The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 07, 2004
Filed:
Jul. 01, 1998
Brent Townshend, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A method and apparatus for identifying bulk electronic mail is provided. The contents of a plurality of electronic mail messages are tracked and used to determine whether a particular electronic mail message is bulk electronic mail or not bulk electronic mail. The manner in which an electronic mail message is processed depends on the type of the electronic mail message. In particular, a message signature is generated from the contents of the electronic mail message and transmitted to a central server. The central server generates a count of how many other previously received signatures match the just generated message signature. The count is transmitted to the electronic mail server that transmitted the particular message signature. If the count meets a predetermined threshold, the electronic mail server marks the electronic mail message as bulk electronic mail. Alternatively, the central server transmits the message signature of an identified bulk electronic mail message to an electronic mail server. The electronic mail server then compares this message signature with the message signature of another electronic mail message received by the electronic mail server in order to determine whether the received electronic mail message is bulk electronic mail.