Patent ID: 7882177

Claim:
A method for use in managing delivery of content over a network, comprising: receiving a message, wherein the message includes an image file; extracting the image file from the message; converting the image file to a grayscale image; performing pixel edge detection within the grayscale image that includes at least eliminating weak edges by converting a pixel to black if its threshold chrominance is below a defined threshold, and eliminating weak edges by converting a contrast of a pixel within a determined weak edge to a higher contrast; determining a pixel density distribution (PDD) for the edge detected image; if the PDD statistically indicates that the image file is an image spam file, performing an action to inhibit at least the image file from being forwarded to a destination associated with the message; and if the PDD statistically indicates that the image file is not image spam, forwarding the message with the image file towards a destination such that the image file is viewable by a recipient at a display; collecting feedback based, in part, on a number of false-positives for the statistical indications; and employing the feedback to modify a PDD statistical threshold useable in indicating if the image file is an image spam file.