System and method for providing improved access to SPAM-control feature in mail-enabled application

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for providing users of web-accessible E-mail services with improved access to their E-mail messages and other information. In a first embodiment, a SPAM-control feature of a web-accessible electronic mail service is provided to a user of a mail-enabled application running on the user's client machine by software which integrates with the mail-enabled application. The software scans E-mail messages for a bulk-indicating indicia inserted by SPAM detection software running on a remote machine, and an E-mail message identified as including such bulk-indicating indicia is routed to a bulk folder.

1 . A method of providing a SPAM-control feature of a web-accessible electronic mail service to a user of a mail-enabled application, comprising: 
 providing software which integrates with the mail-enabled application running on the user's client machine, said software operating to: 
 scan a plurality of E-mail messages for a bulk-indicating indicia inserted by SPAM detection software running on a remote machine;  
 identify at least one of said plurality of E-mail messages as including said bulk-indicating indicia; and,  
 route said at least one of said plurality of E-mail messages to a bulk folder.  
   
   
   
       2 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said bulk-indicating indicia is a bulk-indicating header.  
   
   
       3 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said remote machine is a server.  
   
   
       4 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein said server is associated with a provider of said web-accessible E-mail service.  
   
   
       5 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein said server is an E-mail server.  
   
   
       6 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said remote machine is a gateway or a router.  
   
   
       7 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said software is a toolbar.  
   
   
       8 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said software is a plugin to said mail-enabled application.  
   
   
       9 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said software is integrated into said mail-enabled application at a source-code level.  
   
   
       10 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said software further operates to: 
 identify at least a second one of said plurality of E-mail messages as not including said bulk-indicating indicia; and,    route said at least a second one of said plurality of E-mail messages to an inbox of said mail-enabled application.    
   
   
       11 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said mail-enabled application operates to retrieve mail from a remote mail server via the Post Office Protocol.  
   
   
       12 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said software further operates to: 
 cause messages which have been identified as not including said bulk-indicating indicia to be scanned by second SPAM-detection software.    
   
   
       13 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein said second SPAM-detection software is software running on said client machine.  
   
   
       14 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein said second SPAM-detection software comprises a Bayesian algorithm.  
   
   
       15 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein said Bayesian algorithm is trained by receiving an indication from a user that a message is SPAM or not-SPAM.  
   
   
       16 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein said second SPAM-detection software further comprises a rule-based algorithm.  
   
   
       17 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said software further operates to: 
 compare a sender of a message identified as including said bulk-indicating indicia to an approved senders list and, if said sender is found on said approved senders list, refrain from routing of said message identified as including said bulk-indicating indicia to said bulk folder.    
   
   
       18 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein said software further operates to: 
 route said message identified as including said bulk-indicating indicia to said inbox if said sender is found on said approved senders list.    
   
   
       19 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the bulk folder is a user-specified bulk folder.  
   
   
       20 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said software comprises a toolbar that is configured using a data feed from a remote feed server.  
   
   
       21 . The method of providing a SPAM-control feature in accordance with  claim 21 , wherein said data feed is an XML data feed.  
   
   
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       36 . A computer-readable medium containing computer code for providing a SPAM-control feature of a web-accessible electronic mail service to a user of a mail-enabled application, the code integrating with the mail-enabled application running on the user's client machine, the code including instructions that scan a plurality of E-mail messages for a bulk-indicating indicia inserted by SPAM detection software running on a remote machine, instructions that identify at least one of said plurality of E-mail messages as including said bulk-indicating indicia, and instructions that route said at least one of said plurality of E-mail messages to a bulk folder.  
   
   
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