Variable Message Size Delivery for Spam Probability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current SPAM filters often allow too many unwanted messages to be forwarded for verification on wireless devices, leading to excessive bandwidth usage and additional costs, as they struggle to balance filtering out SPAM without blocking legitimate messages.

Innovation Solution

A method that calculates the probability of a message being SPAM and adjusts the message size for forwarding based on this probability, allowing only a portion of the message to be sent for verification, with options to send additional data if needed and filter or whitelist messages based on user input.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If SPAM filters forward all suspected messages for verification, then legitimate messages are not blocked, but bandwidth usage and costs increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage delivery accuracyVSAvoidbandwidth usage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by sending only a portion of the suspected SPAM message (e.g., header and first few lines) for verification instead of the complete message. This allows the system to maintain high reliability in identifying SPAM while significantly reducing bandwidth consumption. The full message is only transmitted if the user determines it is legitimate after reviewing the partial content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Object-generated harmful factors

If SPAM filters are made more aggressive to block unwanted messages, then SPAM reduction improves, but legitimate messages may be blocked

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveSPAM message volumeVSAvoidlegitimate message delivery
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary verification process where a partial message is sent to the user's device for manual verification. This intermediary step acts as a mediator between aggressive automated filtering and complete message delivery, allowing the system to confidently block obvious SPAM while giving users the opportunity to rescue legitimate messages that were incorrectly flagged.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by sending the partial message to the user and waiting for their verification response. Based on user feedback (confirming legitimate or marking as SPAM), the system then decides whether to deliver the full message or block it entirely. This feedback loop significantly improves the reliability of message filtering while maintaining low bandwidth usage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If complete suspected SPAM messages are sent for verification, then user verification accuracy improves, but bandwidth costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveSPAM verification accuracyVSAvoidbandwidth cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the message transmission process into two distinct phases: first, a partial message (header and preview content) is sent for initial verification; second, if needed, the remaining portion of the message is sent based on user request. This segmentation allows the system to achieve sufficient verification accuracy for most cases while minimizing bandwidth consumption by avoiding transmission of complete messages for obviously suspicious content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2040425B1System and method for delivering variable size messages based on SPAM probability
Publication Date: 2017.12.06 BLACKBERRY LTD
  • EP2040425B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2040425B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2040425B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

There is disclosed a system and method for delivering a message to a communication device. In an embodiment, the method comprises obtaining a probability that the message is spam (502); in dependence upon the probability that the message is spam, determining a variable message size (504); and sending the message to the communication device in dependence upon the determined variable message size (506). In an embodiment, the method further comprises receiving a user response whether the message is spam (508); and if the message is verified as being spam (510), then filtering the message from the communication device.