Identifying messages relevant to a search query in a conversation-based email system

• US 20050223058A1
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rakowski, Brian D., Chang, Bay-Wei W., Lim, Jing Yee, Buchheit, Paul T., Winograd, Terry A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,326 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

A method and system for searching messages is disclosed that includes searching a message repository to identify a plurality of conversations that each include at least one message that is relevant to a search query. Alternatively, conversations as a whole may be relevant to a search query rather than individual messages. Each of the plurality of the identified conversations includes one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria and a conversation identifier. A list of conversations is created representing at least a subset of the identified conversations and a conversation is selected from that list. In that selected conversation, first messages are differentiated from second messages which may differentiate portions of text or messages that are relevant to the search query from those that are not.

Claims

1. A method of searching messages, comprising:

searching a message repository to identify a plurality of conversations relevant to a search query, wherein each of the plurality of the identified conversations includes one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria and a respective conversation identifier;

creating a list of conversations representing at least a subset of the identified conversations;

selecting a conversation from the list of conversations; and

differentiating between first text of the selected conversation and second text of the selected conversation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second text is relevant to the search query.

3. The method of claim 3, wherein the differentiating includes:

providing formatting information for the first text in a first format and providing formatting information for the second text in a second format; and

wherein the first format differs from the second format in a visually distinctive manner.

4. A method of searching messages, comprising:

searching a message repository to identify a plurality of conversations that each include at least one message relevant to a search query, wherein each of the plurality of the identified conversations includes one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria and a respective conversation identifier;

creating a list of conversations representing at least a subset of the identified conversations;

selecting a conversation from the list of conversations; and

differentiating between first messages of the selected conversation and second messages of the selected conversation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second messages are relevant to the search query.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the differentiating includes:

providing formatting information for the first messages in a first format and providing formatting information for the second messages in a second format; and

wherein the first format differs from the second format in a visually distinctive manner.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the formatting information pertains to whether a particular message is initially associated with an expanded or a compacted mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second messages are associated with the expanded mode.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the differentiating is used to differentiate between messages having different labels.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the differentiating information is used to differentiate between messages having a predefined label and messages not having the predefined label.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the predefined label indicates whether or not a message has been viewed or marked as read.

12. A method of searching, comprising:

selecting a conversation from a list of conversations that are relevant to a search query, wherein the selected conversation includes a plurality of messages, the messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria;

preparing information from the messages in the selected conversation for display, including identifying at least one message in the selected conversation relevant to the search query.

13. The method of claim 12, the preparing including providing differentiating information such that messages in the selected conversation relevant to the search query are differentiated from messages in the selected conversation not relevant to the search query.

14. A conversation-based message system, comprising:

a conversation matching unit that matches at least one of a plurality of received messages to a conversation from a plurality of conversations, each of the plurality of conversations having one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria;

a message store that stores messages and associated information, including conversation information;

a conversation search unit that returns a list of conversations in response to a search query;

a formatting unit that associates formatting information with at least one of the conversations in the list of conversations; and

a return unit that transmits the list of conversations and the formatting information.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the formatting information includes differentiating information that differentiates those messages in a conversation relevant to the search query from those messages in the conversation not relevant to the search query.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the differentiating information includes first formatting information associated with messages relevant to the search query and second formatting information associated with messages not relevant to the search query.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first formatting information is associated with an expanded mode of display and the second information is associated with a compacted mode of display.

18. A computer program product, for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for searching a message repository to identify a plurality of conversations that include at least one message relevant to a search query, wherein each of the plurality of the conversations include one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria and a respective conversation identifier;

instructions for creating a list of conversations representing at least a subset of the plurality of conversations;

instructions for selecting a conversation from the list of conversations; and

instructions for providing differentiating information associated with the selected conversation such that first messages of the selected conversation are differentiated from second messages of the selected conversation.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the second messages are relevant to the search query.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the instructions providing differentiating information include:

instructions for providing formatting information for the first messages in a first format and providing formatting information for the second messages in a second format; and

wherein the first format differs from the second format in a visually distinctive manner.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the differentiating information pertains to whether messages should be initially represented in an expanded mode or a compacted mode.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the second messages are associated with the expanded mode.

23. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein such differentiating information is used to differentiate between messages having different labels.

24. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein such differentiating information is associated with a predefined status.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the predefined status indicates whether or not a message has been viewed or marked as read.

26. A computer program product, for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for searching a message repository to identify a plurality of conversations relevant to a search query, wherein each of a plurality of the identified conversations include one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria and a respective conversation identifier;

instructions for creating a list of conversations representing at least a subset of the identified conversations;

instructions for selecting a conversation from the list of conversations; and

instructions for differentiating between first text of the selected conversation and second text of the selected conversation.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the second text is relevant to the search query.

28. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the instructions for differentiating include:

instructions for providing formatting information for the first text in a first format and providing formatting information for the second text in a second format; and

wherein the first format differs from the second format in a visually distinctive manner.

29. A conversation-based message system, comprising:

means for matching at least one of a plurality of received messages to a conversation from a plurality of conversations, each of the plurality of conversations having at least one message and a respective conversation identifier;

means for storing messages and associated information, including conversation information;

means for returning a list of conversations in response to a search query;

means for creating formatting information associated with at least one of the conversations in the list of conversations;

means for returning the list of conversations and the formatting information.