Patent ID: 6023723
Filing Date: 2000-02-08
Classification: G06Q,H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
A system for filtering electronic mail for a plurality of user computers received over a communication medium to each of the user computers comprising:a first filter provided in each of the user computers provided with a first list of addresses from which the user does not wish to receive electronic mail;a second filter provided in each of the user computers provided with a second list of addresses from which the user does wish to receive electronic mail;comparison device provided in each of the user computers for comparing the addresses included in said first filter and said second filter with the address of electronic mail received by the user computers, wherein any electronic mail whose address is discovered by said comparison device to be included in said first list of addresses will be automatically deleted from that particular user computer, and further wherein any electronic mail whose address is discovered by said comparison device to be included in said second list of addresses would be retained in that particular user computer for review by the user;a first folder for retaining electronic mail received in a user computer whose address is not included in either said first list of addresses or said second list of addresses for review by the user at a later time, and further including an update device for adding addresses to said first filter or said second filter based upon the user's review, thereby creating a first updated list of first addresses and a first updated list of second addresses;a device for periodically sending said first updated list of first addresses from a plurality of user computers to a master database situated at a location remote from the user's computer thereby creating an updated master database of addresses received from the user computers; anda device provided at said location remote from the user's computers for including addresses of said undated master database only if the same address is sent to said master database by a predetermined number of user computers.