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Redundant email address detection and capture system

  • US 6,928,465 B2
  • Filed: 03/16/2001
  • Issued: 08/09/2005
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for automatically detecting unwanted messages in real time in a system that includes a message server for routing incoming message files to a directory, the method comprising the steps of:

  • accessing said directory and for identifying said message files;

    locating any of an address-of-origin, subject, or other specified criteria within each said message file;

    identifying whether each said message file should be considered spam;

    separating said spam and non-spam message files logically; and

    any of physically moving and renaming said message files in a predetermined fashion;

    wherein said accessing step further comprising the steps of;

    reading a RecentFileList from a RecentFile; and

    loading said RecentFileList into a RecentListArray;

    wherein if a BypassFileList is included, reading said BypassFileList into a BypassArray;

    wherein said locating step further comprising the steps of;

    creating a NewListArray;

    opening said message files;

    extracting message addresses of a sender as defined in any of MailInDirName, AddrLineLocator, and AddrInfoLocator fields;

    loading said NewListArray with new message sender addresses and associated file names;

    setting an arrival time for all records in said NewListArray;

    combining said NewListArray into said RecentListArray;

    marking new records as IsNew=True; and

    sorting said RecentListArray by message sender addresses;

    wherein said identifying step further comprising the steps of;

    determining the age of a message sender address based upon a SecondsThreshold when a message sender address is retrieved from said RecentListArray;

    if said message file is older than said threshold, marking said message file as IsExpired=True by Seconds Threshold;

    determining whether said message sender address occurs more often than a SourceThreshold allows;

    optionally, if yes, examining said message sender address to determine if it is to be passed anyway because it is identified in said BypassArray; and

    marking said message file as IsSpam=True if said message file exceeds said SourceThreshold, and said SecondThreshold has not timed out, and optionally said message file is not listed in said BypassArray.

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