User interface for email inbox to call attention differently to different classes of email

Abstract

A user interface for email users which calls attention to one or more categories of emails in different ways. In some species, at least three categories are used: branded senders with Trumarks; white list buddies; and fraudulent emails which are either not from the domain they purport to be from or in which the content was tampered. The preferred embodiment authenticates emails from branded senders and displays them with the sender's Truemark. Branded sender emails have their Truemarks displayed in the sender column of a list view in the preferred embodiment. In a preferred embodiment, white list senders have either an icon or other graphic or photo they choose displayed to the left or right of the sender column with their name in the sender column. In a preferred embodiment, fraudulent emails have a fraud icon displayed to the left or right of the sender column with a warning in the sender column. Antiphishing processing is also disclosed.

1 . A method comprising: 
 verifying an association between a sender and at least one of trademarks, service marks, copyrighted data, sounds, smells, jingles, licensed data and other graphical marks;    receiving in a device capable of displaying emails operated by a receiver at least information about an email from said sender, wherein said receiver's domain name may or may not be the same as sender's domain name,    checking said received email for authentication and/or integrity,    using a mail user agent to control said device capable of displaying emails to display at least some information about said received email and use a particular graphical mark somewhere in the display of information associated with said authenticated and integrity checked email to call attention to said email.    
   
   
       2 . The method in  claim 1  wherein the email is represented by a summary line in an email list view.  
   
   
       3 . The method in  claim 2  wherein the contents in an existing column of the email list view is replaced with a graphical mark.  
   
   
       4 . The method in  claim 2  wherein a new column is added to the list view for displaying graphical marks.  
   
   
       5 . The method in  claim 2  wherein a graphical mark is added to the contents in an existing column of the email list view.  
   
   
       6 . The method in  claim 1  wherein the information displayed about the email is the main body of the email as well as header data.  
   
   
       7 . The method in  claim 1  wherein two or more processes collectively perform the mail user agent functionality.  
   
   
       8 - 25 . (canceled)  
   
   
       26 . A method, comprising: 
 verifying an association between a sender and at least one of trademarks, service marks, copyrighted data, sounds, smells, jingles, licensed data, and other graphical marks;    receiving at a receiver's computer in a receiver domain a first email from a first sender, wherein said receiver's domain name may or may not be the same as sender's domain name,    receiving at a receiver's computer in a receiver domain a second email from a second sender, wherein said receiver's domain name may or may not be the same as sender's domain name,    checking said first and second received emails for authentication and integrity,    if said first email passes said authentication and integrity checks, but said second email did not, using a mail user agent executing on said receiver's computer to control said receiver's computer to display at least some information about said first received email and use a graphical mark somewhere in the display of information associated with said first email to call attention to said first email using said graphical mark, but not using the graphical mark in a display of at least some information associated with said second received email.    
   
   
       27 . The method in  claim 26  wherein said graphical mark displayed with information associated with said first email is a graphic associated with said sender of said first email and wherein information associated with said second email is displayed with another graphic associated with emails which have failed either said authentication or said integrity checks and both graphics appear in different columns of a list view providing visually distinctiveness.  
   
   
       28 . The method in  claim 26  wherein a another graphical mark is associated with said second email which has not passed a check for authentication or integrity but wherein display of this particular graphical mark is suppressed because of failure of said second email to pass said authentication or integrity checks.  
   
   
       29 . The method in  claim 26  wherein another graphical mark for an email which has not passed a check for authentication or integrity is replaced with a generic graphic displayed with emails which have failed either said authentication or integrity checks.  
   
   
       30 . The method in  claim 26  wherein two or more processes collectively perform the mail user agent role.  
   
   
       31 - 32 . (canceled)  
   
   
       33 . A method comprising: 
 storing data and/or programming instructions on a first computer which data and/or programming instructions implement an unsubscribe service for a sender of emails;    receiving on a second computer an email from said sender who has implemented said unsubscribe service on said first computer and determining from said email that said sender has implemented an unsubscribe service; and    using said mail user agent to control said second computer to present a user interface allowing at least information associated with said email to be displayed and displaying a user interface tool which can be invoked to invoke said unsubscribe service.    
   
   
       34 . The method in  claim 33  wherein said email is represented by a summary line in a list view and wherein said functionality of said mail user agent is carried out by a browser or email client and a plug in.  
   
   
       35 . The method in  claim 33  wherein a body of said email is displayed when said unsubscribe service is displayed.  
   
   
       36 . The method in  claim 33  wherein said unsubscribe service is presented as a result of a mouse over event and where the area moused over to cause said display is not in the body of said email.  
   
   
       37 . The method in  claim 33  wherein said unsubscribe service is presented as the result of clicking a button displayed on said second computer by said mail user agent where said button is not located in the body of the email.  
   
   
       38 . The method in  claim 33  wherein said unsubscribe service is displayed in a popup window.  
   
   
       39 . The method in  claim 33  wherein said unsubscribe service activates when a button which is displayed on said second computer by said mail user agent is clicked.  
   
   
       40 . The method in  claim 33  wherein said unsubscribe service activates when a link displayed by said mail user agent on said second computer is clicked.  
   
   
       41 . The method in  claim 33  wherein two or more processes collectively perform the role of said mail user agent.  
   
   
       42 . A system comprising: 
 a collection agent executing on a computer to gather qualitative or quantitative metrics regarding the frequency of communication between sender and receiver pairs of email traffic and for sending said metrics to a server; and    a server comprising:    a data storage component for receiving communications from said collection agent containing metrics pertaining to each sender and receiver pair and storing said metrics and associating said metrics with said sender and receiver pair to which said metrics pertain;    a request fulfillment component to receive requests for said metrics pertaining to each sender and receiver pair from a mail user agent executing on a computer and responding thereto by looking up said metrics pertaining to each said sender and receiver pair and sending same to said mail user agent which requested said metrics; and    a mail user agent structured to control a computer of a receiver to receive an email from a sender and to request of said server metrics applicable to said receiver-sender pair, and having a display component structured to control said receiver computer to display at least some information regarding said received email along with some humanly perceptible user interface means to call attention to said email in a predetermined way based upon said metrics.    
   
   
       43 . The system in  claim 42  wherein said display component is a browser.  
   
   
       44 . The system in  claim 42  wherein said collection is computer code for controlling a computer to gather said metric data and which is integrated with an email client.  
   
   
       45 . The system in  claim 42  wherein said collection agent is computer code for controlling a computer to gather said metric data and which is integrated with an email server.  
   
   
       46 . The system in  claim 42  wherein said mail user agent display component represents computer code to control said receiver computer to display an email with a summary line in a list view.  
   
   
       47 . The system in  claim 42  wherein the mail user agent display component is computer code for controlling said receiver computer to at least display the body of a received email.  
   
   
       48 . The system in  claim 42  wherein two or more processes collectively perform the mail user agent role.  
   
   
       49 . A method comprising: 
 receiving an email from a sender using a mail user agent;    accessing said sender's fraud policy and checking said received email against said fraud policy to determine if said email is fraudulent; and    if said received email fails the requirements published as part of said fraud policy which includes as a minimum requirement that said received email pass authentication and integrity checks, controlling said device capable of displaying emails to display at least some information associated with said received email and providing information indicating said email is fraudulent.    
   
   
       50 . The method in  claim 49  wherein accessing said sender's fraud policy and checking said email against said fraud policy is carried out at a mail transfer agent and wherein controlling said device capable of displaying emails comprises at least placing an authentication header in said email at said mail transfer agent, said authentication header including information indicating said email failed to pass standards set by said fraud policy, and wherein said authentication header is used by a mail user agent to control said device capable of displaying emails to display information associated with said email along with a fraud graphic.  
   
   
       51 . The method in  claim 49  wherein providing information indicating said email is fraudulent includes controlling a device capable of displaying emails such that mousing over or clicking a displayed fraud graphic associated with a display of information associated with an email which has failed said fraud policy causes a display to appear which explains why said email has failed said sender's fraud policy.  
   
   
       52 . The method in  claim 49  wherein controlling said device capable of displaying emails controls said device to mark as fraudulent emails which do not have information therein indicating that authentication and/or integrity checking cannot be performed.  
   
   
       53 . The method in  claim 49  wherein controlling said device capable of displaying emails controls said device indicating that if the sender of said received email does not have an applicable fraud policy and said received email has not passed a check for authentication or integrity, a different user interface mechanism is used to call attention to said received email.  
   
   
       54 . The method in  claim 49  wherein controlling said device capable of displaying emails controls said device indicating that if an email has been determined to be spam, a different user interface mechanism is used to call attention thereto.  
   
   
       55 . The method in  claim 49  wherein determining if said email is fraudulent is carried out by a mail transfer agent in carrying out an integrity check and/or an authentication check and placing an authentication header in said email which includes information regarding the results of said authentication check and/or said integrity check, and wherein accessing said fraud policy and checking said email against said fraud policy is carried out by a mail user agent which accesses said sender's fraud policy and at least uses information in said authentication header to confirm said email is authentic and has not been tampered with.  
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 49  wherein determining if said email is fraudulent by accessing said sender's fraud policy and checking said received email against said fraud policy, wherein the fraud policy checking is carried out by a mail user agent controlling said device capable of displaying emails.  
   
   
       57 - 65 . (canceled)  
   
   
       66 . A method, comprising: 
 verifying an association among at least one of a sender and one or more graphical marks;    controlling a receiver's computer in a receiver domain using a browser or email client and a plug in to receive a first email from a first sender, wherein said receiver's domain name may or may not be the same as sender's domain name,    controlling a receiver's computer in a receiver domain using a browser or email client and a plug in to receive a second email from a second sender, wherein said receiver's domain name may or may not be the same as sender's domain name,    using said browser or email client and a plug in to check said first and second received emails for authentication and integrity,    if said first email passed said authentication and integrity checks, but said second email did not, using said browser or email client and a plug in executing on said receiver's computer to control said receiver's computer to display at least some information associated with said first received email and to use a particular one of the graphical marks somewhere in the display of information associated with said first email to call attention to said first email using said particular graphical mark, but not using one of the graphical marks in a display of at least some information associated with said second received email.    
   
   
       67 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a computer programmed with an operating system and a value added service comprised of one or more computer programs which control said computer to: 
 receive an email on said computer from a sender whose domain may or may not be the same as a domain of said computer; and  
 sending a message to a server requesting a graphic associated with said sender;  
 receiving said graphic and displaying said graphic in association with a display of said email to set said email apart from other emails.  
   
   
   
       68 . The apparatus of  claim 67  wherein said one or more computer programs which implement the value added service are a browser and a plug in.  
   
   
       69 . The apparatus of  claim 67  wherein said one or more computer programs which implement the value added service are an email client and a plug in.  
   
   
       70 . A system comprising: 
 a collection agent executing on a computer to gather qualitative or quantitative metrics regarding the frequency of communication between sender and receiver pairs of email traffic and for sending said metrics to a server;    a server comprising: 
 a data storage component for receiving communications from said collection agent containing metrics pertaining to each sender and receiver pair and storing said metrics and associating said metrics with said sender and receiver pair to which said metrics pertain; and  
 a request fulfillment component to receive requests for said metrics pertaining to each sender and receiver pair from a mail user agent executing on a computer and responding  
   thereto by looking up said metrics pertaining to each said sender and receiver pair and sending the same to said mail user agent which requested said metrics;    a browser or email client and a plug structured to cooperate for controlling a computer of a receiver that receives an email from a sender and that requests said server metrics, which is applicable to said receiver-sender pair, and further having a display component structured to control said receiver computer for displaying at least some information regarding said received email along with some humanly perceptible user interface means to call attention to said email in a predetermined way based upon said server metrics.    
   
   
       71 . (canceled)  
   
   
       72 . A value added service, comprising: 
 using an email client with a plug in to control a computer to receive an email;    controlling said computer with said email client and plug-in to carry out value added services which cause said computer to:    checking each said received email for authentication and/or, integrity; and    displaying a fraud graphic in association with email which failed either said authentication or said integrity check.    
   
   
       73 . A method comprising: 
 receiving, at a device capable of receiving emails operated by a receiver, an email from a sender, wherein said receiver's domain name may or may not be the same as sender's domain name,    checking said received email for authentication and/or integrity; and    using a mail user agent to control said device capable of receiving emails to display at least some information associated with said received email and use a graphical mark somewhere in the display of information associated with said authenticated and integrity checked email to call attention to said email.    
   
   
       74 . The method of  claim 73  wherein said authentication and integrity are performed by said mail user agent.  
   
   
       75 . The method of  claim 73  wherein said authentication and integrity checking are done by an incoming mail server.  
   
   
       76 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a computer programmed with an operating system and further programmed to carry out the following process:    receiving in a device capable of displaying emails operated by a receiver, at least information associated with an email from said sender, wherein said receiver's domain name may or may not be the same as sender's domain name,    checking said received email for authentication and/or integrity; and    using a mail user agent to control said device, capable of displaying emails, to display at least some information associated with said received email and using a graphical mark somewhere in the display of information associated with said authenticated and integrity checked email to call attention to said email.    
   
   
       77 - 78 . (canceled)  
   
   
       79 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a computer programmed with an operating system and further programmed to carry out the following process:    receiving an email from a sender whose domain can be different than the domain of the receiver; and    using a mail user agent to control a device capable of displaying email to display at least some information associated with said received email and to display a graphic associated with said sender somewhere in the display of information associated with said email to call attention to said email.    
   
   
       80 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a computer programmed with an operating system and further programmed to carry out the following process: 
 receiving at a receiver's computer in a receiver domain a first email from a first sender, wherein said receiver's domain name may or may not be the same as sender's domain name,  
 receiving at a receiver's computer in a receiver domain a second email from a second sender, wherein said receiver's domain name may or may not be the same as sender's domain name,  
 checking said first and second received emails for authentication and integrity, and  
 if said first email passed said authentication and integrity checks, but said second email did not, using a mail user agent executing on said receiver's computer to control said receiver's computer to display at least some information associated with said first received email and use a graphical mark somewhere in the display of information associated with said first email to call attention to said first email using said graphical mark, but not using another graphical mark in a display of at least some information about said second received email.  
   
   
   
       81 . (canceled)  
   
   
       82 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a computer programmed with an operating system and further programmed to carry out the following process: 
 storing data and/or programming instructions on a first computer which data and/or programming instructions implement an unsubscribe service for a sender of emails;  
 receiving on a second computer an email from said sender who has implemented said unsubscribe service on said first computer and determining from said email that said sender has implemented an unsubscribe service; and  
 using said mail user agent to control said second computer to present a user interface allowing at least information associated with said email to be displayed and displaying a user interface tool which can be invoked to invoke said unsubscribe service.  
   
   
   
       83 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a computer programmed with an operating system and further programmed to carry out the following process: 
 receiving an email from a sender using a mail user agent;  
 accessing said sender's fraud policy and checking said received email against said fraud policy to determine if said email is fraudulent; and  
 if said received email fails requirements published as part of said fraud policy which includes as a minimum requirement that said received email pass authentication and integrity checks, controlling said device capable of displaying emails to display at least some information associated with said received email and provide information indicating said email is fraudulent.  
   
   
   
       84 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a computer programmed with an operating system and further programmed to carry out the following process: 
 detecting an event in a device capable of displaying emails indicating a browser has or is attempting to contact a web mail service;  
 intercepting events returned to said browser by said web mail service;  
 controlling said device capable of displaying emails in an email account to at least one of:  
   1) implement a value added service associated with an email; 2) present as a display on said device a method to access the value added service pertaining to said emails being displayed; and 3) incorporate data into the display of said emails, wherein the data would not otherwise be in the display.    
   
   
       85 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a computer programmed with an operating system and further programmed to carry out the following process: 
 detecting an event in a computer indicating a browser has or is attempting to establish a session with a web mail service to view received emails;  
 intercepting events returned to said browser by said web mail service;  
 controlling said computer with a browser plug-in to carry out value added services which cause said computer to:  
   check each said received email for authentication and/or integrity, and    display at least some information about each said received email which has passed said authentication and integrity check and use a graphical mark somewhere in the display of information associated with said email to call attention to said email.    
   
   
       86 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a computer programmed with an operating system and further programmed to carry out the following process: 
 detecting an event in said computer indicating a browser has or is attempting to establish a session with a web mail service to view received emails;  
 intercepting events returned to said browser by said web mail service;  
 controlling said computer with a browser or email client and a plug-in to carry out value added services which cause said computer to: 
 check each said received email for authentication and/or integrity, and  
 display a fraud graphic in association with an email which failed either said authentication or said integrity check.  
 
   
   
   
       87 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a computer programmed with an operating system and further programmed to carry out the following process: 
 using an email client with a plug in to control said computer to receive an email;  
 controlling said computer to carry out value added services which cause said computer to: 
 check each said received email for authentication and/or integrity, and  
 display a fraud graphic in association with an email which failed either said authentication or said integrity check.  
 
   
   
   
       88 . A computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions that, when loaded into a computer, cause said computer to carry out the following process: 
 receiving, in a device capable of displaying emails operated by a receiver, at least information associated with an email from said sender, wherein said receiver's domain name may or may not be the same as sender's domain name,    checking said received email for authentication and/or integrity, and    using a mail user agent to control said device capable of displaying emails to display at least some information about said received email and use a graphical mark somewhere in the display of information associated with said authenticated and integrity checked email to call attention to said email.    
   
   
       89 - 91 . (canceled)  
   
   
       92 . A computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions that, when loaded into a computer, program said computer to carry out the following process: 
 receiving, at a receiver's computer in a receiver domain, a first email from a first sender, wherein said receiver's domain name may or may not be the same as sender's domain name,    receiving at a receiver's computer in a receiver domain a second email from a second sender, wherein said receiver's domain name may or may not be the same as sender's domain name,    checking said first and second received emails for authentication and integrity, and    if said first email passed said authentication and integrity checks, but said second email did not, then using a mail user agent executing on said receiver's computer to control said receiver's computer to display at least some information associated with said first received email and use a graphical mark somewhere in the display of information associated with said first email to call attention to said first email using said graphical mark, but not using another graphical mark in a display of at least some information associated with said second received email.    
   
   
       93 . (canceled)  
   
   
       94 . A computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions that, when loaded into a computer, program said computer to carry out the following process: 
 storing data and/or programming instructions on a first computer which data and/or programming instructions implement an unsubscribe service for a sender of emails;    receiving on a second computer an email from said sender who has implemented said unsubscribe service on said first computer and determining from said email that said sender has implemented an unsubscribe service; and    using said mail user agent to control said second computer to present a user interface allowing at least information associated with said email to be displayed and displaying a user interface tool which can be activated to invoke said unsubscribe service.    
   
   
       95 . A computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions that, when loaded into a computer, program said computer to carry out the following process: 
 receiving an email from a sender using a mail user agent;    accessing said sender's fraud policy and checking said received email against said fraud policy to determine if said email is fraudulent; and    if said received email fails requirements published as part of said fraud policy which includes as a minimum requirement that said received email pass authentication and integrity checks, then controlling said device capable of displaying emails to display at least some information associated with said received email and provide information indicating said email is fraudulent.    
   
   
       96 . A computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions that, when loaded into a computer, program said computer to carry out the following process: 
 detecting an event in a device capable of displaying emails indicating a browser has or is attempting to contact a web mail service;    intercepting events returned to said browser by said web mail service;    controlling said device capable of displaying emails in an email account to for at least one of:    1) to implement a value added service associated with an email; 2) to present as a display on said device a method to access the value added service pertaining to said emails being displayed; and 3) to incorporate data into the display of said emails which would not otherwise be in the display.    
   
   
       97 . A computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions that, when loaded into a computer, program said computer to carry out the following process: 
 detecting an event in a computer indicating a browser has or is attempting to establish a session with a web mail service to view received emails;    intercepting events returned to said browser by said web mail service;    controlling said computer with a browser plug-in to carry out value added services which cause said computer to at least one of:    check each said received email for authentication and/or integrity, and    display at least some information about each said received email which has passed said authentication and integrity check and use a graphical mark somewhere in the display of information associated with said email to call attention to said email.    
   
   
       98 . A computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions that, when loaded into a computer, program said computer to carry out the following process: 
 detecting an event in said computer indicating a browser has or is attempting to establish a session with a web mail service to view received emails;    intercepting events returned to said browser by said web mail service;    controlling said computer with a browser or email client and a plug-in to carry out value added services which cause said computer to at least one of: 
 check each said received email for authentication and/or integrity, and  
 display a fraud graphic in association with an email which failed either said authentication or said integrity check.  
   
   
   
       99 . A computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions that, when loaded into a computer, program said computer to carry out the following process: 
 using an email client with a plug in to control said computer to receive an email;    controlling said computer with said email client and plug-in to carry out value added services which cause said computer to at least one of: 
 check each said received email for authentication and/or integrity, and  
 display a fraud graphic in association with an email which failed either said authentication or said integrity check.