Patent ID: 6829635
Filing Date: 2004-12-07
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method of managing electronic mail, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:automatically generating certain criteria based on contents of a plurality of electronic mail messages received over a network; wherein the step of automatically generating certain criteria includes: automatically determining what particular content to use to identify electronic mail messages as a first type of electronic mail message by performing steps that include determining that a threshold number of said plurality of electronic mail messages have a particular content, and in response to determining that a threshold number of said plurality of electronic mail messages have said particular content, generating one or more criteria that identifies electronic mail messages that have said particular content as the first type of electronic mail; receiving an electronic mail message over said network; determining whether said electronic mail message satisfies said one or more criteria; if said electronic mail message satisfies said one or more criteria, then processing said electronic mail message as said first type of electronic mail; if said electronic mail message does not satisfy said one or more criteria, then processing said electronic mail message as a second type of electronic mail; wherein said first type of electronic mail is processed differently than said second type of electronic mail; and wherein at least one electronic mail message of said plurality of electronic mail messages has not been classified, before determining that a threshold number of said plurality of electronic mail messages have a particular content, as belonging to said first type.