Efficient use of resources in message classification

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for routing a message through a plurality of test methods. The method includes: receiving a message; applying a first test method to the message; updating a state of the message based on the first test method; and determining a second test method to be applied to the message based on the state.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for testing received messages, the method comprising:
 receiving a first message at a computer network interface before the first message is delivered to a recipient;   identifying a first test from a plurality of available tests for detecting spam content, wherein the first test is identified as having the lowest resource cost;   applying the identified test to the first message to identify that content in the first message includes spam content; and   stopping the first message from being delivered to the recipient based on the identification that the first message includes the spam content.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a second message at the computer network interface;   applying the first test to the second message based on the identification that the first test has the lowest resource cost, wherein applying the first test to the second message does not result in a determinate identification that the second message includes the spam;   applying at least one other test from the plurality of available test for detecting the spam content, wherein applying the at least one other test identifies that the second message includes the spam content; and   stopping the second message from being delivered to the recipient based on the identification that the second message includes the spam.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the resource cost of the first test is one of network resources or database resources. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising updating a state associated with the second message after the first test is applied to the second message, and updating the state of the second message again after the second test is applied to the second message. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising providing results from the application of the first test in the second message to a neural network, wherein the neural network updates at least one test selection criteria based on the provided results. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising maintaining information regarding the plurality of available tests in a lookup table. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising selecting the second test for application to the second message based on a result of the application of first test on the second message. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform a method for testing received messages, the method comprising:
 receiving a first message at a computer network interface before the first message is delivered to a recipient;   identifying a first test from a plurality of available tests for detecting spam content, wherein the first test is identified as having the lowest resource cost;   applying the identified test to the first message to identify that content in the first message includes spam content; and   stopping the first message from being delivered to the recipient based on the identification that the first message includes the spam content.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the program further includes instructions executable to:
 receive a second message at the computer network interface;   apply the first test to the second message based on the identification that the first test has the lowest resource cost, wherein applying the first test to the second message does not result in a determinate identification that the second message includes the spam;   apply at least one other test from the plurality of available test for detecting the spam content, wherein applying the at least one other test identifies that the second message includes the spam content; and   stop the second message from being delivered to the recipient based on the identification that the second message includes the spam.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the resource cost of the first test is one of network resources or database resources. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the program further comprises instructions executable by the processor to update a state associated with the second message after the first test is applied to the second message, and to update the state of the second message again after the second test is applied to the second message. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the program further comprises instructions executable to provide results from the application of the first test in the second message to a neural network, wherein the neural network updates at least one test selection criteria based on the provided results. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the program further comprises instructions executable to maintain information regarding the plurality of available tests in a lookup table. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the program further comprises instructions executable to select the second test for application to the second message based on a result of the application of first test on the second message. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus for testing received messages, the apparatus comprising:
 a computer network interface that receives a first message the first message is delivered to a recipient; and   a processor that executes instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor:
 identifies a first test from a plurality of available tests for detecting spam content, wherein the first test is identified as having the lowest resource cost, 
 applies the identified test to the first message to identify that content in the first message includes spam content, and 
 stops the first message from being delivered to the recipient based on the identification that the first message includes the spam content. 
   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the computer network interface receives a second message, and wherein the processor executes further instructions to:
 receive a second message at the computer network interface;   apply the first test to the second message based on the identification that the first test has the lowest resource cost, wherein applying the first test to the second message does not result in a determinate identification that the second message includes the spam;   apply at least one other test from the plurality of available test for detecting the spam content, wherein applying the at least one other test identifies that the second message includes the spam content; and   stop the second message from being delivered to the recipient based on the identification that the second message includes the spam.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the resource cost of the first test is one of network resources or database resources. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising memory that stores a state associated with the second message, wherein the state is updated after the first test is applied to the second message, and updated again after the second test is applied to the second message. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the computer network interface provides results from the first test of the second message to a neural network, wherein the neural network updates at least one criteria for selecting at least one next test method based on the test results of the first test of the second message. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising memory that stores a lookup table that maintains information regarding the plurality of available tests for detecting spam content.