WO2011055080A2

WO2011055080A2 - Method for processing electronic messages

Info

Publication number: WO2011055080A2
Application number: PCT/FR2010/052364
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nelly Trovel; Bertrand Bouvet
Original assignee: France Telecom
Priority date: 2009-11-05
Filing date: 2010-11-04
Publication date: 2011-05-12
Also published as: WO2011055080A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for processing electronic messages comprising the steps of: receiving an electronic message; classifying the message as unwanted for a recipient of the message according to one classification criterion; and sending a notification informing of the classification of the message to a sender of the message.

Description

Method of processing electronic messages

The present invention relates to the field of computing.

In particular, it is aimed at processing e-mail messages such as e-mails.

The widespread use of e-mail has been accompanied by the development of mass mailing of advertising messages.

These messages often considered as undesirable, are commonly called "SPAM", spam, or spam.

Sometimes these messages have a more dishonest purpose such as scams such as phishing.

Thus, it has been proposed many applications to filter this kind of messages.

For example, these filters recognize senders known as spammers (or spammers, spoilers, sprinklers), or recognize bodies of messages known as SPAM messages, for the purpose of destroying these messages.

In order to avoid filtering errors, these messages are sometimes classified in a temporary folder prior to their destruction in order to allow the recipient of the message to check that there has been no error.

Nevertheless, the mass of SPAM messages received each day leads users to not check their SPAM folders, and messages wrongly classified as SPAM can be destroyed. The management of electronic messages, particularly unwanted messages is therefore problematic for the reasons indicated above.

The present invention improves the situation.

For this purpose, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for the processing of electronic messages comprising the steps of:

- receiving an e-mail message;

- classification of the message as undesirable for a message recipient according to a ranking criterion; and

- sending a notification informing the classification of the message to a sender of the message.

Thus, according to the present invention, a sender of an electronic message can be notified of an erroneous classification of his message as undesirable. It can therefore repeat its sending under different conditions to avoid filtering the message as undesirable, or it can contact the recipient of the message to inform him that his message was wrongly classified as undesirable.

For example, the email message is an email. The e-mail message in another example may be an instant message (for example as part of a "instant messaging" application), or an SMS message (for "Short Message System").

Junk mail can for example be a SPAM message, or other.

The classification of the message can be done according to various techniques known to the person skilled in the art, for example by an anti-SPAM filter.

The notification may for example consist of an automatically generated email. For example, the notification includes indications of the reasons that led to the classification of the message as undesirable.

In embodiments, sending the notification is conditioned by reading a data field provided for this purpose in the electronic message.

For example, the electronic message includes a header for holding data characterizing the message, and a message body for holding data of the message, and the data field is contained in the header.

Thus, it is possible to selectively implement the sending of the notification according to the presence or absence of the data field.

For example, the sender of the message requests that the notification be sent in the sending options of his email and the data field is inserted.

For example again, a messaging service provider proposes to systematically insert the data field to limit the sending of SPAM messages through its service.

Indeed, if a spammer receives a notification for each of his messages, his email account will be quickly saturated, which can have a deterrent effect.

The method according to the first aspect of the invention can be implemented with a messaging equipment such as a computer implementing a messaging software.

The method according to the first aspect of the invention can be implemented with a messaging equipment such as a mail server.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for the processing of electronic messages comprising the steps of: inserting in an electronic message a data field for sending it, said data field indicating that a notification informing of a subsequent classification of the message as undesirable by a recipient of the message to a sender of the message is solicited; and

- sending the e-mail message with the inserted data field.

The insertion of the field can be done at the initiative of the sender or at the initiative of a courier service provider.

The method can be implemented by a mail server and / or a mail client.

For example, the electronic message includes a header for holding data characterizing the message, and a message body for holding data of the message, and wherein the data field is inserted in the header.

According to other aspects of the invention, provision is made for:

computer programs comprising instructions for the implementation of a method according to the first or second aspect of the invention when the programs are executed by a processor, for example the processor of a messaging equipment such as as a mail server;

- computer-readable media on which such computer programs are recorded; and

messaging equipment such as mail servers for implementing a method according to the first or second aspect of the invention.

The benefits provided by computer programs, computer-readable media, and equipment, such as briefly described above, are at least identical to those mentioned above in connection with the processes according to the invention.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the description which follows. This is purely illustrative and should be read in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1a illustrates a general context for implementing an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 1b illustrates a general context for implementing another embodiment of the invention

FIG. 2 illustrates an electronic message and a notification according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of steps implemented in message processing according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of steps implemented in a data field insertion according to one embodiment of the invention.

- Figure 5 schematically illustrates the implementation of an embodiment of the invention by a messaging service provider; and

- Figure 6 schematically illustrates a messaging equipment according to one embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1a, there is described a general context of implementation of an embodiment of the invention.

A user 10 sends, via an email client, an email 1 1 to a recipient 12. The message 11 is sent by the mail client according to the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) to the messaging server 13 of its messaging service provider. The server 13 then routes the message 1 1 to the mail server 14 of the domain indicated in the e-mail address of the recipient of the message.

It is assumed here that the server 14, before the message is routed to the recipient's mail client 12 (for example according to the POP (Post Office Protocol)), performs an anti-SPAM analysis on the server. message 1 1.

This analysis is an anti-SPAM analysis as known in the prior art.

It is assumed that for some reason (for example an error, or the unsuitability of the criteria for analysis and ranking), this analysis erroneously leads to the classification of the message 1 1 as SPAM and to the isolation of the message in a unwanted message folder 15 for destruction.

At this point, the recipient 12 has never been aware of the message, and the user 10 does not know what has happened to his message.

According to the present embodiment of the invention, a notification 16 is generated by the server 14 when it decided to classify the message as SPAM.

For example, this notification takes the form of an email addressed to the user 10, indicating that the message did not reach the recipient because it has been classified as SPAM.

Thus, the user 10 can restart sending or take a measure so that his message actually reaches the recipient. The sending of the notification may have been triggered by the reading by the server 14 of a data field in the message 1 1 indicating that such a notification is requested. This field may have been inserted at the request of the user 10 by his mail client, or automatically by the server 13.

With reference to FIG. 2, a message is described such that it can be sent by the user 10, and a notification such that it can be received by this same user.

The message 20 includes a body 21 for containing the message that the sender wishes to deliver to the recipient, a header 22 containing a first field 23 containing characteristics of the messages such as the e-mail addresses of the sender and recipient or the object of the message, and a second field 24 indicating that a notification informing of a subsequent classification of the message as undesirable by a recipient of the message to a sender of the message is requested.

The notification 25 comprises a body 26 containing a message indicating that the message 20 has been classified as SPAM by the server 14, and a header 27 containing characteristics of the message.

For example, the body of the message includes indications to inform the sender of the message classified as undesirable, the reasons for this classification.

Such reasons may for example be the domain name specified in his email address, or the presence of words in the message that triggered the classification of the message as undesirable.

Other types of reasons may be provided.

For example again, the body of the message includes suggestions for the sender of the message classified as undesirable, to return his message in conditions that will avoid the classification of the message as undesirable.

The type of suggestion depends on the anti-SPAM filter and the filtering rules used.

With reference to FIG. 1b, a context for implementing another embodiment is described.

In Figure 1b, there are the elements described with reference to Figure 1a.

In this embodiment, the classification of the message 11 is carried out by the recipient's e-mail client.

Thus, after receiving the message 1 1 by the server 14, the recipient's email client 12 retrieves the message 1 1 according to the POP protocol. It then performs an anti-spam analysis of the message.

As previously described, it is assumed that for some reason this analysis erroneously leads to the classification of the message as SPAM and to the isolation of the message in a file for destruction.

This time, a notification 16 is generated by the recipient's email client when it has decided to classify the message as SPAM.

The notification is then sent to the user 10 via the servers 14 and 13.

Referring to Figure 3, recapitulates steps implemented in a method of processing electronic messages according to one embodiment of the invention.

In a first step S30, we receive an electronic message such as an email or other. Then, during the step T31, an anti-SPAM analysis is carried out on the message to determine its classification or not as an undesirable message.

If the message is classified as undesirable, it sends in step S32 a notification to the sender of the message to inform him of the fate that has been reserved for his message.

If the message has not been classified as undesirable, it is transmitted to the recipient in step S33.

Referring to Figure 4, it summarizes steps implemented in one embodiment of the invention for inserting a data field to indicate that a notification is requested for the case where a message is classified as SPAM.

In the first step S40, an electronic message such as an email is created by an email client.

During step T41 it is decided or not to insert a data field according to the invention. For example, the sender of the email, check or not an option to send his message.

If the sender decides to receive a notification in case of classification of his message as SPAM, a data field according to the invention is inserted in the message header in step S42. Then, the message is sent in step S43.

Otherwise, go directly to step S43.

In a variant, during step S40 the message is received by a mail server, and the field is inserted by the same server either according to a will of the sender, or according to an e-mail management policy of the service provider. mail service. With reference to FIG. 5, a use of the invention by a messaging service provider is illustrated to limit the broadcasting of SPAM messages.

It is assumed that a spammer 50 sends a SPAM message 51 to a large number of users 52, 53, 54, 55 etc.

The message passes through a messaging server 56 associated with the spammer, which transmits the message to the messaging servers 57, 58 associated with the recipients.

It is assumed that the servers 57 and 58 perform an anti-SPAM analysis and that they issue a notification 59 according to the invention.

The spammer will receive as many notifications as SPAM sent which will quickly saturate his mail service.

Receiving a large number of notifications can be a deterrent to spammers.

A computer program comprising instructions for the implementation of a method according to the invention can be produced according to a general algorithm deduced from the general flowcharts of FIGS. 3 and 4, and from the present detailed description.

With reference to FIG. 6, messaging equipment according to one embodiment of the invention is described. For example, the equipment is a mail server.

This equipment comprises a processing unit 60 for implementing a method according to the present invention. For this purpose it has a memory unit 61. This memory unit can have different types of memory. For example, the unit 61 includes a memory for storing calculation data. The unit 61 may also include a memory for storing a computer program according to the present invention for its execution by a processor of the processing unit. The equipment also includes a communication unit 62 for communicate via a communication network. For example, this communication unit is configured to receive and send messages and notifications according to the present invention.

The present invention has been described and illustrated in the present detailed description and in the figures. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented. Other variants and embodiments may be deduced and implemented by the person skilled in the art upon reading the present description and the appended figures.

In the claims, the term "include" does not exclude other elements or other steps. The indefinite article "one" does not exclude the plural. A single processor or several other units may be used to implement the invention. The various features presented and / or claimed can be advantageously combined. Their presence in the description or in different dependent claims does not exclude this possibility. The reference signs can not be understood as limiting the scope of the invention.

Claims

A method for processing electronic messages comprising the steps of:

reception (S30) of an electronic message;

- classification (T31) of the message as undesirable for a message recipient according to a ranking criterion; and

sending (S32) a notification informing the classification of the message to a sender of the message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending of the notification is conditioned by reading a data field (24) provided for this purpose in the electronic message.

The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic message includes a header (22) for holding data characterizing the message, and a message body (21) for holding data of the message, and wherein the message field data is contained in the header.

A computer program comprising instructions for implementing a method according to claim 1 when executed by a processor.

5. Method for the processing of electronic messages comprising the steps:

insertion (S42) in an electronic message of a data field with a view to its sending, said data field indicating that a notification informing of a subsequent classification of the message as undesirable by a recipient of the message, to a the sender of the message is solicited; and

sending (S43) the electronic message with the inserted data field.

The method of claim 5, wherein the electronic message includes a header (22) for holding data characterizing the message, and a message body (21) for holding data of the message, and wherein the message field data is inserted into the header.

A computer program comprising instructions for implementing a method according to claim 5, when executed by a processor.

8. Electronic messaging equipment comprising:

a processing unit (60) for classifying an electronic message as undesirable for a message recipient according to a ranking criterion; and

- a communication unit (62) for receiving said electronic message, and for sending a notification informing the classification of the message to a sender of the message.

9. Equipment according to claim 8, wherein the sending of the notification is conditioned by reading a data field (24) provided for this purpose in the electronic message.

10. Electronic messaging equipment comprising:

a processing unit (60) for inserting into an electronic message a data field for sending it, said data field indicating that a notification informing of a subsequent classification of the message as undesirable by a recipient of the message, to a sender of the message is requested; and

a communication unit (62) for sending the electronic message with the inserted data field.