IP Library › Patent Application 13120079
Patent Application
App. No. 13/120,079

MESSAGE PROCESSING

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
13/120,079
Abstract

A message (such as email) processing system and method functions to process incoming messages. The message processing system has: a message receiver ( 16 ) that receives a message ( 14 ); an identifying component ( 18 ) that determines a sending or receiving user identity from the message; a content categoriser ( 20 ) component that determines a content category of the message; and a message delivery action component ( 26 ) that takes a delivery action based on the user identity and content category Delivery actions may include forwarding the message, permanently withholding the message, temporarily holding the message until a predetermined delivery time or time window and diverting the message to a predetermined forwarding address. The message delivery action component ( 26 ) may use a database ( 30 ) of policies that associate the user identity with a delivery rule applicable to a predetermined content category, to take the delivery action. In determining the content category of the message, the content categoriser component ( 26 ) may use a domain in the sending address or message body, with a domain database ( 22 ) comprising records of domains with associated predetermined content categories, or may examine a web page associated with the domain.

Claims (55)

1 . A message processing system comprising:

a message receiver component that receives a message;

an identifying component that determines a user identity from the message;

a content categoriser component that determines a content category of the message; and

a message delivery action component that takes a delivery action based on the determined user identity and the determined content category.

2 . The message processing system of claim 1 , wherein the message comprises an incoming message and the user identity comprises a recipient user identity.

3 . The message processing system of claim 1 , wherein the message comprises an outgoing message and the user identity comprises a sender user identity.

4 . The message processing system of claim 1 , wherein the message comprises an email message.

5 . The message processing system of claim 1 , wherein the delivery action comprises forwarding the message.

6 . The message processing system of claim 1 , wherein the delivery action comprises permanently withholding the message.

7 . The message processing system of claim 1 , wherein the delivery action comprises temporarily holding the message.

8 . The message processing system of claim 1 , wherein the delivery action comprises temporarily holding the message until a predetermined delivery time.

9 . The message processing system of claim 1 , wherein the delivery action comprises temporarily holding the message until a predetermined delivery time window.

10 . The message processing system of claim 1 , wherein the delivery action comprises diverting the message to a predetermined forwarding address.

11 . The message processing system of claim 1 , wherein the message delivery action component uses a policy that associates the user identity with a delivery rule applicable to a predetermined content category to take the delivery action.

12 . The message processing system of claim 11 , wherein the delivery action comprises temporarily holding the message until a predetermined delivery time and the delivery rule comprises the predetermined delivery time.

13 . The message processing system of claim 11 , wherein the delivery action comprises temporarily holding the message until a predetermined delivery time window and the delivery rule comprises the predetermined delivery time window.

14 . The message processing system of claim 11 , wherein the delivery action comprises diverting the message to a predetermined forwarding address and the delivery rule comprises the predetermined message forwarding address.

15 . The message processing system of claim 1 further comprising a policy database comprising a plurality of policies.

16 . The message processing system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of policies are organised by groups of users.

17 . The message processing system of claim 1 , wherein the content categoriser component uses a domain to determine the content category of the message.

18 . The message processing system of claim 17 , wherein the domain comprises a domain of the sending address of the message.

19 . The message processing system of claim 17 , wherein the domain comprises a domain embedded in a body of the message.

20 . The message processing system of claim 17 , wherein the content categoriser component examines a web page associated with the domain to determine the content category of the message.

21 . The message processing system of claim 1 , wherein the content categoriser component uses a domain database comprising records of domains with associated predetermined content categories to determine the content category of the message.

22 . The message processing system of claim 17 , wherein the content categoriser component examines the content of the message if the domain is not found in the domain database.

23 . The message processing system of claim 1 , wherein the content categoriser component examines content of the message to determine the content category of the message.

24 . The message processing system of claim 1 , further comprising an action recording component that records delivery actions that have been taken in a logging database.

25 . A method of processing a message, the method comprising the steps:

receiving the message;

determining a user identity from the message;

determining a content category of the message; and

taking a delivery action based on the determined user identity and the determined content category.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the message comprises an incoming message and the user identity comprises an recipient user identity.

27 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the message comprises an outgoing message and the user identity comprises a sender user identity.

28 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the message comprises an email message.

29 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the delivery action comprises forwarding the message.

30 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the delivery action comprises permanently withholding the message.

31 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the delivery action comprises temporarily holding the message.

32 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the delivery action comprises temporarily holding the message until a predetermined delivery time.

33 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the delivery action comprises temporarily holding the message until a predetermined delivery time window.

34 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the delivery action comprises diverting the message to a predetermined forwarding address.

35 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the message delivery action component uses a policy that associates the user identity with a delivery rule applicable to a predetermined content category, to take the delivery action.

36 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the delivery action comprises temporarily holding the message until a predetermined delivery time and the delivery rule comprises the predetermined delivery time.

37 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the delivery action comprises temporarily holding the message until a predetermined delivery time window and the delivery rule comprises the predetermined delivery time window.

38 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the delivery action comprises diverting the message to a predetermined forwarding address and the delivery rule comprises the predetermined message forwarding address.

39 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the step of determining a content category comprises the step of using a domain to determine the content category of the message.

40 . The method of claim 39 , wherein the domain comprises a domain of the sending address of the message.

41 . The method of claim 39 , wherein the domain comprises a domain embedded in a body of the message.

42 . The method of claim 39 , wherein the step of determining a content category comprises the step of examining a web page associated with the domain.

43 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the step of determining a content category comprises the step of using a domain database comprising records of domains with associated predetermined content categories.

44 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the step of determining a content category comprises the step of examining the content of the message if the domain is not found in the domain database.

45 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the step of determining a content category comprises the step of examining the content of the message.

46 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising the step of recording delivery actions that have been taken in a logging database.

47 . A computer readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, which when executed by a computer performs the method of claim 25 .

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 29, 2016
From: BLOXX, LTD.
To: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 038125/0143 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 1, 2011
From: MURPHY, JOHN PAUL
To: BLOXX LIMITED
Reel/Frame 026376/0011 →