Patent ID: 7100208

Claim:
A method for preventing unwanted messages from reaching a receiving device, comprising: compiling databases comprising entries of authorized and unauthorized originators of messages; receiving a message from a sending party; identifying the sending party; and selecting an exclusive mode of operation corresponding to the database with the least number of entries, where the modes of operation comprise an allowing mode for authorized originators and a blocking mode for unauthorized originators, or where the databases are of equal size, defaulting to a predetermined mode, where in the allowing mode, determining by reference to the database of authorized originators whether the sending party is an authorized originator and, in response, passing the message of an authorized originator to the receiving device or, if the sending party is not an authorized originator, blocking the message; or in the blocking mode, determining by reference to the database of unauthorized originators whether the sending party is an unauthorized originator and, in response, blocking the message of an unauthorized originator or, if the sending party is not an unauthorized originator, passing the message to the receiving device.