Patent Document ID: 9710759
Application ID: 12686240

Base Claim:
1. A computer implemented method of filtering unsolicited bulk electronic mail (email), comprising: receiving a plurality of emails associated with a particular sender identifier (ID), the plurality of emails associated with the particular sender ID including emails sent by the particular sender ID; determining whether the emails sent by the particular sender ID comprise unsolicited bulk email based, at least in part, upon one or more sender characteristics, which are associated with the particular sender ID, using a probabilistic model, wherein the sender characteristics of the particular sender ID includes a particular pattern for messages associated with the particular sender ID, wherein the particular pattern includes identification of recipients to which the particular sender ID sends emails, wherein the particular pattern indicates whether any of the recipients of the emails sent by the particular sender ID have mutually exchanged messages with one another, wherein the particular pattern indicates whether a first one of the recipients previously sent a message to a second one of the recipients; and inhibiting the emails sent by the particular sender ID from reaching recipients of such emails if the emails sent by the particular sender ID are determined to be unsolicited bulk emails.

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Claim 4:
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mutually exchanged messages comprise instant messages.