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 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method, comprising:
 detecting a message sent from a sender to a recipient on a message server;   processing a policy associated with the sender; and   integrating distinctive visual features associated with views of the message into the message based on the processing, wherein a message client renders the distinctive visual features for the views to the recipient.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein processing further includes processing an authentication of the sender based on the policy. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein processing further includes processing an anti phishing process based on the policy. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein integrating further includes providing at least one distinctive visual feature as a fraud icon presented to the recipient when a cursor of the recipient is placed over the email within the message client. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising, providing a plug-in accessible to the message client for the message client to render the distinctive visual features within the views to the recipient. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein using further includes verifying a digital signature of the sender based on the policy. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein integrating further includes preventing the message client from providing the message within the views based on the processing of the policy determining that the message is fraudulent. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein processing further includes assigning the message to a category based on the policy and determining the distinctive views based on the category. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein integrating further includes changing behavior of the message client with respect to the message based on the distinctive visual features integrated into the message before the message client processes the message on behalf of the recipient. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising, maintaining metrics from the recipient based on interactions of the recipient with respect to the message within the message client. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising, maintaining a sender-recipient interaction metric and incrementing the sender-recipient interaction metric when the message is presented to the recipient on the message client within the views. 
     
     
         13 . A method, comprising:
 detecting a message sent from a sender to a recipient on a message server;   using message header information for the message to perform an authentication on the sender;   integrating authentication data associated with the authentication within the message; and   causing a message client of the recipient to provide a distinctive view of the message when presented to the recipient on the message client based on the authentication data.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising, incrementing an interaction counter between the sender and the recipient when the recipient is provided the distinctive view within the message client. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising, providing a plugin to the message client for providing the distinctive view based on the authentication data to the recipient. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising, causing the plugin to process Then the message client requests delivery of the message from the message server. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein integrating further includes assigning a. category to the message based on the authentication and including the category with the authentication data within the message. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein integrating further include providing a link to a unique icon with the authentication data within the message based on the authentication. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein providing the ink further includes obtaining the link from a remote server based on the authentication. 
     
     
         20 . A system, comprising:
 a server that comprises a processor;   the processor executes instructions that causes the processor to perform. operations, comprising:
 intercepting a message sent from a sender to a recipient before the message reaches a message client associated with the recipient; 
 authenticating the sender based on data associated with the sender and the message and producing sender authentication data; 
 integrating the second authentication data into the message causing the message client to render distinctive views of the message to the recipient based on the sender authentication data when the message client receives the message from a message server. 
   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 maintaining an interaction counter for interactions between the sender and the recipient and incrementing the interaction counter when the message client renders at least one of the distinctive views to the recipient.