Patent ID: 6772196
Filing Date: 2004-08-03
Classification: G06Q,H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of detecting unsolicited email comprising the steps of:a) generating a signature set, for a received email message, containing a plurality of encoded signatures corresponding to a plurality of content portions of said email message; b) performing a lookup of the individual encoded signatures of said signature set against a database storing a plurality of reference signatures, wherein said plurality of reference signatures includes encoded signatures corresponding to respective content portions occurring in any of a plurality of predetermined unsolicited email messages and wherein each of said plurality of reference signatures is accessed by said step of performing a lookup independent of reference to an individual one of said plurality of predetermined unsolicited email messages; c) first determining a score value for said received email message calculated as a representative percentage match between said signature set and said plurality of reference signatures; and d) second determining whether said score value is greater that a predetermined threshold value, whereby said email message is qualified as unsolicited email.