user.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
199 words
A method for filtering electronic mail addressed to a user, comprising the steps of: storing a user inclusion list including identification data for identifying e-mail desired by the user; receiving an electronic mail message; comparing data from said received electronic mail message with said identification data; upon identifying a match between said electronic mail message data and said identification data, marking said electronic mail with a first display code; displaying in a first display format said electronic mail message marked with the first display code to the user; upon failing to detect a match between said electronic mail message data and said identification data, performing at least one heuristic process to determine whether said electronic mail message may be of interest to the user; upon identifying an electronic mail message of interest to the user, marking said electronic mail with a second display code; displaying said electronic mail message marked with said second display code to the user in a second display format; and upon failing to identify an electronic mail message of interest to the user, marking the electronic mail message with a third display code such that said electronic mail message is not displayed to the user.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
134 words
A method according to claim 30, wherein said at least one heuristic process includes at least one of the following tests: (a) a test to determine whether a first field of said received electronic mail message matches a corresponding entry in said user inclusion list; (b) a test to determine whether said first field of said received electronic mail message has a domain that matches an Internet domain of one or more entries in the corresponding category of said user inclusion list; (c) a test to determine whether the first field of said received electronic mail message has a domain that matches one of a pre-defined list of domains; or (d) a test to determine whether a second field of said received electronic mail message matches a second entry in said user inclusion list.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-12-06 | 2003-06-07 | 2003-12-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-12-06 | 2007-06-07 | 2007-12-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-12-06 | 2011-06-07 | 2011-12-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |