Appeal No. 2000-2245
Application No. 08/661,686
The invention is directed to providing a method and apparatus for identifying and
automatically deleting junk e-mail messages. An e-mail message delivered to one or
more members of a group of trusted recipients may be classified as being junk e-mail by
one or more of these recipients, in which case the presentation of the junk e-mail to other
trusted members of the group who have not yet viewed the junk e-mail is prevented.
Representative independent claim 1 is reproduced as follows:
1. A computer controlled method for processing electronic mail (e-mail)
comprising the steps of:
(a) automatically presenting an e-mail message to a first trusted
recipient; said first trusted recipient being one of a plurality of trusted
recipients;
(b) classifying said e-mail message as junk e-mail; and
(c) when said e-mail is classified as junk e-mail, automatically
preventing presentation of said e-mail message to one or more of said
plurality of trusted recipients.
The examiner relies on the following references:
Gross et al. (Gross) 5,283,856 Feb. 01, 1994
“Making connections to the ‘Net. [Connections] (company policies for
employee Internet use)”, MIDRANGE Systems, vol. 8, no. 2, p21(1). (Jan.
27, 1995).
Claims 1-3, 5-7, 9-14, 16-18, 20-27, 29-35, 37 and 38 stand rejected under 35
U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Gross in view of Connections.
2
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