Rescanning Email Inboxes with Updated Spam Rules

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing anti-spam technologies fail to detect spam messages that were not identified at the time of receipt but are later detected with updated rules, leading to missed spam in user inboxes, which increases network traffic and user submission burdens.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that rescans email messages already delivered to user inboxes using updated spam detection rules, implemented through a client plug-in that downloads and applies the latest spam detection rules, allowing for periodic re-scanning of unread messages, especially when the user is not active, to mark or quarantine previously undetected spam.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If emails are scanned with latest anti-spam rules at mail server level, then spam detection capability is improved, but missed spam that was not detected initially cannot be corrected later

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespam detection accuracyVSAvoidspam detection completeness

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary scanning of emails at the mail server level before delivery to user inboxes. Emails that pass initial scanning are delivered, but the system retains capability to resc them later with updated rules, ensuring that preliminary action doesn't compromise future detection reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where spam detection results and updated anti-spam rules are fed back into the scanning process. When new rules are released, the system automatically rescans previously delivered emails, allowing continuous improvement of detection accuracy and completeness based on emerging spam patterns.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If anti-spam rules are updated frequently to detect new spam, then detection capability is improved, but emails scanned with older rules remain undetected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanti-spam rule update responsivenessVSAvoidhistorical email detection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs periodic rescanning of emails in user inboxes at scheduled intervals (e.g., daily, weekly, or monthly). This periodic action ensures that emails scanned with older rules are revisited with updated rules, maintaining historical detection accuracy while allowing frequent rule updates for adaptability to new spam threats.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary scanning of emails at the mail server level before delivery to user inboxes. Emails that pass initial scanning are delivered, but the system retains capability to resc them later with updated rules, ensuring that preliminary action doesn't compromise future detection reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If all emails are rescanned continuously with updated rules, then spam detection accuracy is improved, but system resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespam detection accuracyVSAvoidcomputational resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs periodic rescanning of emails in user inboxes at scheduled intervals (e.g., daily, weekly, or monthly). This periodic action ensures that emails scanned with older rules are revisited with updated rules, maintaining historical detection accuracy while allowing frequent rule updates for adaptability to new spam threats.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs partial rescanning by focusing only on emails that were scanned with older rules and may contain spam patterns matching new rules. This selective approach applies sufficient scanning action to detect spam while avoiding excessive scanning of all emails, thereby reducing computational resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS7865561B2Increasing spam scanning accuracy by rescanning with updated detection rules

Publication Date: 2011.01.04 MCAFEE LLC

AI summary

A method, system, and computer program product for processing email messages rescans emails messages that have already been scanned for spam and delivered to user inboxes with updated spam detection rules. This increases the accuracy of spam scanning and reduces the need for users to submit missed spam in emails that was not detected at the time the emails were received, but would subsequently be detected with newer anti-spam rules. A method of processing email messages comprises receiving email messages in a local inbox or in an inbox on an email server, or both, the received email messages having been scanned using spam detection rules to determine whether or not they include spam, obtaining updated spam detection rules, and rescanning at least some of the received email messages using the updated spam detection rules to determine whether or not they include spam.