Method for determining e-mail address format rules

Abstract

A method for determining e-mail address formatting rules corresponding to particular domain names, whereby e-mail address data is collected and sorted based on domains. Based on the gathered data for particular domains, a pattern is identified and an e-mail address formatting rule is determined. Format rule information is stored for future use to assist in correcting and directing e-mail messages so that they may be received by their intended recipients. Gathering of e-mail address data occurs by directly gathering e-mail addresses and e-mail address format data directly from entities responsible for the domain or format are derived based on patterns observed in collected address data for particular domains. Data for developing these patterns may be gathered from e-mail address information resident on the Internet, e-mail address information from e-mail address books, or from public e-mail address listings.

1. A method for determining an e-mail address formatting rule corresponding to a domain name, the method comprising:
 gathering e-mail address data corresponding to the domain name; 
 determining the e-mail address formatting rule from a group of formatting rules for the unique identifier portion of the e-mail address based on the gathered e-mail address data; and 
 electronically storing an association of the e-mail address formatting rule with the domain name,; 
 wherein the e-mail address data comprises a first e-mail address, and the step of determining the e-mail address formatting rule further comprises: 
 parsing a domain portion of the first e-mail address; 
 parsing an identifier portion of the first e-mail address; and 
 determining whether the identifier portion is consistent with one or more known e-mail address formatting rules from a group of at least two known e-mail address formatting rules,; 
 wherein the one or more known e-mail address formatting rules are from a list consisting of: last.first, first.last, alphanumeric only, LLLLLLFF, FFLLLLLL, FMLLLLLL, telephone number, punctuation required, minimum number of characters, or maximum number of characters. 
 
     
     
       2. A method for determining an e-mail address formatting rule corresponding to a domain name, the method comprising:
 gathering e-mail address data corresponding to the domain name; 
 determining the e-mail address formatting rule based on the gathered e-mail address data; and 
 electronically storing an association of the e-mail address formatting rule with the domain name, 
 wherein the e-mail address data comprises a first e-mail address, and the step of determining the e-mail address formatting rule further comprises: 
 parsing a domain portion of the first e-mail address; 
 parsing an identifier portion of the first e-mail address; and 
 determining whether the identifier portion is consistent with one or more known e-mail address formatting rules,; 
 wherein the step of determining whether the identifier portion is consistent with one or more known e-mail address formatting rules further comprises: 
 comparing the identifier portion to a list of known names; 
 identifying some or all the identifier portion as consistent with one or more known names; and 
 determining whether the identifier portion is consistent with one or more known e-mail address formatting rules that are a function of addressees' names,; and 
 wherein the step of determining whether the identifier portion is consistent with one or more known e-mail address formatting rules further comprises: 
 assigning first probabilities that some or all of the identifier portion corresponds to one or more names on the list of known names, based in part on a frequency of the names in a general population; 
 assigning second probabilities that one or more known e-mail address formatting rules are applicable to the first e-mail address, the second probability probabilities being a function of the first probability probabilities; and 
 selecting the e-mail address formatting rule for the first e-mail address based on the known e-mail address formatting rule that has the best second probability. 
 
     
     
       3. A method for determining an e-mail address formatting rule corresponding to a domain name, the method comprising:
 gathering e-mail address data corresponding to the domain name; 
 determining the e-mail address formatting rule based on the gathered e-mail address data; and 
 electronically storing an association of the e-mail address formatting rule with the domain name,; 
 wherein the step for determining the e-mail address formatting rule further comprises: 
 for a plurality of e-mail addresses having the same domain portion as the first e-mail address, performing the steps of: 
 parsing a plurality of identifier portions of the plurality of e-mail address; 
 comparing the plurality of identifier portions to the list of known names; 
 identifying some or all the plurality of identifier portions as consistent with one or more known names; 
 assigning first probabilities that some or all of the plurality of identifier portions corresponds to one or more names on the list of known names, based In in part on a frequency of the names in a general population:; 
 assigning second probabilities that one or more known e-mail address formatting rules are applicable to one of the plurality of e-mail addresses, the second probability being a function of the first probability; and 
 assigning third probabilities that one or more known e-mail address formatting rules are applicable to the plurality of e-mail addresses based on the cumulative second probabilities; and 
 wherein the step of selecting the e-mail address formatting rule for the domain of the first e-mail address is based on the known e-mail address formatting rule that has the best third probability. 
 
     
     
       4. A method comprising:
 determining, by a computing device, whether an identifier portion of a received email address is consistent with one or more known email address formatting rules, wherein the received email address includes the identifier portion and a domain portion and wherein the determining comprises:
 parsing the identifier portion of the received email address into one or more potential first names and/or potential last names; 
 assigning first probabilities that one or more of the potential first names and/or potential last names corresponds to one or more first and/or last names on a list of known first and/or last names, based in part on a frequency of the one or more first and/or last names in a general population; 
 assigning second probabilities that one or more known email address formatting rules are applicable to the received email address, wherein the second probabilities are a function of the first probabilities; 
 selecting an email address formatting rule from the one or more known email address formatting rules for the received email address based on a selected one of the second probabilities; and 
 associating, by the computing device, the selected email address formatting rule with the domain portion to assist in directing email messages. 
   
     
     
       5. The method of claim 4,
 wherein the parsing the identifier portion is based at least in part on the one or more known email address formatting rules.   
     
     
       6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:
 parsing, by the computing device, the domain portion from the received email address to facilitate the associating.   
     
     
       7. The method of claim 4, wherein the assigning first probabilities comprises:
 comparing a potential first name taken from a first sub-portion of the identifier portion to a list of known first names; and   comparing a potential last name taken from a second sub-portion of the identifier portion to a list of known last names; and   wherein the list of known first names and the list of known last names are included in the list of known first and/or last names.   
     
     
       8. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving the email address via domain registration interface, the domain registration interface including an interface for indicating one or more email addresses. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving an email message including the email address. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim 4, wherein the selecting further comprises, selecting the email formatting address rule from a list consisting of: last.first, first.last, alphanumeric only, LLLLLLFF, FFLLLLLL, FMLLLLLL, telephone number, punctuation required, minimum number of characters, or maximum number of characters, based on the selected one of the second probabilities. 
     
     
       11. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
 determining an email address formatting rule based on gathered email address data corresponding to a domain name, wherein the gathered email address data includes an email address and the determining comprises:
 parsing an identifier portion of the email address into one or more potential first names and/or potential last names; 
 assigning first probabilities that one or more of the potential first names and/or potential last names corresponds to one or more first and/or last names on a list of known first and/or last names, based in part on a frequency of the one or more first and/or last names in a general population; 
 assigning second probabilities that one or more known email address formatting rules are applicable to the email address, wherein the second probabilities are a function of the first probabilities; 
 selecting an email address formatting rule from the one or more known email address formatting rules for the email address based on a selected one of the second probabilities; and 
 associating the selected email address formatting rule with the domain name to assist in directing email messages. 
   
     
     
       12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the parsing the identifier portion is based at least in part on the one or more known email address formatting rules. 
     
     
       13. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the instructions, if executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform an operation further comprising, parsing the domain name of the email address. 
     
     
       14. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the selecting further comprises, selecting the email address formatting rule from a list consisting of: last.first, first.last, alphanumeric only, LLLLLLFF, FFLLLLLL, FMLLLLLL, telephone number, punctuation required, minimum number of characters, or maximum number of characters, based on the selected one of the second probabilities.