Patent ID: 6928465

Claim:
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.