Spam detector with challenges
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsJoshua Theodore Goodman, Robert L. Rounthwaite
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method facilitating detection of unsolicited e-mail message(s) with challenges is provided. The invention includes an e-mail component and a challenge component. The system can receive e-mail message(s) and associated probabilities that the e-mail message(s) are spam. Based, at least in part, upon the associated probability, the system can send a challenge to a sender of an e-mail message. The challenge can be an embedded code, computational challenge, human challenge and/or micropayment request. Based, at least in part, upon a response to the challenge (or lack of response), the challenge component can modify the associated probability and/or delete the e-mail message.
Claims36
A system facilitating detection of unsolicited e-mail, comprising:
- an e-mail component that receives or stores messages and receives or computes associated probabilities that the e-mail messages are spam;
- and,
- a challenge component that sends a challenge to an originator of an e-mail message having an associated probability greater than a first threshold.
A system facilitating detection of unsolicited messages, comprising:
- a mail classifier that receives an incoming message and classifies the incoming message as spam or a legitimate message;
- and,
- a challenge component that sends a challenge to a sender of the message if the message is classified as spam.
A system facilitating detection of unsolicited e-mail, comprising:
- a mail classifier that receives an incoming e-mail message and classifies the incoming e-mail message as spam, questionable spam or legitimate e-mail;
- and,
- a challenge component that sends a challenge to a sender of an e-mail message classified as questionable spam.
A method for detecting unsolicited e-mail, comprising:
- sending a challenge to a sender of an e-mail message classified as questionable spam;
- receiving a response to the challenge;
- and,
- modifying the classification of the e-mail message based, at least in part, upon the response to the challenge.
A method for responding to e-mail challenges, comprising:
- receiving challenges to e-mail messages;
- ordering the challenges based, at least in part, upon a message with fewer challenges processed before a message with more challenges;
- processing the challenge of the message with fewer challenges;
- and,
- sending a response to the challenge of the message with fewer challenges.
A data packet transmitted between two or more computer components that facilitates unsolicited e-mail detection, the data packet comprising:
- a data field comprising information associated with a challenge, the challenge being based, at least in part, upon an associated probability that an e-mail message is spam.
A computer readable medium storing computer executable components of a system facilitating detection of unsolicited e-mail, comprising:
- a mail classifier component that receives e-mail messages and determines an associated probability that the e-mail message is spam;
- and,
- a challenge component that sends a challenge to a sender of an e-mail message having an associated probability greater than a first threshold.
A system facilitating detection of unsolicited e-mail, comprising:
- means for determining an associated probability that an e-mail message is spam;
- and,
- means for sending a challenge to a sender of an e-mail message having an associated probability greater than a first threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.