System and method of spam proof e-mail bounce tracking
AssigneeMypoints.Com Inc.
InventorsJames John Bohannon, Andre Calvin Burgoyne
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system may account for the number of bounced e-mails by adding a number of records over the desired quantity to ensure that a minimum number of e-mails are not returned. To calculate an accurate number of extra records to identify, a system may need to track the percentage of messages returned and add a number of records equal to that percentage over the minimum number required by the particular campaign. However, unless the system accurately identifies a bounced e-mail as one originating from the system, spam or other unsolicited e-mail sent to the system may result in inaccuracies.
Claims24
A method for tracking returned messages in a database system comprising:
- encrypting at least a portion of a record of the database system into a message identifier;
- generating a message including the encrypted message identifier within a return path of the message, wherein the message identifier associates the message with the record;
- sending the message from the database system to an e-mail address associated with the database record;
- receiving a return of the sent message including the encrypted message identifier within the return path of the returned message;
- determining if the encrypted message identifier within the return path of the returned message can be decrypted;
- and
- identifying the returned message as an unsolicited message if it is determined that the encrypted message identifier within the return path of the returned message cannot be decrypted.
A method for analyzing an e-mail that is returned to a database system in response to the database system sending the e-mail, the method comprising:
- encrypting a portion of a database record into a character string;
- inserting the character string into a message return path;
- sending a message including the character string to an e-mail address associated with the database record;
- incrementing a first number of sent messages during a first period of time;
- receiving a return of the sent message at the database system during the first period of time;
- incrementing a first number of returned messages during the first period of time;
- determining if the character string can be decrypted;
- discarding the returned message if it is determined that the character string cannot be decrypted;
- decrypting the character string if it is determined that the character string can be decrypted;
- incrementing a second number of sent messages during a second period of time, wherein the second number of sent messages includes a portion of the first number of sent messages;
- incrementing a second number of returned messages over the second period of time, wherein the second number of returned messages includes a portion of the first number of returned messages;
- determining a first ratio of the first number of returned messages versus the first number of sent messages;
- resetting to zero the first number of sent messages and the first number of returned e-mail messages;
- determining a second ratio of the second number of returned messages versus the second number of sent messages;
- resetting to zero the second number of sent messages and the second number of returned messages;
- and
- changing a status of the database record upon an occurrence of at least one of:
- determining the first ratio is below a threshold,
- determining the second ratio is below the threshold, and
- validating the e-mail address associated with the database record;
- wherein the status is at least one of mailable or unmailable.
A computing system for analyzing returned e-mails in a database system including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing computer-executable instructions stored therein for:
- encrypting at least a portion of a record of the database system into a message identifier;
- generating a message including the encrypted message identifier within a return path of the message, wherein the message identifier associates the message with the record;
- sending the message from the database system to an e-mail address associated with the database record;
- receiving a return of the sent message including the encrypted message identifier within the return path of the returned message;
- determining if the encrypted message identifier within the return path of the returned message can be decrypted;
- and identifying the returned message as an unsolicited message if it is determined that the encrypted message identifier within the return path of the returned message cannot be decrypted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.