Autonomic Email Filtering via URL History Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Email users face the challenge of sifting through a large volume of unsolicited messages, or 'spam,' which can slow down their systems and distract them from important communications, as existing technologies lack effective autonomic identification and filtering mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that scans incoming email messages for Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), compares them to the recipient's history file, and assigns a relevance rating based on past access patterns, flagging messages as relevant if they meet a set standard, allowing only important messages to be forwarded to the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all incoming email messages are delivered to the user, then the user receives all communications including important messages, but the user is overwhelmed by spam and experiences system slowdown
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary filtering system that analyzes incoming emails before delivery. This intermediary component evaluates messages against user preferences and spam criteria, selectively blocking unwanted emails while allowing important communications to reach the user, thus resolving the contradiction between complete delivery and user efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables users to define their own filtering criteria and preferences, allowing the email system to automatically self-filter messages based on user-specified parameters. This self-service approach maintains delivery completeness for important messages while automatically eliminating spam, improving user efficiency without manual intervention
2Productivity
If spam filtering is implemented, then system load is reduced and user focus is improved, but important messages may be incorrectly filtered out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multiple adjustable parameters for message evaluation, including sender address matching, subject line keywords, body content analysis, and user-defined criteria. By dynamically changing and weighting these parameters, the system can adjust filtering sensitivity to reduce false positives while maintaining spam blocking effectiveness, thus preserving message delivery accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where user actions (marking messages as important or spam) are used to refine and adjust filtering parameters over time. This feedback loop continuously improves the accuracy of message classification, reducing incorrect filtering of important messages while maintaining high spam rejection rates
3Measurement precision
If manual filtering by the user is required, then important messages can be identified accurately, but the user must invest time and effort in filtering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary automated filtering actions that evaluate and pre-sort incoming messages before the user views them. By performing this classification work in advance using automated analysis of sender, subject, and content against user preferences, the system eliminates the need for users to manually filter messages, saving time while maintaining identification accuracy through the preliminary automated assessment
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method, system, and storage medium for providing autonomic identification of an important message addressed to a recipient email subscriber. The method includes scanning an email message received over a network operable for identifying a Uniform Resource Locator contained in the email message. If a Uniform Resource Locator is found, the Uniform Resource Locator is compared to the contents of a history file that stores a listing of Uniform Resource Locators previously accessed by the recipient email subscriber. The method also includes performing analytics for the Uniform Resource Locator based upon said contents of the history file, resulting in a rating assigned to the Uniform Resource Locator. If the rating meets a minimum standard set for qualifying the Uniform Resource Locator as relevant, the email message is flagged as relevant and forwarded to the recipient email subscriber.