Mail bot and mailing list detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018367488-A1
Application number	US-201715625065-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 16, 2017
Priority date	Jun 16, 2017
Publication date	Dec 20, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention may include a method, computer program product, and system for detecting email messages sent from an automated mailing system. The embodiment may include analyzing email metadata of a user to detect an indication of automation. The embodiment may include identifying any email messages sent corresponding to the pattern of automation. The embodiment may include performing an action in response to the identified email messages.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for detecting email messages sent from an automated mailing system, the method comprising:
analyzing email metadata of a user to detect an indication of automation, identifying email messages sent corresponding to the detected indication of automation; and performing an action in response to the identified email messages.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the indication of automation further comprises:
analyzing the user's email metadata to detect a usage pattern of a sender of email messages, wherein the sender of email messages sends a threshold number of email messages to the user, within a period of time, without receiving a threshold number of email messages; and identifying the sender of email messages as a mail-bot in response to the detected usage pattern.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the indication of automation further comprises:
analyzing the user's email metadata to detect a received email message not explicitly addressed to the user, wherein the received email message not explicitly addressed to the user is received by one or more other users; identifying the one or more other users as a mailing list; and adding the identified one or more other users to a group of mailing lists.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the user's email metadata consists of:
information within a “To” field of one or more email messages, information within a “From” field, of the one or more email messages, information within a “CC” field, of the one or more email messages, information within a “BCC” field, of the one or more email messages, and information within a “Date” field, of the one or more email messages.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the action to be performed in response to the identified email messages comprises an element from the group consisting of:
moving one or more of the identified email messages to a specified email folder, marking as read one or more of the identified email messages, deleting one or more of the identified email messages, and filtering out one or more of the identified email messages.

6 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining whether the one or more other users in the group of mailing lists has sent email messages to the user; and based on determining that the one or more other users in the group mailing lists has sent email messages to the user, removing the one or more other users from the group of mailing lists.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a visual indication to the user for identified email messages, wherein the visual indication for identified email messages is different from a visual indication for unidentified email messages.

8 . A computer program product for detecting email messages sent from an automated mailing system, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer-readable storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage devices, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to analyze email metadata of a user to detect an indication of automation;
program instructions to identify email messages sent corresponding to the detected indication of automation; and
program instructions to perform an action in response to the identified email messages.

9 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein detecting the indication of automation further comprises:
program instructions to analyze the user's email metadata to detect a usage pattern of a sender of email messages, wherein the sender of email messages sends a threshold number of email messages to the user, within a period of time, without receiving a threshold number of email messages; and program instructions to identify the sender of email messages as a mail-bot in response to the detected usage pattern.

10 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein detecting the indication of automation further comprises:
program instructions to analyze the user's email metadata to detect a received email message not explicitly addressed to the user, wherein the received email message not explicitly addressed to the user is received by one or more other users; program instructions to identify the one or more other users as a mailing list; and program instructions to add the identified one or more other users to a group of mailing lists.

11 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the user's email metadata consists of:
information within a “To” field of one or more email messages, information within a “From” field, of the one or more email messages, information within a “CC” field, of the one or more email messages, information within a “BCC” field, of the one or more email messages, and information within a “Date” field, of the one or more email messages.

12 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the action to be performed in response to the identified email messages comprises an element from the group consisting of:
program instructions to move one or more of the identified email messages to a specified email folder, program instructions to mark as read one or more of the identified email messages, program instructions to delete one or more of the identified email messages, and program instructions to filter out one or more of the identified email messages.

13 . The computer program product of claim 10 , further comprising:
program instructions to determine whether the one or more other users in the group of mailing lists has sent email messages to the user; and based on determining that the one or more other users in the group mailing lists has sent email messages to the user, program instructions to remove the one or more other users from the group of mailing lists.

14 . The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising:
program instructions to provide a visual indication to the user for identified email messages, wherein the visual indication for identified email messages is different from a visual indication for unidentified email messages.

15 . A computer system for detecting email messages sent from an automated mailing system, the computer system comprising:
one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to analyze email metadata of a user to detect an indication of automation;
program instructions to identify email messages sent corresponding to the detected indication of automation; and
program instructions to perform an action in response to the identified email messages.

16 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein detecting the indication of automation further comprises:
program instructions to analyze the user's email metadata to detect a usage pattern of a sender of email messages, wherein the sender of email messages sends a threshold number of email messages to the user, within a period of time, without receiving a threshold number of email messages; and program instructions to identify the sender of email messages as a mail-bot in response to the detected usage pattern.

17 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein detecting the indication of automation further comprises:
program instructions to analyze the user's email metad

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Chasse Brenton P
• Davis Andrew E
• Gorman Cory W
• Stair Zachary A

Classifications

• H04L51/02 Primary

  using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages · CPC title

• G06F16/335

  Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles (filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536) · CPC title

• G06F17/30699

  Physics · mapped topic

• H04L51/12

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L51/22 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic