Electronic mailbox for online and offline activities

• US 10,574,600 B1
• Filed: 03/25/2016
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chiarella, Sharon Elizabeth, Law, David W., Nageswaran, Balaji, Samatar, Nassir, Sutaria, Shreeraj, Taylor, Amber Autrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Algibhah, Hamza N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hollister, James Ross
• Application Number:
  US15/081,660
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

Techniques providing an email service for particular activities may be described. For example, an email message sent by an entity to an email address of a user may be received. The email address may identify an email box accessible to the user via a user interface of the email box. The email message may describe a status of an item ordered by the user from the entity. The description may use a format specific to the entity. A summary may be generated based on the email message. The summary may describe the status of the item in a different format. This format may be common to generated summaries, such that the summary may include fields common to another summary generated for another email message of another entity. The summary may be provided for presentation in the user interface of the email box.

Claims

1. An electronic mail server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing computer-readable instructions that, upon execution by the processor, configure the electronic mail server to;

provide an electronic mail box to a user, the electronic mail box hosted on the electronic mail server and identified based at least in part on an electronic mail address specific to the user;

receive electronic mail messages sent by respective entities to the electronic mail address specific to the user, the electronic mail messages comprising a first electronic mail message and a second electronic mail messages, the first electronic mail message comprising a description of a status of an item ordered by the user from an entity of the respective entities, the description based at least in part on a first format specific to the entity;

identify that the first electronic mail message is associated with an ordered item based at least in part on a parsing of the description and that the second electronic mail message from the electronic mail messages is unrelated to the ordered item;

generate a summary from the description based at least in part on the first electronic mail message being associated with the ordered item, the summary describing the status of the item in a second format, the second format being specific to the electronic mail server such that the summary comprises fields common to summaries generated by the electronic mail server from descriptions received in other electronic mail messages of other entities;

store the summary in the electronic mail box hosted on the electronic mail server;

determine that the summary is to be presented in a first user interface view of a user interface to the electronic mail box;

determine, based at least in part on the second electronic mail message being unrelated to the ordered item, that the second electronic mail message is to be presented in a second user interface view of the user interface, the second user interface view associated with a presentation of electronic messages unrelated to ordered items; and

provide, to a computing device of the user based at least in part on an access of the computing device to the electronic mail box, the summary in the user interface to the electronic mail box, the user interface presenting the summary in the first user interface view, the user interface identifying the second electronic mail message in the second user interface view, wherein;

the first user interface view presents the fields and an action that, upon selection, causes the electronic mail server to generate a response addressed to the entity,

the second user interface view providing a functionality that includes;

presenting a first user-selectable option to forward the second electronic mail message to another electronic mail box hosted on another electronic mail server,

presenting a second user-selectable option to delete the second electronic mail message from the electronic mail box hosted on the electronic mail server, and

restricting access to the second electronic mail message by restricting a presentation of content of the second electronic mail message in the second user interface view, the functionality excluding an option to present the content of the second electronic mail message.

2. The electronic mail server of claim 1, wherein the summary is provided in the user interface in lieu of the first electronic mail message, wherein the electronic mail server is associated with an electronic platform, wherein a domain part of the electronic mail address is associated with a domain name of the electronic platform, wherein the electronic platform is configured to offer items, and wherein the fields of the second format correspond to particular fields of the electronic platform that are configured to provide statuses of ordered items.

3. The electronic mail server of claim 1, wherein the summary is provided in an order folder of the user interface, and wherein the electronic mail server is further configured to:

identify that the second electronic mail message sent to the electronic mail address of the user is not associated with any ordered item by the user;

generate a second summary that identifies a sender of the second electronic mail message and a subject of the second electronic mail message; and

provide the second summary in a non-order folder of the user interface.

20. The electronic mail server of claim 1, wherein the response is generated based at least in part on a template specific to the entity, and wherein the response comprises information from one or more fields of the summary.

4. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving an electronic mail message sent by an entity to an electronic mail address of a user, the electronic mail message describing a status of an item ordered by the user from the entity based at least in part on a first format specific to the entity, the electronic mail address identifying an electronic mail box that is accessible to the user via a user interface;

generating a summary based at least in part on the electronic mail message, the summary describing the status of the item in a second format, the second format being common to generated summaries such that the summary comprises fields common to another summary generated for another electronic mail message of another entity;

determining that the summary is to be presented in a first user interface view of the user interface;

determining that a second electronic mail message is to be presented in a second user interface view of the user interface, the second user interface view associated with a presentation of electronic messages unrelated to ordered items; and

providing the summary for presentation in the user interface of the electronic mail box, wherein the user interface presents the summary in the first user interface view and identifies the second electronic mail message in the second user interface view, wherein presentation of content of the second electronic mail message is restricted in the second user interface view, wherein;

the first user interface view presents an action that, upon selection, generates a response addressed to the entity, and

the second user interface view presents a first user-selectable option to forward the second electronic mail message to another electronic mail box and a second user-selectable option to delete the second electronic mail message from the electronic mail box.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the electronic mail box is hosted on an electronic platform that is configured to offer items, and wherein the fields of the second format correspond to status fields used at the electronic platform and configured to provide statuses of ordered items, and wherein the user interface comprises at least one of:

a web page interface to the electronic mail box or an application interface to the electronic mail box.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the fields represent at least one of:

an identifier of the entity, an identifier of the item, an order date, an order number, an order status, a payment confirmation, a delivery date estimate, or a return option.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the user interface enables a sorting of summaries based at least in part on the identifier of the entity, the identifier of the item, the order date, the order status, or the delivery date estimate.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the electronic mail address is generated based at least in part on a registration process, and wherein the second format is defined based at least in part on input of the user via the registration process or subsequent to the registration process.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

identifying the item based at least in part on the electronic mail message;

identifying a supplemental item that supplements a feature of the item;

generating an offer for the supplement item;

identifying an interest of the user based at least in part on a plurality of electronic mail messages received at the electronic mail address;

including the interest in a profile of the user; and

generating one or more offers for items based at least in part on the interest being included in the profile.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the electronic mail box is hosted on an electronic platform that is configured to offer items, and further comprising:

identifying that the item has been ordered by users from the entity at a frequency that exceeds a threshold, the frequency determined based at least in part on electronic mail messages sent by the entity to electronic mail addresses corresponding to the users, wherein the electronic mail addresses have a common domain part associated with the electronic platform;

including in a profile of the entity an indication that the frequency exceeds the threshold and an identifier of the item; and

initiating a process for offering the item from the entity through the electronic platform.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the electronic mail box is hosted on an electronic platform that is configured to offer items, and further comprising:

identifying that the item has been ordered by users from one or more entities at a frequency that exceeds a threshold, the frequency determined based at least in part on electronic mail messages sent by the one or more entities to electronic mail addresses corresponding to the users, wherein the electronic mail addresses have a common domain part associated with the electronic platform; and

initiating a process for offering the item from an electronic marketplace.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the item is offered from the electronic marketplace based at least in part on an inventory space that stores units of the item, and further comprising:

providing an identifier of the item and information about the frequency to an inventory management system of the inventory space, wherein the inventory management system is configured to generate a plan for inventorying the units of the item based at least in part on the identifier of the item and information about the frequency.

13. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media comprising instructions that, upon execution on a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:

receiving an electronic mail message sent by an entity to an electronic mail address of a user, the electronic mail message describing a status of an item ordered by the user from the entity based at least in part on a first format specific to the entity, the electronic mail address identifying an electronic mail box that is accessible to the user via a user interface, the electronic mail box provided from an electronic platform that is configured to offer items to the user;

generating a summary based at least in part on the electronic mail message, the summary describing the status of the item in a second format, the second format being specific to the electronic platform such that the summary comprises fields common to a description provided by the electronic platform for a second status of a second item ordered by the user from the electronic platform;

determining that the summary is to be presented in a first view of the user interface;

determining that a second electronic mail message is to be presented in a second view of the user interface, the second view associated with a presentation of electronic messages unrelated to ordered items; and

providing the summary for presentation in the user interface of the electronic mail box, wherein the user interface presents the summary in the first view and identifies the second electronic mail message in the second view, wherein presentation of content of the second electronic mail message is restricted in the second view, wherein;

the first view presents an action that, upon selection, causes the computer system to generate a response addressed to the entity, and

the second view presents a first selectable option to forward the second electronic mail message to another electronic mail box and a second selectable option to delete the second electronic mail message from the electronic mail box.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein the user interface is at least one of a read only web page interface or a read only application interface, wherein the summary comprises a link to the electronic mail message, and further storing additional instructions that, upon execution on the computer system, cause the computer system to perform additional operations comprising:

providing the electronic mail message for presentation in a second user interface based at least in part on an activation of the link.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein the electronic mail message is not forwarded to an alternate electronic mail address of the user based at least in part on a determination that the electronic mail message is associated with an ordered item, and further storing additional instructions that, upon execution on the computer system, cause the computer system to perform additional operations comprising:

identifying that the second electronic mail message sent to the electronic mail address of the user is not associated with any ordered item by the user; and

forwarding the second electronic mail message to the alternate electronic mail address of the user based at least in part on the second electronic mail message not being associated with any ordered item.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 13, further storing additional instructions that, upon execution on the computer system, cause the computer system to perform additional operations comprising:

determining an identifier of the entity based at least in part on the electronic mail message;

identifying the first format based at least in part on the identifier;

identifying attributes expected in the electronic mail message based at least in part on the first format being identified;

parsing the electronic mail message based at least in part on the attributes to identify values corresponding to the attributes; and

populating the fields for the summary based at least in part on the values.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 13, further storing additional instructions that, upon execution on the computer system, cause the computer system to perform additional operations comprising:

determining that the electronic mail message does not contain an image of the item;

identifying a computing resource that stores the image;

accessing the image from the computing resource; and

inserting the image in a field of the summary.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 13, further storing additional instructions that, upon execution on the computer system, cause the computer system to perform additional operations comprising:

receiving a third electronic mail message sent by the entity to the electronic mail address of the user, the third electronic mail message related to the item ordered by the user from the entity; and

merging information from the electronic mail message and the third electronic mail message in the summary.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 13, further storing additional instructions that, upon execution on the computer system, cause the computer system to perform additional operations comprising:

receiving a third electronic mail message sent by a second entity to the electronic mail address of the user, the third electronic mail message related to the item ordered by the user from the entity; and

merging information from the electronic mail message and the third electronic mail message in the summary.