Indicating the context of a communication

• US 20040001090A1
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Smith, Newton James Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,495,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A method, system, and program for indicating a reaction response associated with the content of a communication to provide a context for the communication are provided. The content of a communication and the reaction responses to a communication provide the context for a communication. Varying portions of the content of a communication are analyzed to identify a particular reaction response associated with each of the varying portions of content. During a display of the content of the communication, a color within any of the varying portions indicates the associated reaction response. A reaction response may indicate a sender'"'"'s intended response or an anticipated or actual response of a recipient. The colors may be added to a proposed communication and edited by a sender to achieve a particular desired response.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing a communication, comprising:

analyzing varying portions of content of a communication to identify a particular reaction response associated with each of said varying portions of said content; and

indicating, during a display of said content of said communication, any one of said varying portions in a displayable attribute associated with said particular reaction response.

2. The method for analyzing a communication according to claim 1, wherein said varying portions comprise at least one from among a word, a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, a topic, a subject line, a mood, an urgency indicator, a greeting, a closing, an icon, a graphic, an avatar gesture, a sound clip, a video clip, an attached document, and the entirety of said content of said communication.

3. The method for analyzing a communication according to claim 1, wherein said displayable attribute comprises at least one from among a color, a text treatment, a style treatment, and a graphical element.

4. The method for analyzing a communication according to claim 1, wherein said reaction response comprises at least one from among an anticipated response of an intended recipient of said communication, an intended response of a sender of said communication, and an actual response of said intended recipient to said communication.

5. The method for analyzing a communication according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending said communication to a recipient with said displayable attribute marked in said content of said communication.

6. The method for analyzing a communication according to claim 1, further comprising:

indicating, during said display of said content to a sender, said displayable attribute associated with any of said varying portions prior to sending said communication to a recipient.

7. The method for analyzing a communication according to claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a sender to selectively deselect said displayable attribute indication and selectively add displayable attribute indications to said communication for sending to a recipient.

8. The method for analyzing a communication according to claim 1, further comprising:

indicating said displayable attribute indication in a display to a recipient of said communication.

9. The method for analyzing a communication according to claim 1, wherein analyzing varying portions of content of a communication further comprises:

comparing varying portions of content of a communication with at least one database having designated anticipated reactions of at least one intended recipient in response to selected types of content.

10. The method for analyzing a communication according to claim 9, wherein said at least one response database comprises at least one from among an individual response database, a regional response database, a National Language Support response database, a business response database, and a characteristics response database.

11. The method for analyzing a communication according to claim 1, wherein said communication is at least one from among a document, an electronic communication, a voice communication, a video communication, and a graphical communication.

12. The method for analyzing a communication according to claim 1, further comprising:

iteratively receiving edited revisions of said content of said communication from a user and adjusting each of said varying portions of content until a desired anticipated response is achieved.

13. The method for analyzing a communication according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a range of substitution suggestions for any of said varying portions of said content; and

indicating in said display, said range of substitution suggestions as selectable replacement for said content.

14. The method for analyzing a communication according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a specification of intended responses to said varying portions of said content; and

determining substitutions for said varying portions of said content to achieve said specification of intended responses as an anticipated response from said at least one intended recipient.

15. A system for analyzing a communication, said system comprising:

a computing system communicatively connected to a network;

said computing system further comprising;

means for analyzing varying portions of content of said communication to identify a particular reaction response associated with each of said varying portions of said content; and

means for indicating, during a display of said content of said communication, any one of said varying portions in a displayable attribute associated with said particular reaction response.

16. The system for analyzing a communication according to claim 15, wherein said varying portions comprise at least one from among a word, a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, a topic, a subject line, a mood, an urgency indicator, a greeting, a closing, an icon, a graphic, an avatar gesture, a sound clip, a video clip, an attached document, and the entirety of said content of said communication.

17. The system for analyzing a communication according to claim 15, wherein said displayable attribute comprises at least one from among a color, a text treatment, a style treatment, and a graphical element.

18. The system for analyzing a communication according to claim 15, wherein said reaction response comprises at least one from among an anticipated response of an intended recipient of said communication, an intended response of a sender of said communication, and an actual response of said intended recipient to said communication.

19. The system for analyzing a communication according to claim 15, further comprising:

means for transferring said communication via said messaging system to a recipient with said displayable attribute marked in said content of said communication.

20. The system for analyzing a communication according to claim 15, further comprising:

means for indicating, during said display of said content to a sender, said displayable attribute associated with any of said varying portions prior to sending said communication to a recipient.

21. The system for analyzing a communication according to claim 15, further comprising:

means for enabling a sender to selectively deselect said displayable attribute indication and selectively add displayable attribute indications to said communication for sending to a recipient.

22. The system for analyzing a communication according to claim 15, further comprising:

means for indicating said displayable attribute indication in a display to a recipient of said communication.

23. The system for analyzing a communication according to claim 15, wherein said means for analyzing varying portions of content of a communication further comprises:

means for comparing varying portions of content of a communication with at least one database having designated anticipated reactions of at least one intended recipient in response to selected types of content.

24. The system for analyzing a communication according to claim 23, wherein said at least one response database comprises at least one from among an individual response database, a regional response database, a National Language Support response database, a business response database, and a characteristics response database.

25. The system for analyzing a communication according to claim 15, wherein said communication is at least one from among a document, an electronic communication, a voice communication, a video communication, and a graphical communication.

26. The system for analyzing a communication according to claim 15, further comprising:

means for iteratively receiving edited revisions of said content of said communication from a user and adjusting each of said varying portions of content until a desired anticipated response is achieved.

27. The system for analyzing a communication according to claim 15, further comprising:

means for determining a range of substitution suggestions for any of said varying portions of said content; and

means for indicating in said display, said range of substitution suggestions as selectable replacement for said content.

28. The system for analyzing a communication according to claim 15, further comprising:

means for detecting a specification of intended responses to said varying portions of said content; and

means for determining substitutions for said varying portions of said content to achieve said specification of intended responses as an anticipated response from said at least one intended recipient.

29. A computer program product for analyzing a communication, said computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for analyzing varying portions of content of a communication to identify a particular reaction response associated with each of said varying portions of said content; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for indicating during a display of said content of said communication, any one of said varying portions in a displayable attribute associated with said particular reaction response.

30. The computer program product for analyzing a communication according to claim 29, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for transferring said communication via said messaging system to a recipient with said displayable attribute marked in said content of said communication.

31. The computer program product for analyzing a communication according to claim 29, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for indicating, during said display of said content to a sender, said displayable attribute associated with any of said varying portions prior to sending said communication to a recipient.

32. The computer program product for analyzing a communication according to claim 29, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for enabling a sender to selectively deselect said displayable attribute indication and selectively add displayable attribute indications to said communication for sending to a recipient.

33. The computer program product for analyzing a communication according to claim 29, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for indicating said displayable attribute indication in a display to a recipient of said communication.

34. The computer program product for analyzing a communication according to claim 29, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for comparing varying portions of content of a communication with at least one database having designated anticipated reactions of at least one intended recipient in response to selected types of content.

35. The computer program product for analyzing a communication according to claim 29, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for iteratively receiving edited revisions of said content of said communication from a user and adjusting each of said varying portions of content until a desired anticipated response is achieved.

36. The computer program product for analyzing a communication according to claim 29, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for determining a range of substitution suggestions for any of said varying portions of said content; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for indicating in said display, said range of substitution suggestions as selectable replacement for said content.

37. The computer program product for analyzing a communication for an anticipated reaction according to claim 29, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for detecting a specification of intended responses to said varying portions of said content; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for determining substitutions for said varying portions of said content to achieve said specification of intended responses as an anticipated response from said at least one intended recipient.

38. A method for analyzing an overall response for a communication, comprising:

analyzing varying portions of content of a particular communication to identify reaction responses associated with each of said varying portions of said content;

determining an overall reaction response associated with said content of said particular communication representative of each of said reaction responses associated with each of said varying portions of said content; and

indicating, during a display of a list of a plurality of communications received by a recipient, said overall reaction response to said particular communication by a color associated with said overall reaction response.

39. A method for analyzing a reaction response for a document, comprising:

analyzing varying portions of content of a document opened in a word processing application to identify reaction responses associated with each of said varying portions of said content; and

indicating, in said display of said document, any selection of said identified reaction responses to said varying portions of said content by a color associated with said selection of said identified reaction responses.

40. A method for distributing a communication based on reaction response, comprising:

analyzing varying portions of content of a particular communication to identify reaction responses associated with each of said varying portions of said content; and

transferring said particular communication to a particular communication output interface specified for said identified reaction responses.

41. The method for distributing a communication based on reaction response according to claim 40, wherein said particular communication output interface comprises at least one from among an instant messaging interface, an electronic mail interface, a chat room interface, a telephony device interface, and a pager interface.

42. A system for distributing a communication based on reaction response, comprising:

a computing system communicatively connected to a network;

said computing system further comprising;

means for analyzing varying portions of content of a particular communication to identify reaction responses associated with each of said varying portions of said content; and

means for transferring said particular communication to a particular communication output interface specified for said identified reaction responses.

43. The system for distributing a communication based on reaction response according to claim 42, wherein said means for transferring further comprise:

means for transferring said particular communication to said particular communication output interface comprising at least one from among an instant messaging interface, an electronic mail interface, a chat room interface, a telephony device interface, and a pager interface.

44. A computer program product for distributing a communication based on reaction response, said computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for analyzing varying portions of content of a particular communication to identify reaction responses associated with each of said varying portions of said content; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for transferring said particular communication to a particular communication output interface specified for said identified reaction responses.

45. The computer program product for distributing a communication based on reaction response according to claim 44, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for transferring said particular communication to said particular communication output interface comprising at least one from among an instant messaging interface, an electronic mail interface, a chat room interface, a telephony device interface, and a pager interface.

46. A method for creating a communication, comprising:

analyzing varying portions of the content of a proposed communication intended for a particular recipient to determine anticipated responses by said particular recipient to said communication;

automatically editing said communication in response to said anticipated responses to specify an amended communication where anticipated responses by said particular recipient are congruent with intended responses to said communication.

47. The method for creating a communication according to claim 46, wherein said communication is part of advertising material for an advertiser and said intended recipient is a particular market segment.

48. The method for creating a communication according to claim 46, wherein analyzing varying portions of the content of said communication further comprises:

comparing said varying portions of the content of said communication with a database having designated anticipated reactions of said intended recipient in response to selected types of content.

49. A system for creating a communication, comprising:

a computing system communicatively connected to a network;

said computing system further comprising;

means for analyzing varying portions of the content of a proposed communication intended for a particular recipient to determine anticipated responses by said particular recipient to said communication;

means for automatically editing said communication in response to said anticipated responses to specify an amended communication where anticipated responses by said particular recipient are congruent with intended responses to said communication.

50. The system for creating a communication according to claim 49, wherein said communication is part of advertising material for an advertiser and said intended recipient is a particular market segment.

51. The system for creating a communication according to claim 49, wherein said means for analyzing varying portions of the content of said communication further comprises:

means for comparing said varying portions of the content of said communication with a database having designated anticipated reactions of said intended recipient in response to selected types of content.

52. A method for reflecting user responses to a communication, said method comprising:

detecting a communication indicating at least one reaction response to content of said communication by at least one user associated with said communication; and

graphically displaying said communication indicating said at least one reaction response by a displayable attributed with said content of said communication.