Apparatus and methods for controlling the transmission of messages
DCFirst Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for controlling transmission of messages from an originator computer system through an originating mail server to a receiving mail server, a connection between the originator computer system and the originating mail server forming a sending side, the method comprising the steps of:
- dynamically creating a valid account name and network address pair;
detecting, on the sending side, an outbound message from the originator computer system;
verifying, on the sending side, an authenticity of an originator identity associated with the outbound message by comparing a mapping of network addresses with account names such that the originator identity associated with the outbound message is associated with the valid account name and network address pair;
performing a quota enforcement operation based on a message count and a message limit associated with the originator identity to produce a message transmission result; and
performing a selective transmit operation including at least one of;
i) transmitting the outbound message from the originating mail server to a receiving mail server on a computer network if the message transmission result contains a transmit value; and
ii) preventing transmission of the outbound message from the originating mail server to a receiving mail server on a computer network if the message transmission result contains a no-transmit value.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides systems, mechanisms and techniques for controlling transmission of outbound messages, such as e-mail or other types of messages, onto a computer network from an originator computer system. Connection equipment can authenticate and authorize the connection for the computer user and can capture and map originator network address information assigned to the originator computer system. A quota server can then determine if the message count exceeds the message limit for the originator identity associated with the outbound message Embodiments of the invention control message transmission from a sending or origination point prior to the messages being transmitted on the computer network, resources of a computer network are conserved and these embodiments prevent computer users from transmitting large amounts of outbound messages in excess of the message limits.
93 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for controlling transmission of messages from an originator computer system through an originating mail server to a receiving mail server, a connection between the originator computer system and the originating mail server forming a sending side, the method comprising the steps of:
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dynamically creating a valid account name and network address pair; detecting, on the sending side, an outbound message from the originator computer system; verifying, on the sending side, an authenticity of an originator identity associated with the outbound message by comparing a mapping of network addresses with account names such that the originator identity associated with the outbound message is associated with the valid account name and network address pair; performing a quota enforcement operation based on a message count and a message limit associated with the originator identity to produce a message transmission result; and performing a selective transmit operation including at least one of; i) transmitting the outbound message from the originating mail server to a receiving mail server on a computer network if the message transmission result contains a transmit value; and ii) preventing transmission of the outbound message from the originating mail server to a receiving mail server on a computer network if the message transmission result contains a no-transmit value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computer-implemented method for controlling transmission of messages from an originator computer system through an originating mail server to a receiving mail server, a connection between the originator computer system and the originating mail server forming a sending side, the method comprising the steps of:
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dynamically creating a valid account name and network address pair; detecting, on the sending side, an outbound electronic mail message to be transmitted onto the computer network from the originator computer system and verifying, on the sending side, an authenticity of an originator identity associated with the outbound message by comparing a mapping of network addresses with account names such that the originator identity associated with the outbound message is associated with the valid account name and network address pair; in response to the step of detecting, comparing; i) at least one message count associated with the originator identity associated with the outbound message;
toii) ii) at least one message limit assigned to the originator identity associated with the outbound message that corresponds respectively to the at least one message count; iii) in order to determine a message transmission result that indicates if the originator computer system operating to transmit the outbound electronic mail message using the originator identity is attempting to transmit the outbound electronic mail message to a number of recipients that exceeds the message limit, and if the message transmission result is a no-transmit value, preventing transmission of outbound electronic mail messages from the originating mail server to a receiving mail server on the computer network for the originator identity, and if the message transmission result is a transmit value, allowing transmission of the outbound electronic mail message from the originating mail server to a receiving mail server on the computer network on behalf of the originator identity. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A computer system comprising:
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a processor; a memory system; a network interface; an interconnection mechanism coupling the processor, the memory system and the network interface; wherein the memory system is encoded with a quota database and a quota server; and wherein when the quota server performs on the processor in the computer system, the processor performing the quota system causes the computer system to control transmission of messages from an originator computer system through an originating mail server to a receiving mail server, a connection between the originator computer system and the originating mail server forming a sending side on a computer network by performing the operations of; dynamically creating a valid account name and network address pair; detecting, on the sending side, an outbound message at the network interface wherein an authenticity of an originator identity associated with the outbound message has been verified, on the sending side, by comparing a mapping of network addresses with account names such that the originator identity associated with the outbound message is associated with the valid account name and network address pair; performing a quota enforcement operation for the outbound message based on a message count and a message limit, associated with the originator identity, obtained from the quota database in the memory system to produce a message transmission result; and performing a selective transmit operation including at least one of; i) transmitting the outbound message from the computer system through an originating mail server to a receiving mail server if the message transmission result contains a transmit value; and ii) preventing transmission of the outbound message from the computer system from the originating mail server to a receiving mail server if the message transmission result contains a no-transmit value. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A computer system for controlling transmission of messages through an originating mail server to a receiving mail server, a connection between the originator computer system and the originating mail server forming a sending side on a computer network, the computer system comprising:
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a processor; a computer readable memory that stores computer program logic executed by the processor to perform operations of; dynamically creating a valid account name and network address pair and detecting, on the sending side, an outbound electronic mail message to be transmitted onto the computer network from an originator computer system wherein an authenticity of an originator associated with the outbound message has been verified, on the sending side, by comparing a mapping of network addresses with account names such that the originator associated with the outbound message is associated with the valid account name and network address pair; quota enforcement by a quota server, the quota server comparing; i) at least one message count associated with the originator identity associated with the outbound message;
toii) at least one message limit assigned to the originator identity associated with the outbound message that corresponds respectively to the at least one message count; to determine a message transmission result that indicates if the originator computer system operating under the originator identity is attempting to transmit an outbound electronic mail message to a number of recipients that exceeds the message limit, and if the message transmission result is a no-transmit value, the quota enforcement preventing transmission of outbound electronic mail messages from the originating mail server to a receiving mail server onto the computer network for the originator identity, and if the message transmission result is a transmit value, the quota enforcement allowing transmission of the outbound electronic mail message through an originating mail server to a receiving mail server on the computer network on behalf of the originator identity.
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26. A computer program product, embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium including computer program logic encoded thereon that when performed on a computer system, causes the computer system to control transmission of outbound messages on a computer network through an originating mail server to a receiving mail server, a connection between the originator computer system and the originating mail server forming a sending side, and wherein when the computer program logic is performed on a processor in the computer system, the computer program logic causes the processor to perform the operations of:
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dynamically creating a valid account name and network address pair; detecting an outbound message at the network interface; verifying, on the sending side, an authenticity of an originator associated with the outbound message by comparing a mapping of network addresses with account names such that the originator associated with the outbound message is associated with the valid account name and network address pair; performing a quota enforcement operation for the outbound message based on a message count and a message limit, associated with the originator identity, obtained from the quota database in the memory system to produce a message transmission result; and performing a selective transmit operation including at least one of; i) transmitting the outbound message from the computer system through an originating mail server to a receiving mail server if the message transmission result contains a transmit value; and ii) preventing transmission of the outbound message from the computer system through an originating mail server to a receiving mail server if the message transmission result contains a no-transmit value.
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27. A computer program product, embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium including computer program logic encoded thereon that when performed on a computer system, causes the computer system to control transmission of outbound messages on a computer network through an originating mail server to a receiving mail server, a connection between the originator computer system and the originating mail server forming a sending side, and wherein when the computer program logic is performed on a processor in the computer system, the computer program logic causes the processor to perform the operations of:
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dynamically creating a valid account name and network address pair; detecting, on the sending side, an outbound electronic mail message to be transmitted onto the computer network from an originator computer system and verifying, on the sending side, an authenticity of an originator associated with the outbound message by comparing a mapping of network addresses with account names such that the originator associated with the outbound message is associated with the valid account name and network address pair; in response to the step of detecting, comparing; i) at least one message count associated with originator identity associated with the outbound message; to ii) at least one message limit assigned to the originator identity associated with the outbound message that corresponds respectively to the at least one message count; to determine a message transmission result that indicates if the originator computer system operating under the originator identity is attempting to transmit an outbound electronic mail message to a number of recipients that exceeds the message limit, and if the message transmission result is a no-transmit value, preventing transmission of outbound electronic mail messages onto the computer network through an originating mail server to a receiving mail server for the originator identity, and if the message transmission result is a transmit value, allowing transmission of the outbound electronic mail message from the originating mail server to a receiving mail server on the computer network on behalf of the originator identity.
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28. A computer-implemented method for controlling transmission of messages from an originator computer system through an originating mail server to a receiving mail server, a connection between the originator computer system and the originating mail server forming a sending side, the method comprising the steps of:
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dynamically creating a valid account name and network address pair; detecting, on the sending side, an outbound message from an originator computer system; verifying, on the sending side, an authenticity of an originator identity associated with the outbound message; computing a difference between a message limit associated with the originator identity and a message count associated with the originator identity; and transmitting the outbound message from an originating mail server to a receiving mail server on a computer network to a number of recipients for the outbound message equal to or less than the computed difference between the message limit and the message count. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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Specification