PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-7640305-B1
Application Number: US-43069403-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Filtering of data

Abstract:
A method, apparatus, and signal-bearing medium that filter data based on a criteria. In an embodiment, the criteria may be related to filtering out unwanted or junk input data. In another embodiment, the criteria may be related to filtering based on desired data. In various embodiments, the data may be email, email attachments, faxes, popup windows, telephone messages, downloaded data or programs, image data, or other data. In a embodiment, a training mode and an automatic mode are provided. During the training mode, a user may be presented with data that may be junk, and feedback may be provided that is used to train a junk filter. During an automatic mode, junk data may be removed from view, transferred to a junk box, or highlighted.

Claims:
1. A computer implemented method of operating a training mode for a filter in a messaging system, the method comprising:
 receiving during the training mode an incoming message without a known category determination; 
 determining a category for the incoming message using the filter during the training mode; 
 marking the incoming message in an inbox as belonging to the determined category, without moving the incoming message from the inbox to a folder associated with the determined category; 
 responsive to the user changing the category associated with the incoming message, automatically updating the filter; 
 determining a success rate of category determinations during the training mode, wherein the success rate is based upon a plurality of correct category determinations and a total number of category determinations; and 
 switching from the training mode to an automatic mode of applying the filter to the received incoming message in response to the success rate reaching a success criteria, wherein in the automatic mode the messaging system automatically moves a message to a folder associated with the determined category. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein automatically updating the filter comprises:
 responsive to a category indicated by the user for the incoming message, updating the filter to include the incoming message within the indicated category. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the category determined during the training mode is a junk category. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user changing the category associated with the incoming message comprises the user forwarding the incoming message. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user changing the category associated with the incoming message comprises the user moving the incoming message to a folder of the messaging system. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user changing the category associated with the incoming message comprises the user replying to the incoming message. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing an option in the messaging system for displaying a message of a selected category in a user selected color. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing an option in the messaging system that allows the user to reset the filter. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 switching automatically from the training mode to the automatic mode. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 prompting a user for permission prior to switching from the training mode to the automatic mode. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the success rate further comprises:
 determining a ratio of the correct category determinations to the total number of category determinations, wherein a determination is correct if the category determined by the filter has not been changed by a user. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 operating the messaging system in an automatic mode, comprising:
 receiving a message; 
 determining a category for the message using the filter, wherein the determination includes a category rating; 
 responsive to the category rating being within a first range associated with an unambiguous determination, automatically placing the message in a folder associated with the determined category; and 
 responsive to the category rating being within a second range associated with an ambiguous determination, marking the message in the inbox as belonging to the determined category, without moving the message from the inbox to the folder associated with the determined category. 
 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the category determined during the automatic mode is a junk category. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein automatically placing the message in a folder associated with the determined category comprises moving the message from the inbox to the folder associated with the determined category. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12 , wherein automatically placing the message in a folder associated with the determined category comprises placing the message in the inbox, wherein the inbox is the folder associated with the determined category. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 responsive to the user changing the category determined for the message during the automatic mode, automatically updating the filter. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein automatically updating the filter comprises:
 responsive to a category indicated by the user for the message, updating the filter to include the message within the indicated category. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the user changing the category determined for the message during the automatic mode comprises the user forwarding the message. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the user changing the category determined for the message during the automatic mode comprises the user moving the message to a folder of the messaging system. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the user changing the category determined for the message during the automatic mode comprises the user replying to the message. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 operating the messaging system in an automatic mode, comprising:
 receiving a message; 
 determining a category for the message using the filter, wherein the determination includes a category rating; 
 responsive to the category rating being within a first range associated with an unambiguous determination, automatically placing the message in the inbox; and 
 responsive to the category rating being within a second range associated with an ambiguous determination, marking the message in the inbox as belonging to the determined category, without moving the message from the inbox to the folder associated with the determined category. 
 
 
     
     
       22. A computer implemented method of operating a messaging system, the method comprising:
 operating the messaging system in a training mode comprising:
 receiving an incoming message without a known category determination; 
 determining a category for the incoming message using the filter; 
 marking the incoming message in an inbox as belonging to the determined category, without moving the incoming message from an inbox to a folder associated with the determined category; 
 determining a success rate of category determinations, wherein the success rate is based upon a plurality of correct category determinations and a total number of category determinations; and 
 switching from the training mode to an automatic mode in response to the success rate reaching a success criteria; 
 
 operating the messaging system in the automatic mode, comprising:
 receiving a message; 
 determining a category for the message using the filter, wherein the determination includes a category rating; 
 responsive to the category rating being within a first range associated with an unambiguous determination, automatically placing the message in a folder associated with the determined category; and 
 responsive to the category rating being within a second range associated with an ambiguous determination, marking the message in the inbox as belonging to the determined category, without moving the message to the folder associated with the determined category. 
 
 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22 , wherein switching from the training mode to an automatic mode in response to the success rate reaching a success criteria comprises:
 automatically switching from the training mode to the automatic mode when the success rate reaches the success criteria. 
 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 22 , wherein determining the success rate further comprises:
 determining a ratio of the correct category determinations to the total number of category determinations, wherein a determination is correct if the category determined by the filter has not been changed by a user. 
 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 22 , wherein switching from the training mode to an automatic mode in response to a predetermined event comprises:
 receiving a user indication to switch from the training mode to the automatic mode. 
 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 providing an option in the messaging system for displaying a message of a selected category in a user selected color. 
 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 providing an option in the messaging system that allows the user to reset the filter. 
 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 22 , wherein the category determined during the training mode is a junk category. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 28 , wherein the category determined during the automatic mode is the junk category. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 responsive to the user changing the category associated with the message during either the training mode or the automatic mode, automatically updating the filter. 
 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 30 , wherein the user changing the category associated with the message comprises the user forwarding the message. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 30 , wherein the user changing the category associated with the message comprises the user moving the message to a folder of the messaging system. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 30 , wherein the user changing the category associated with the message comprises the user replying to the message. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 30 , wherein automatically updating the filter comprises:
 responsive to a category indicated by the user for the message, updating the filter to include the message within the indicated category. 
 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 22 , wherein automatically placing the message in a folder associated with the determined category comprises moving the message from the inbox to the folder associated with the determined category. 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 22 , wherein automatically placing the message in a folder associated with the determined category comprises placing the message in the inbox, wherein inbox is the folder associated with the determined category. 
     
     
       37. The method of  claim 22 , wherein automatically placing the message in a folder associated with the determined category comprises moving the message from the inbox to the folder associated with the determined category. 
     
     
       38. The method of  claim 22 , wherein automatically placing the message in a folder associated with the determined category comprises placing the message in the inbox, wherein inbox is the folder associated with the determined category. 
     
     
       39. A computer implemented method of operating a messaging system, the method comprising:
 providing a training mode in the messaging system in which the messaging system applies a filter to an incoming message for determining a category for the incoming message that does not have a known category determination, and automatically indicating the determined category for the incoming message without moving the incoming message from an inbox to a folder associated with the determined category, and in which the messaging system automatically updates the filter if the user disagrees with the determined category; and 
 providing an automatic mode in the messaging system in which the messaging system applies the trained filter to a message for determining a category for the message, and automatically places the message in a folder associated with the determined message, and in which the messaging system automatically updates the filter if the user disagrees with the determined category; and 
 switching from the training mode to the automatic mode in response to a success rate of category determinations in the training mode reaching a success criteria, wherein the success rate is based upon a plurality of correct category determinations and a total number of category determinations. 
 
     
     
       40. The method of  claim 39 , further comprising:
 determining the success rate based on a ratio of the correct category determinations to the total number of category determinations, wherein a determination is correct if the category determined by the filter has not been changed by a user and a total number of category determinations. 
 
     
     
       41. The method of  claim 39 , wherein switching from the training mode to an automatic mode further comprises:
 receiving a user indication to switch from the training mode to the automatic mode. 
 
     
     
       42. The method of  claim 39 , wherein the category determined during the training mode is a junk category. 
     
     
       43. The method of  claim 39 , wherein the category determined during the automatic mode is a junk category. 
     
     
       44. The method of  claim 39 , wherein the user disagrees with the determined category by changing the category associated with the message. 
     
     
       45. The method of  claim 44 , wherein the user changing the category associated with the message comprises the user forwarding the message. 
     
     
       46. The method of  claim 44 , wherein the user changing the category associated with the message comprises the user moving the message to a folder of the messaging system. 
     
     
       47. The method of  claim 44 , wherein the user changing the category associated with the message comprises the user replying to the message. 
     
     
       48. The method of  claim 44 , wherein automatically updating the filter comprises:
 responsive to a category indicated by the user for the message, updating the filter to include the message within the indicated category. 
 
     
     
       49. The method of  claim 39 , further comprising:
 providing an option in the messaging system for displaying a message of a selected category in a user selected color. 
 
     
     
       50. The method of  claim 39 , further comprising:
 providing an option in the messaging system that allows the user to reset the filter. 
 
     
     
       51. A computer program product, comprising:
 computer executable instructions stored on a computer readable storage medium for controlling a processor to operate a training mode for a filter in a messaging system by performing the operations of:
 receiving during the training mode an incoming message without a known category determination; 
 determining a category for the incoming message using the filter during the training mode; 
 marking the incoming message in an inbox as belonging to the determined category, without moving the incoming message from the inbox to a folder associated with the determined category; 
 responsive to the user changing the category associated with the message, automatically updating the filter; 
 determining a success rate of category determinations during the training mode, wherein the success rate is based upon a plurality of correct category determinations and a total number of category determinations; and 
 switching from the training mode to an automatic mode of applying the filter to the received incoming message in response to the success rate reaching a success criteria, wherein in the automatic mode the messaging system automatically moves a message to a folder associated with the determined category. 
 
 
     
     
       52. The computer program product of  claim 51 , wherein the category determined during the training mode is a junk category. 
     
     
       53. The computer program product of  claim 51 , further comprising instructions for:
 switching automatically from the training mode to the automatic mode. 
 
     
     
       54. The computer program product of  claim 51 , further comprising instructions for:
 prompting a user for permission prior to switching from the training mode to the automatic mode. 
 
     
     
       55. The computer program product of  claim 51 , further comprising instructions for:
 operating the messaging system in an automatic mode, comprising:
 receiving a message; 
 determining a category for the message using the filter, wherein the determination includes a category rating; 
 responsive to the category rating being within a first range associated with an unambiguous determination, automatically placing the message in a folder associated with the determined category; and 
 responsive to the category rating being within a second range associated with an ambiguous determination, marking the message in the inbox as belonging to the determined category, without moving the message from the inbox to the folder associated with the determined category. 
 
 
     
     
       56. The computer program product of  claim 55 , wherein the category determined during the automatic mode is a junk category. 
     
     
       57. The computer program product of  claim 56 , wherein switching from the training mode to an automatic mode comprises:
 automatically switching from the training mode to the automatic mode when the success rate reaches a success criteria. 
 
     
     
       58. The computer program product of  claim 51 , further comprising instructions for:
 operating the messaging system in an automatic mode, comprising:
 receiving a message; 
 determining a category for the message using the filter, wherein the determination includes a category rating; 
 responsive to the category rating being within a first range associated with an unambiguous determination, automatically placing the message in the inbox; and 
 responsive to the category rating being within a second range associated with an ambiguous determination, marking the message in the inbox as belonging to the determined category, without moving the message from the inbox to the folder associated with the determined category. 
 
 
     
     
       59. A computer program product, comprising:
 computer executable instructions stored on a computer readable storage medium for controlling a processor to perform the operations of:
 operating the messaging system in a training mode by:
 receiving an incoming message without a known category determination; 
 determining a category for the incoming message using the filter; 
 marking the incoming message in an inbox as belonging to the determined category, without moving the incoming message from an inbox to a folder associated with the determined category; 
 determining a success rate of category determinations, wherein the success rate is based upon a plurality of correct category determinations and a total number of category determinations; and 
 switching from the training mode to an automatic mode in response to the success rate reaching a success criteria; 
 
 operating the messaging system in the automatic mode, by:
 receiving a message; 
 determining a category for the message using the filter, wherein the determination includes a category rating; 
 responsive to the category rating being within a first range associated with an unambiguous determination, automatically placing the message in a folder associated with the determined category; and 
 responsive to the category rating being within a second range associated with an ambiguous determination, marking the message in the inbox as belonging to the determined category, without moving the message to the folder associated with the determined category. 
 
 
 
     
     
       60. The computer program product of  claim 59 , wherein the category determined during the training mode is a junk category. 
     
     
       61. The computer program product of  claim 60 , wherein the category determined during the automatic mode is the junk category. 
     
     
       62. A messaging system, comprising:
 a computer-readable storage medium configured to store computer executable instructions for applying a filter to messages; and 
 a computer processor configured to execute the computer executable instructions to cause the filter to operate in a plurality of modes, the modes comprising:
 a training mode in which the messaging system applies the filter to an incoming message for determining a category for the incoming message that does not have a known category determination, and automatically indicating the determined category for the incoming message without moving the incoming message from an inbox to a folder associated with the determined category, and in which the messaging system automatically updates the filter if the user disagrees with the determined category; and 
 an automatic mode in which the messaging system applies the trained filter to a message for determining a category for the message, and automatically places the message in a folder associated with the determined message, and in which the messaging system automatically updates the filter if the user disagrees with the determined category; 
 wherein the messaging system switches from the training mode to the automatic mode in response to a success rate of category determinations in the training mode reaching a success criteria, wherein the success rate is based upon a plurality of correct category determinations and a total number of category determinations. 
 
 
     
     
       63. The messaging system of  claim 62 , wherein the messaging system determines the success rate by determining a ratio of the plurality of correct category determinations to the total number of category determinations, wherein a determination is correct if the category determined by the filter has not been changed by a user. 
     
     
       64. The messaging system of  claim 62 , wherein the category determined during the training mode is a junk category. 
     
     
       65. The messaging system of  claim 62 , wherein the category determined during the automatic mode is a junk category. 
     
     
       66. The messaging system of  claim 62 , further comprising:
 a user selectable user interface option for displaying a message of a selected category in a user selected color. 
 
     
     
       67. The messaging system of  claim 62 , further comprising:
 a user selectable user interface that allows the user to reset the filter. 
 
     
     
       68. The messaging system of  claim 62 , wherein the messaging system automatically places the message in a folder associated with the determined category by moving the message from the inbox to the folder associated with the determined category. 
     
     
       69. An electronic messaging system, comprising:
 a computer-readable storage medium configured to store computer executable instructions; and 
 a computer processor configured to execute the computer executable instructions, the instructions when executed provide:
 a filter that determines one of a plurality of categories for categorizing an incoming message that does not have a known category determination during a training mode; 
 a means for visually marking the incoming message in an inbox as belonging to the determined category, without moving the incoming message from an inbox to a folder associated with the determined category, in response to the messaging system operating in the training mode; 
 a means for automatically placing the incoming message in a folder associated with the determined category in response to the messaging system operating in an automatic mode; 
 a means for automatically updating the filter in response to the user indicating a disagreement with a determined category for the message; and 
 a means for switching from the training mode to an automatic mode in response to a success rate of category determinations in the training mode reaching a success criteria, wherein the success rate is based upon a plurality of correct category determinations and a total number of category determinations.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present invention is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority to application Ser. No. 09/881,986, filed Jun. 14, 2001, which is hereby incorporated by reference. The present invention is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority to application Ser. No. 10/213,922 filed Aug. 6, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to the filtering of data. More particularly, this invention relates to filtering out data based on a criteria. 
     COPYRIGHT NOTICE/PERMISSION 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. The following notice applies to the software and data as described below and in the drawings hereto: Copyright® 2003, Apple Computer, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 
     BACKGROUND 
     As the use of computers and the Internet have proliferated, so too has the use of email. Many businesses and consumers use email as a prominent means of communication. Not surprisingly, the exponential growth of the medium has also attracted the interest of commercial email advertisers. Commercial email advertisers obtain email addresses from a variety of sources, for example, from email vendors, or from commercial web sites, often without the permission of the owners of the email addresses. The email addresses may then be used to promote the products and services of the commercial email advertisers, or of the parties they represent. 
     The result is a deluge of unsolicited email received by hapless email users. One method to deal with unsolicited email is for a user to manually select and delete the unsolicited email. Other methods provide for recognizing a message sent in bulk to multiple recipients, and to either discard or tag the message as a possible unsolicited message. Still other methods maintain a database of addresses of known senders of unsolicited email and on receipt of the email, automatically discard those received from the known senders of unsolicited email. Still other methods use key-word filters. This method provides for scanning the subject and/or the body of the email message for some pre-determined keywords, and if detected, the message may be either discarded or tagged as suspicious. 
     Despite the methods described above, commercial email advertisers use ingenious methods to frustrate the efforts of email recipients. For example, to defeat the detection of bulk email, the email messages may be routed through a maze of servers so that ultimately, the message does not appear to be a bulk emailing. To defeat the system that tracks the address of known senders of unsolicited messages, the originating address of the unsolicited email may be changed often. To confuse keyword filter methods, the subject field of the email may be deceitfully titled, for example, “In response to your query.” Moreover, the key-word filtering method suffers from other significant problems, for example, when trying to filter email messages from pornographic email advertisers using the word “sex,” legitimate anatomical or biological articles that include the word “sex” may also be eliminated. 
     Although the problem of unsolicited email is particularly acute, users have a need to be protected from all types of data that they do not want, whether this data is email attachments, unsolicited faxes, telephone calls, downloaded programs, or any other type of unwanted data. Users also have a need to filter based on desired data. 
     SUMMARY 
     A method, apparatus, and signal-bearing medium are provided that filter data based on a criteria. In an embodiment, the criteria may be related to filtering out unwanted or junk input data. In another embodiment, the criteria may be related to filtering based on desired data. In various embodiments, the data may be email, email attachments, faxes, popup windows, telephone messages, downloaded data or programs, image data, or other data. In a embodiment, a training mode and an automatic mode are provided. During the training mode, a user may be presented with data that may be junk, and feedback may be provided that is used to train a junk filter. During an automatic mode, junk data may be removed from view, transferred to a junk box, or highlighted. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  depicts a pictorial representation of an example user interface for mail options, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a pictorial representation of an example user interface for a rules dialog, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  depicts a pictorial representation of an example user interface for an inbox, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4A  depicts a flowchart of example processing for handling data with a training mode, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4B  depicts a flowchart of example processing for handling data with a training mode, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  depicts a flowchart of example processing for handling data with an automatic mode, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  depicts a flowchart of example processing for determining if data is junk, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 7A  depicts a flowchart of example processing for handling a junk box, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 7B  depicts a flowchart of example processing for handling a reply to mail, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 8  depicts a flowchart of example processing for handling data with a training mode, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  depicts a flowchart of example processing for handling data with an automatic mode, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 10  depicts a flowchart of example processing for determining if data meets a criteria, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 11  depicts a block diagram of a system for implementing an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings (where like numbers represent like elements), which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, but other embodiments may be utilized and logical, mechanical, electrical, and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims. 
     In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it is understood that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the invention. 
     Parts of the description may be presented in terms of operations performed through the execution of programming instructions. As well understood by those skilled in the art, these operations may take the form of electrical, magnetic, or optical signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, and otherwise manipulated through, for example, electrical components. 
       FIG. 1  depicts a pictorial representation of an example user interface for mail options, according to an embodiment of the invention. Although an embodiment of the invention will be described in the context of a mail system, other embodiments of the invention operate in the context of the processing of email attachments, downloaded data, popup windows, phone messages, received faxes, image data, or any other environment in which the user might prefer to filter data. 
     Mail options  100  include off  105 , training  110 , automatic  115 , custom  120 , reset  125 , and empty junk box  130 , all of which may be items that the user may optionally select. 
     The mail system provides the menu item off  105  to allow the user to request that the junk mail system be turned off. 
     The mail system provides the menu item training  110  to allow the user to request that the mail system be put into a training mode. While in training mode, the mail system is trained to recognize the kind of mail that the user considers junk, which may be any input that is unwanted by the user. The training mode is further described below with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 6 . 
     The mail system provides the menu item automatic  115  to allow the user to request that the mail system be put into automatic mode. While in automatic mode, the mail system automatically categorizes mail as junk or not junk and takes appropriate actions based on those categorizations. The automatic mode is further described below with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 . In another embodiment the menu item training  110  and menu item automatic  115  may be implemented via a single toggle button or any other appropriate user interface element. 
     The mail system provides the menu item custom  120  to allow the user to specify actions that the mail system will take when junk mail is detected, as further described below with respect to  FIGS. 2 and 5 . 
     The mail system provides the menu item reset  125  to allow the user to request that the mail system reset the training of the mail system back to the initial factory settings. The reset  125  causes the mail system to undo all of the previous training. In an embodiment, the training data may be deleted, but in another embodiment, the training data may be kept but ignored. 
     The mail system provides the menu item empty junk box  130  to allow the user to request that all mail in the junk box be deleted. The processing for the empty junk box  130  is further described below with reference to  FIG. 7A . 
       FIG. 2  depicts a pictorial representation of an example user interface for a rules dialog, according to an embodiment of the invention. Rules dialog  200  includes options “is junk”  205 , transfer  210 , color  215 , and exceptions  220 . 
     The menu option “is” junk  205  allows the user to request that the filter that the mail system is to apply to incoming mail is whether or not the mail is junk. 
     The menu option transfer  210  allows the user to request that the mail system transfer junk mail to a specified box, container, folder, or file, such as a junk box. The menu option color  215  allows the user to request that the mail system highlight junk mail with a color upon detection, but not transfer it. In other embodiments, the mail system may provide other actions such as highlighting with italics, fonts, reverse video, or any other appropriate action. 
     The menu option exceptions  220  allows the user to request that the mail system not categorize specified mail or mail from specified email addresses or domains as junk. For example, the user may wish that the mail system not categorize as junk any mail from specified relatives, friends, coworkers, bosses, or mail that originates from the user&#39;s work domain or from a mailing list that the user has subscribed to. In an embodiment, the exceptions  220  may allow the user to request that a mailing list be unsubscribed from if it originates a specified level of junk mail. Processing for the exceptions  220  is further described below with reference to  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 3  depicts a pictorial representation of an example user interface  300  for an inbox, according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in the user interface  300  for the inbox, during training mode, the mail system has detected that mail  302  may be junk and has displayed message  305  “The mail system thinks this is junk. What do you think?” in order to receive training data or feedback via the buttons junk  310  and not junk  320 , which the user may select in response to the message  305 . In another embodiment, the functions of the buttons  310  and  320  may be requested via a single toggle button or any other appropriate user interface element. The user may also specify that any mail is junk or not junk without being asked via buttons  310  and  320 . 
       FIG. 4A  depicts a flowchart of example processing for handling data within a training mode, according to an embodiment of the invention. Control begins at block  400  where the mail application launches. Control then continues to block  402  where a determination is made whether to set automatic mode. If the determination at block  402  is false, then control returns to block  404 , where training mode is set on. Control then continues to block  405 , as further described below. 
     If the determination at block  402  is true, then control continues to block  403  where the system is switched from training mode to automatic mode. In an embodiment, the user may be asked permission before the switch is made. 
     Control then continues to block  405  where the data is received. Although in an embodiment the data may be electronic mail, in other embodiments, the data may be instant messages, telephone messages, fax data, images, software, or any other appropriate data. 
     Control then continues to block  410  where a determination is made whether the system is currently in junk training mode. If the determination at block  410  is false, control then continues to block  450  where processing for automatic mode is called, as further described below with respect to  FIG. 5 . Control then returns to block  405  as previously described above. 
     If the determination at block  410  is true, then control continues to block  415  where a determination is made whether the data is junk, as further described below with respect to  FIG. 6 . Control then continues to block  430  where the junk filter is customized based on the determination of block  415  and optional user feedback. For example, if the user agrees that the data is junk, the data may be added to a database of known junk data, as described in application Ser. No. 09/881,986, filed Jun. 14, 2001. Similarly, if the user disagrees that the data is junk, the junk filter is also trained. In this way, the mail system is trained to recognize the type of data that the user considers to be junk. In an embodiment, multiple junk filters may be used with different criteria and trained separately depending on the source of the data, the destination of the data, the type of the data, a user selection, or any other appropriate means for organizing the filters. As used herein, the term “criteria” means one or more criteria. 
     Control then continues to block  435  where the number of messages marked as junk and the number of messages marked as not junk are recorded. Control then returns to block  405  as previously described above. 
       FIG. 4B  depicts a flowchart of example processing for handling data within a training mode, according to an embodiment of the invention. Control begins at block  460  where the mail application launches. Control then continues to block  462  where the success rate is calculated. In an embodiment, the success rate is calculated based on the number of times that the user agreed with the junk determination of block  474  (below) divided by the number of pieces of data received. In another embodiment, any appropriate method may be used for calculating a success rate. Control then continues to block  464  where a determination is made whether the calculated success rate is above a minimum success criteria and more than a minimum number of pieces of data have been processed. In an embodiment, the minimum success criteria may be a predetermined constant, but in another embodiment, the minimum success criteria may be variable and determined by the user or varied based on any appropriate data. If the determination at block  464  is false, then control returns to block  468 , where training mode is set on. Control then continues to block  470 , as further described below. 
     If the determination at block  464  is true, then control continues to block  466  where the system is switched from training mode to automatic mode. In an embodiment, the user may be asked permission before the switch is made. 
     Control then continues to block  470  where the data is received. Although in an embodiment the data may be electronic mail, in other embodiments, the data may be instant messages, telephone messages, fax data, images, software, or any other appropriate data. 
     Control then continues to block  472  where a determination is made whether the system is currently in junk training mode. If the determination at block  472  is false, control then continues to block  486  where processing for automatic mode is called, as further described below with respect to  FIG. 5 . Control then returns to block  470  as previously described above. 
     If the determination at block  472  is true, then control continues to block  474  where a determination is made whether the data is junk, as further described below with respect to  FIG. 6 . If the determination at block  474  is true, then control continues to block  478  where the data is indicated as junk. Also, the data, a subset of the data, an identification of the data (e.g., title and sender) and/or the junk rating (or any combination) are presented to the user for feedback. 
     Control then continues to block  480  where feedback from the user (junk or not junk) is received and the data is sent to the junk box if the feedback from the user indicates that the user agrees that the data is junk. 
     Control then continues to block  482  where the junk filter is customized based on the user feedback of block  480 . For example, if the user agrees that the data is junk, the data may be added to a database of known junk data, as described in application Ser. No. 09/881,986, filed Jun. 14, 2001. Similarly, if the user disagrees that the data is junk, the junk filter is also trained. In this way, the filter is trained to recognize the type of data that the user considers to be junk. In an embodiment, multiple junk filters may be used with different criteria and trained separately depending on the source of the data, the destination of the data, the type of the data, a user selection, or any other appropriate means for organizing the filters. Control then continues to block  484  where the number of messages marked as junk and the number of messages marked as not junk are recorded. Control then returns to block  470 , as previously described above. 
     If the determination at block  474  is false, then control continues to block  476  where user input is received, as the user may provide input on any piece of data regardless of whether the system determines that the data is junk. 
     Control then continues to block  482  wherein the junk filter is customized based on the user input of block  476 . The junk filter may be customized as described in application Ser. No. 09/881,986, filed Jun. 14, 2001. Control then continues to block  484  where the number of messages marked as junk and the number of messages marked as not junk are recorded. Control then returns to block  470  as previously described above. 
       FIG. 5  depicts a flowchart of example processing for handling data within an automatic mode, according to an embodiment of the invention. Control begins at block  500 . Control then continues to block  505  where a determination is made whether the system is currently in junk automatic mode. If the determination at block  505  is false, then control continues to block  525  where the data is forwarded to the input box. Control then continues to block  599  where the function returns. 
     If the determination at block  505  is true, then control continues to block  510  where a determination is made whether the data is junk, as further described below with reference to  FIG. 6 . If the determination at block  510  is true, then control continues to block  515  where the junk rating is associated with the data and the data is optionally transferred to the junk box or highlighted, colored, or otherwise indicated as junk, depending on the options that the user selected in the rules dialog previously described above with reference to  FIG. 2 . Control then continues to block  599  where the function returns. 
     If the determination at block  510  is false, then control continues to block  520  where an interest rating is associated with the data and the data is transferred to the input box. The interest rating may be based on how close the data is to the database of legitimate data, using a technique described in application Ser. No. 09/881,986, filed Jun. 14, 2001. Control then continues to block  599  where the function returns. 
       FIG. 6  depicts a flowchart of example processing for determining if data is junk, according to an embodiment of the invention. Control begins at block  600 . Control then continues to block  605  where the exceptions list is checked to determine if the data meets the criteria specified in the exceptions list. The exceptions list may contain exceptions specified by the user via exceptions  220 , as previously described above with reference to  FIG. 2 . Referring again to  FIG. 6 , if the determination at block  605  is true, then control continues to block  610  where the function returns that the data is not junk. 
     If the determination at block  605  is false, then control continues to block  615  where the junk rating for the data is determined. In an embodiment, the junk rating may be a number that indicates the likelihood that the data is junk, or unwanted. The junk rating may be determined using latent semantic analysis, a vector space, and a database of unwanted (or junk) and legitimate data, as described in application Ser. No. 09/881,986, filed Jun. 14, 2001. But, in other embodiments any appropriate technique for determining the junk rating of the data may be used. 
     Control then continues to block  620  where a determination is made whether the junk rating previously determined at block  615  falls within the junk or unwanted range. In an embodiment, the junk range is a predetermined constant, but in other embodiments, the junk range may be variable based on the success of previous determinations or based on any appropriate data. If the determination at block  620  is true, then the function returns that the data is junk. 
     If the determination at block  620  is false, then control continues to block  630  where a determination is made whether the junk rating is within a indeterminate or ambiguous range. The ambiguous range may be a predetermined range or variable based on the success of previous determination or on any appropriate data. If the determination at block  630  is true, then control continues to block  635  where the user is prompted for advice or feedback as to whether the data is junk or not junk. 
     Control then continues to block  640  where the function returns the user response. If the user indicated that the data is junk at block  635 , then junk is returned at block  640 . If the user indicated at block  635  that the data is not junk, then not junk is returned at block  640 . In another embodiment, the processing of blocks  630 ,  635 , and  640  is optional and may not be used or may be used only in automatic mode but not in training mode or vice versa. 
     If the determination at block  630  is false, then control continues to block  699  where the function returns that the data is not junk. 
       FIG. 7A  depicts a flowchart of example processing for handling a junk box, according to an embodiment of the invention. Control begins at block  700 . Control then continues to block  705  where the data in the junk box is sorted based on the sender and/or the severity of the junk rating of the data, or any other sorting criteria. Control then continues to block  710  where, if requested by the user, the junk rating of the data in the junk box may be changed, the data may be moved to another box, the data may be moved to its originating box, and the junk box may be emptied. The system may also periodically delete data from the junk box after the expiration of a specified time period. The time period may be specified by the system or by the user. 
     Control then continues to block  715  where the junk filter may be updated based on the actions requested by the user. For example, the user requesting that mail in the junk box be moved to another box or the originating box is an indication that the user does not consider the mail to be junk, so the junk filter may be updated accordingly, regardless of whether the mail system is in training mode or automatic mode. 
     Control then continues to block  749  where the function returns. 
       FIG. 7B  depicts a flowchart of example processing for handling a reply to a mail message, according to an embodiment of the invention. Although the processing of  FIG. 7B  is been described in the context of replying to a message, in another embodiment analogous processing may be used in the context of forwarding a message. The processing of  FIG. 7B  takes advantage of the fact that mail that a user replies to or forwards is likely to not be junk. Control begins at block  750 . Control then continues to block  755  where a determination is made whether the number of messages marked as junk during automatic mode is more than the number of messages marked as not junk during automatic mode. The determination of block  755  ensures that the junk filter is not unduly weighted by data associated with replied to and forwarded mail, as these are likely to be common user actions. If the determination at block  755  is true, then control continues to block  765  where the message being replied to is marked as not junk. Control then continues to block  765  where the reply to the message is sent. Control then continues to block  770  where the function returns. 
     If the determination at block  755  is false, then control continues directly to block  765  as previously described above. 
       FIG. 8  depicts a flowchart of example processing for handling data within a training mode, according to an embodiment of the invention. Control begins at block  800 . Control then continues to block  802  where a determination is made whether to set automatic mode. If the determination at block  802  is false, then control returns to block  804 , where training mode is set on. Control then continues to block  805 , as further described below. 
     If the determination at block  802  is true, then control continues to block  803  where the system is switched from training mode to automatic mode. In an embodiment, the user may be asked permission before the switch is made. 
     Control then continues to block  805  where the data is received. Although in an embodiment the data may be electronic mail, in other embodiments, the data may be instant messages, telephone messages, fax data, images, software, or any other appropriate data. 
     Control then continues to block  810  where a determination is made whether the system is currently in training mode. If the determination at block  810  is false, control then continues to block  850  where processing for automatic mode is called, as further described below with respect to  FIG. 9 . Control then returns to block  805  as previously described above. 
     If the determination at block  810  is true, then control continues to block  815  where a determination is made whether the data meets a criteria, as further described below with respect to  FIG. 10 . Control then continues to block  830  where the filter is customized based on the determination of block  815  and optional user feedback. For example, if the user agrees that the data meets the criteria, the data may be added to a database of data that meet the criteria, as described in application Ser. No. 09/881,986, filed Jun. 14, 2001. Similarly, if the user disagrees that the data meets the criteria, the filter is also trained. In this way, the filter is dynamically customized and trained to recognize the type of data that the user considers to meet the criteria. In an embodiment, multiple filters may be used with different criteria and customized or trained separately depending on the source of the data, the destination of the data, the type of the data, a user selection, or any other appropriate means for organizing the filters. 
     Control then returns to block  805  as previously described above. 
       FIG. 9  depicts a flowchart of example processing for handling data within an automatic mode, according to an embodiment of the invention. Control begins at block  900 . Control then continues to block  905  where a determination is made whether the system is currently in automatic mode. If the determination at block  905  is false, then control continues to block  925  where the data is forwarded to the input box. Control then continues to block  999  where the function returns. 
     If the determination at block  905  is true, then control continues to block  910  where a determination is made whether the data meets a criteria, as further described below with reference to  FIG. 10 . If the determination at block  910  is true, then control continues to block  920  where the rating is associated with the data, the data is optionally transferred to a destination associated with data that met the criteria, and the data is optionally highlighted, colored, or otherwise indicated as meeting the criteria. Control then continues to block  999  where the function returns. 
     If the determination at block  910  is false, then control continues to block  915  where a rating is associated with the data and the data is transferred optionally transferred to a destination associated with data that failed the criteria, and the data is optionally highlighted, colored, or otherwise indicated as failing the criteria. Control then continues to block  999  where the function returns. 
     Thus, the data may be acted on based on a rating derived from the filter by transferring the data to a destination based on the rating or by communicating an indication of whether the data meets the criteria based on the rating. 
       FIG. 10  depicts a flowchart of example processing for determining if data meets a criteria, according to an embodiment of the invention. Control begins at block  1000 . Control then continues to block  1005  where the exceptions list is checked to determine if the data meets the criteria specified in the exceptions list. The exceptions list may contain exceptions specified by the user via exceptions  220 , as previously described above with reference to  FIG. 2 . But, in other embodiments, any appropriate user interface may be used for specifying exceptions. Referring again to  FIG. 10 , if the determination at block  1005  is true, then control continues to block  1010  where the function returns that the data meets the criteria. 
     If the determination at block  1005  is false, then control continues to block  1015  where the rating for the data is determined. In an embodiment, the rating may be a number that indicates the likelihood that the data meets the criteria. The rating may be determined using latent semantic analysis, a vector space, and a database of data that meets or fails the criteria, as described in application Ser. No. 09/881,986, filed Jun. 14, 2001. But, in other embodiments any appropriate technique for determining the rating of the data may be used. 
     Control then continues to block  1020  where a determination is made whether the rating previously determined at block  1015  falls within a range that fails the criteria. In an embodiment, the range is a predetermined constant, but in other embodiments, the range may be variable based on the success of previous determinations or based on any appropriate data. If the determination at block  1020  is true, then control continues to block  1025  where the function returns that the data fails the criteria. 
     If the determination at block  1020  is false, then control continues to block  1030  where a determination is made whether the rating is within a indeterminate or ambiguous range. The ambiguous range may be a predetermined range or variable based on the success of previous determinations or on any appropriate data. If the determination at block  1030  is true, then control continues to block  1035  where the user is prompted for advice or feedback as to whether the data is meets or fails the criteria. 
     Control then continues to block  1040  where the function returns the user response. In another embodiment, the processing of blocks  1030 ,  1035 , and  1040  is optional and may not be used or may be used only in automatic mode but not in training mode or vice versa. 
     If the determination at block  1030  is false, then control continues to block  1099  where the function returns that the data meets the criteria. 
       FIG. 11  depicts a block diagram of a system for implementing an embodiment of the invention. 
     Embodiments of the email filtering system may be employed individually on a machine for a particular user or on a central machine, e.g., an email server, to filter out email messages for a group of email recipients. Alternative embodiments may include employing the email filtering system on a server or other device that communicates with a remote user, for example, a user using a wireless device such as a wireless personal digital assistant (PDA) or wireless palm top computer, so that the limited memory of the wireless device is not unnecessarily filled with unsolicited email messages. Alternative embodiments may employ the email filtering system on the PDA and unsolicited messages may be discarded as soon as they are received. 
     An embodiment of the invention may utilize a distributed computing environment, in which program modules may be physically located in different local and remote memory storage devices. Execution of the program modules may occur locally in a stand-alone manner or remotely in a client/server manner. Examples of such distributed computing environments include local area networks, enterprise-wide networks, and the Internet. 
     Illustrated are a server  1101  connected to a computer  1102  via a network  1110 . Although one server  1101 , one computer  1102 , and one network  1110  are shown, in other embodiments any number or combination of them may be present. Although the server  1101  and the network  1110  are shown, in another embodiment they may not be present. 
     The computer  1102  may include a processor  1130 , a storage device  1135 , an input device  1137 , and an output device  1140 , all connected via a bus  1180 . 
     The processor  1130  may represent a central processing unit of any type of architecture, such as a CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing), RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing), VLIW (Very Long Instruction Word), or a hybrid architecture, although any appropriate processor may be used. The processor  1130  may execute instructions and may include that portion of the computer  1102  that controls the operation of the entire computer. Although not depicted in  FIG. 8 , the processor  1130  typically includes a control unit that organizes data and program storage in memory and transfers data and other information between the various parts of the computer  1102 . The processor  1130  may receive data from the input device  1137 , may read and store code and data in the storage device  1135 , may send data to the output device  1140 , and may send and receive code and/or data to/from the network  1110 . 
     Although the computer  1102  is shown to contain only a single processor  1130  and a single bus  1180 , the present invention applies equally to computers that may have multiple processors and to computers that may have multiple buses with some or all performing different functions in different ways. 
     The storage device  1135  represents one or more mechanisms for storing data. For example, the storage device  1135  may include read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, and/or other machine-readable media. In other embodiments, any appropriate type of storage device may be used. Although only one storage device  1135  is shown, multiple storage devices and multiple types of storage devices may be present. Further, although the computer  1102  is drawn to contain the storage device  1135 , it may be distributed across other computers, for example on server  1101 . 
     The storage device  1135  may include instructions  1198  capable of being executed on the processor  1130  to carry out the functions of the present invention, as previously described above with reference to  FIGS. 1-10 . In another embodiment, some or all of the functions of the present invention may be carried out via hardware in lieu of a processor-based system. Of course, the storage device  1135  may also contain additional software and data (not shown). In an embodiment, the instructions  1198  may implement a mail system, an optical character recognition system capable of receiving faxes or scanned images, an image processor, or a downloader that downloads code and/or data from the network  1110 . Although the instructions  1198  are shown to be within the storage device  1135  in the computer  1102 , some or all of the instructions  1198  may be distributed across other systems, for example on the server  1101  and accessed via the network  1110 . 
     The input device  1137  may be a keyboard, mouse, trackball, touchpad, touchscreen, keypad, microphone, voice recognition device, or any other appropriate mechanism for the user to input data to the computer  1102 . Although only one input device  1137  is shown, in another embodiment any number and type of input devices may be present. 
     The output device  1140  is that part of the computer  1102  that communicates output to the user. The output device  1140  may be a cathode-ray tube (CRT) based video display well known in the art of computer hardware. But, in other embodiments the output device  1140  may be replaced with a liquid crystal display (LCD) based or gas, plasma-based, flat-panel display. In still other embodiments, any appropriate display device may be used suitable for displaying views may be used. Although only one output device  1140  is shown, in other embodiments, any number of output devices of different types or of the same type may be present. 
     The bus  1180  may represent one or more busses, e.g., USB, FireWire, PCI, ISA (Industry Standard Architecture), X-Bus, EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture), or any other appropriate bus and/or bridge (also called a bus controller). 
     The computer  1102  may be implemented using any suitable hardware and/or software, such as a personal computer or other electronic computing device. Portable computers, laptop or notebook computers, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), two-way alphanumeric pagers, keypads, portable telephones, pocket computers, appliances with computing units, and mainframe computers are examples of other possible configurations of the computer  1102 . The hardware and software depicted in  FIG. 11  may vary for specific applications and may include more or fewer elements than those depicted. For example, other peripheral devices such as audio adapters, or chip programming devices, such as EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) programming devices may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware already depicted. 
     The network  1110  may be any suitable network and may support any appropriate protocol suitable for communication between the server  1101  and the computer  1102 . In an embodiment, the network  1110  may support wireless communications. In another embodiment, the network  1110  may support hard-wired communications, such as a telephone line or cable. In another embodiment, the network  1110  may support the Ethernet IEEE 802.3x specification. In another embodiment, the network  1110  may be the Internet and may support IP (Internet Protocol). In another embodiment, the network  1110  may be a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN). In another embodiment, the network  1110  may be a hotspot service provider network. In another embodiment, the network  1110  may be an intranet. In another embodiment, the network  1110  may be a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) network. In another embodiment, the network  1110  may be any appropriate cellular data network or cell-based radio network technology. In another embodiment, the network  1110  may be an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11B wireless network. In still another embodiment, the network  1110  may be any suitable network or combination of networks. Although one network  1110  is shown, in other embodiments any number of networks (of the same or different types) may be present. 
     As was described in detail above, aspects of an embodiment pertain to specific apparatus and method elements implementable on a computer or other electronic device. In another embodiment, the invention may be implemented as a program product for use with an electronic device. The programs defining the functions of this embodiment may be delivered to an electronic device via a variety of signal-bearing media, which include, but are not limited to: 
     (1) information permanently stored on a non-rewriteable storage medium, e.g., a read-only memory device attached to or within an electronic device, such as a CD-ROM readable by a CD-ROM drive; 
     (2) alterable information stored on a rewriteable storage medium, e.g., a hard disk drive or diskette; or 
     (3) information conveyed to an electronic device by a communications medium, such as through a computer or a telephone network, including wireless communications. 
     Such signal-bearing media, when carrying machine-readable instructions that direct the functions of the present invention, represent embodiments of the present invention. 
     It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20030505
Publication Date: 20091229
Grant Date: 20091229
Priority Date: 20010614
Inventors: ARTHUR BRUCE
MARCOS PAUL
CHRISTIE GREG
BELLEGARDA JEROME R
SILVERMAN KIM E. A.
FORSTALL SCOTT
TIENE KEVIN
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04L51/212", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L51/212", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q10/107", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10S707/99937", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q10/107", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 41433100