Patent US6460050B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6460050B1
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Distributed content identification system
Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC
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Filing: 1999-12-22
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Granted: 2002-10-01
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Expires: 2019-12-22
Abstract
Abstract A file content classification system includes a digital ID generator and an ID appearance database coupled to receive IDs from the ID generator. The system further includes a characteristic comparison routine identifying the file as having a characteristic based on ID appearance in the appearance database. In a further aspect, a method for identifying a characteristic of a data file comprises the steps of: generating a digital identifier for the data file and forwarding the identifier to a processing system; determining whether the forwarded identifier matches a characteristic of other identifiers; and processing the data file based on said step of determination.
Inventors
- 👤 Mark Raymond Pace
- 👤 Brooks Cash Talley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 15:54
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L63/00; H04L63/14; G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/10; G06Q10/107; H04L51/00; H04L51/21; H04L51/212; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99944; Y10S707/99945; Y10S707/99948
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
A file content classification system comprising: a plurality of agents, each agent including a file content ID generator creating file content IDs using a mathematical algorithm, at least one agent provided on one of a plurality of clients; an ID appearance database, provided on a server, coupled to receive file content IDs from the agents; and a characteristic comparison routine on the server, identifying a characteristic of the file content based on the appearance of the file content ID in the appearance database and transmitting the characteristic to the client agents.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
91 words
A file content classification system comprising: a plurality of agents, each agent including a file content ID generator creating file content IDs using a mathematical algorithm, at least one agent provided on one of a plurality of clients; an ID appearance database, provided on a server, coupled to receive file content IDs from the agents; and a characteristic comparison routine on the server, identifying a characteristic of the file content based on the appearance of the file content ID in the appearance database and transmitting the characteristic to the client agents.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The content classification system of claim 1 wherein said ID generator comprises a hashing algorithm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The content classification system of claim 2 wherein said hashing algorithm is the MD5 hashing algorithm.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The content classification system of claim 2 wherein said ID appearance database tracks the frequency of appearance of a digital ID.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The content classification system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of agents are coupled to said database via a combination of public and private networks.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The content classification system of claim 5 wherein said database is coupled to an intermediate server which is coupled to said plurality of agents.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The content classification system of claim 6 wherein said intermediate server is a web server.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The content classification system of claim 1 wherein said characteristic comprises junk e-mail and said characteristic is defined by a frequency of appearance of a file content ID.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
97 words
A method for identifying characteristics of data files, comprising: receiving, on a processing system, file content identifiers for data files from a plurality of file content identifier generator agents, each agent provided on a source system and creating file content IDs using a mathematical algorithm, via a network; determining, on the processing system, whether each received content identifier matches a characteristic of other identifiers; and outputting, to at least one of the source systems responsive to a request from said source system, an indication of the characteristic of the data file based on said step of determining.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
97 words
A method for identifying characteristics of data files, comprising: receiving, on a processing system, file content identifiers for data files from a plurality of file content identifier generator agents, each agent provided on a source system and creating file content IDs using a mathematical algorithm, via a network; determining, on the processing system, whether each received content identifier matches a characteristic of other identifiers; and outputting, to at least one of the source systems responsive to a request from said source system, an indication of the characteristic of the data file based on said step of determining.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said file content identifier generates an identifier by hashing at least a portion of the data file.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 10 wherein said hashing comprises using the MD5 hash.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 10 wherein said step of generating comprises hashing multiple portions of the data file.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 9 wherein each said data file is an email message and said step of determining comprises determining whether said email is SPAM.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said step of determining identifies said e-mail as SPAM by tracing the rate per unit time a digital ID is generated.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 14 wherein said method further includes the step of instructing said plurality of source systems to perform an action with the email based on said determining step.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
105 words
A method of filtering an email message, comprising: receiving, on a second computer, a digital content identifier created using a mathematical algorithm unique to the message content from at least two of a plurality of first computers having digital content ID generator agents; comparing, on the second computer, the digital content identifier to a characteristic database of digital content identifiers received from said plurality of first computers to determine whether the message has a characteristic; and responding to a query from at least one of said plurality of computers to identify the existence or absence of said characteristic of the message based on said comparing.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
105 words
A method of filtering an email message, comprising: receiving, on a second computer, a digital content identifier created using a mathematical algorithm unique to the message content from at least two of a plurality of first computers having digital content ID generator agents; comparing, on the second computer, the digital content identifier to a characteristic database of digital content identifiers received from said plurality of first computers to determine whether the message has a characteristic; and responding to a query from at least one of said plurality of computers to identify the existence or absence of said characteristic of the message based on said comparing.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said second computer is coupled to said plurality of first computers by a combination of public and private networks.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 17 wherein said step of receiving includes receiving identifiers from said plurality of first systems via an intervening Web server.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 18 wherein said plurality of systems are coupled by the Internet.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said step of comparing comprises determining the frequency of a particular ID occurring in a time period, classifying said ID as having a characteristic, and comparing digital content identifiers to said classified IDs.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
87 words
A file content classification system for a first computer and a second computer coupled by a network, comprising: a client agent file content identifier generator on the first computer, the file content identifier comprising a computed value of at least two non-contiguous sections of data in a file; and a server comparison agent and data-structure on the second computer receiving identifiers from the client agent and providing replies to the client agent; wherein the client agent processes the file based on replies from the server comparison agent.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
87 words
A file content classification system for a first computer and a second computer coupled by a network, comprising: a client agent file content identifier generator on the first computer, the file content identifier comprising a computed value of at least two non-contiguous sections of data in a file; and a server comparison agent and data-structure on the second computer receiving identifiers from the client agent and providing replies to the client agent; wherein the client agent processes the file based on replies from the server comparison agent.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
97 words
A method for providing a service on the Internet, comprising: collecting data on a processing system from a plurality of systems having a client agent generating digital content identifiers created using a mathematical algorithm for each of a plurality of files on the Internet to a server having a database; characterizing the files on the server system based on said digital content identifiers received relative to other digital content identifiers collected in the database; and transmitting a substance identifier from the server to the client agent indicating the presence or absence of a characteristic in the file.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
97 words
A method for providing a service on the Internet, comprising: collecting data on a processing system from a plurality of systems having a client agent generating digital content identifiers created using a mathematical algorithm for each of a plurality of files on the Internet to a server having a database; characterizing the files on the server system based on said digital content identifiers received relative to other digital content identifiers collected in the database; and transmitting a substance identifier from the server to the client agent indicating the presence or absence of a characteristic in the file.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 22 wherein said step of collecting comprises collecting a digital identifier for a data file.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 23 wherein said file content is an e-mail.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 23 wherein said step of characterizing comprises: tracking the frequency of the collection of a particular identifier, characterizing the data file based on said frequency, storing the characterization; and comparing collected identifiers to the known characterization.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-09-30 | 2006-04-01 | 2006-10-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-09-30 | 2010-04-01 | 2010-10-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-09-30 | 2014-04-01 | 2014-10-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |