System and method for dynamic adaptive user-based prioritization and display of electronic messages

• US 20060010217A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MessageMind LLC
• Original Assignee: Business Instruments Corp.
• Inventors: Sood, Manish C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,941,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities

Abstract

A method and system that dynamically ranks electronic messages based on their situational and inherent dimensions, which are judged by a set of filters. These filters evaluate the different elemental metadata constituting a message and produce a priority value based on filters relevance and importance. The system iterates through queued messages, examine the structured content for expected attributes, statistically analyze unstructured content, apply dynamically weighted rules and policies to deliver a priority ranking, and then display the message and its vital attributes in accordance with the priority ranking. The system also adaptive learns and adjusts its weighted rules and policies to permit priority ranking to change on real-time or interval-based (may be user-defined) schedule. The system includes a GUI for increasing reading and processing efficiency. The GUI performs supervised and unsupervised learning from the user'"'"'s behaviors, and displays messages in accordance with their priority classification.

Claims

1. A method of adaptive, user-based prioritization of electronic messages comprising the steps of:

monitoring a message queue for receipt of an electronic message;

extracting statistical data associated with each message by parsing historical information and content analysis from the electronic message;

computing a message prioritization score for the extracted data through filter analysis;

associating the prioritization score to the respective electronic message;

displaying a plurality of the electronic messages in order of the associated prioritization score in a GUI;

obtaining feedback from a user'"'"'s interaction with the GUI to analyze user behavior so as to adapt the message parsing and filter analysis; and

reapplying the adapted message parsing and filter analysis to recalculate the prioritization score.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step further comprises the step of listing summarized views of all electronic messages in the GUI.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message prioritization score is a function of Situational priority and Inherent priority according to the following derived formula:

Message priority=function (Situational, Inherent);


Message priority=function [Situational f(event dimensions), Inherent f(content dimensions)];


Situational f(event dimensions)=function (Relevance, Importance);


Inherent f(content dimensions)=function (Relevance, Importance);


therefore;


Message priority=function [Situational f(event dimensions f(Relevance, Importance)), Inherent f(content dimensions(Relevance, Importance))].

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of calculating an overall priority value (PV) of a message based on the result of at least two independent adaptive filters, the PV being derived by the following:

Filter Values (Weight, Result, Efficiency)=f(Message)
Situational f(event dimensions)=f(Weight, Result, Efficiency)
Inherent f(content dimensions)=f(Weight, Result, Efficiency)
Importance=f(Weight, Result)
Relevance=f(Efficiency) $\mathrm{PV}=\frac{\underset{i=1}{\overset{n}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br>r_i<br><br>e_i<br><br>w_i}{\underset{i=1}{\overset{n}{\sum <br><br>}}<br><br>e_i<br><br>w_i}$

where;

(w) is an importance weight given to the filter by the system,

(r) is the Result of the application of the filter to a message,

(e) is the Efficiency of that filter; and

PV is a decimal value between 0 and 1 which can be displayed as a ranking score to the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of contextual parsing of the electronic message for at least one of a Security Context, an Inherent Metadata, and a Time Factor;

wherein a Security Context includes at least one of Source, Destination, Intermediate Paths, and Sensitivity;

wherein an Inherent Metadata includes at least one of Priority Classification, Category, Conversation, and Thread; and

wherein Time Factor includes at least one of Sent, Received, Transactional Qualifications, and Acknowledgement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the content analysis of an internal unstructured message content may involve a probabilistic correlation of all jargon files present in a user'"'"'s system, and computed word scores from a given message to select the right jargon file.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of increasing the accuracy of the message summary by selecting the right jargon file as input for a Keyword(s) identification process.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the selection of a jargon file defines a type of content that a message has, wherein different rules are applied to the electronic message depending on the selected jargon file.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein a user may create or edit the jargon files and the industry words and jargon within the files.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein a centrally accessible predefined jargon files is provided, and wherein the centrally accessible jargon file can be continuously updated using data files.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a hyperlink, a URL, or an email address is embedded in the electronic message, further comprising at least one of the following steps:

parsing the text in the <

a>

tags;

searching the “

link”

, “

site”

, “

URL”

that is referred by the link; and

gathering information and performing content and context analysis on the information.

12. A graphical user interface (GUI) system wherein a plurality of electronic messages are dynamically arranged in an order of prioritization based on a user'"'"'s interaction with the GUI, and displayed to the user with a summarized content and security context of each of the plurality of electronic messages.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the summarized content consists of keyword(s), key hyperlinks, context information of the keywords, the key hyperlinks and key sentences.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the context information is in the range of two to three words before and after the keyword.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the context information is text structure including punctuation.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the GUI appearance of the keywords is highlighted or a different style;

and

wherein the context is displayed as generalized text.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the full content of a message is viewed by controlling a pointing device as it points to the summarized message content, resulting in the opening of a new window.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein a priority categorization icon visually indicates an overall priority categorization status of at least one of the plurality of electronic messages;

wherein the overall priority categorization is one of high, medium, low, and spam.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein an overall priority score value of at least one of the plurality of electronic message is visually represented as a ranking bar;

wherein the ranking bar changes color depending upon the prioritization categorization of the electronic message.

20. The system of claim 12, further comprising an interactive portion of the GUI as a user'"'"'s work bench, wherein the summarized content is an open action item that is presented in a priority order customized to the user'"'"'s work behavior.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein a message list view is updated after at least one of receiving an incoming message that underwent prioritization, and performing a search/sort operation.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the work bench is cleared of a particular electronic message by activation of a “

clear”

button, resulting in the removal and marking of at least one selected summarized message.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein activation of a “

fast action”

button sends a predefined message response to a message sender, and the predefined message response contains scheduling preference of the user along with message reference information.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein a draft of the predefined message is customized to suit the user'"'"'s work habits.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein activation of a Call-Me button causes the display of a pop-up window showing time/date schedules for selection by the user;

wherein selection by the user indicates a time/date for phone contact by the sender of the electronic message, and an electronic message is sent to the sender containing a predefined text to the message sender.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein activation of a See-Me button causes the display of a pop-up window showing time/date schedules for selection by the user;

wherein selection by the user indicates a time/date for meeting with the sender of the electronic message, and an electronic message is sent to the sender containing a predefined text to the message sender.

27. The system of claim 12, wherein the user sets the prioritization of the electronic messages to be at least one of high, medium, low and spam.

28. The system of claim 12, wherein a user writes quick notes and clips them to the electronic messages while reviewing the message content.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein activation of a user-note button opens a pop-up note pad window for the entry of the notes, and where the notes can be edited or saved.

30. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of electronic messages are sorted and arranged based on overall priority scores, associated user notes, and conversation thread.

31. The system of claim 12, wherein a dynamic Summarization/re-summarization of the plurality of electronic messages is performed based on heuristic feedback from the user'"'"'s interaction with the GUI.

32. The system of claim 12, wherein the GUI can be a pop window with customizable views that can stay open with other application windows simultaneously open on the user'"'"'s personal computer or other computing devices.

33. A method of GUI-based supervised learning in an electronic messaging system comprising the steps of:

designating a priority level to a keyword;

extracting keywords from an electronic message;

assigning the designated priority level to the extracted keywords; and

providing an overall ranking to the electronic message based on the priority level of the keywords.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the keyword is at least one of a word, a set of words, a number, an alphanumeric character, a contact name, and a contact email address.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the electronic message includes a plurality of portions, and the extracted keywords are located within at least one of the plurality of portions.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the designating step further includes the step of activating a priority button to assign the priority level;

wherein the priority button is one of High, Medium, Low, and Spam.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the extracting step extracts all the keywords from the electronic message, and further comprises the step of:

conveying an overall ranking for a complete message entity in its summarized view or full content view

38. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of:

selecting one of a keyword entity and a message entity; and

dragging and dropping the selected entity on one of the priority buttons;

wherein a priority level is assigned to the dragged and dropped entity.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the selecting and dragging and dropping steps are done under the control of one of a pointing device button and a keyboard button.

40. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of:

selecting one of a keyword entity and a message entity;

displaying a contextual menu associated with the entity, wherein the contextual menu provides categories of priority; and

choosing a category of priority from the contextual menu for the selected entity.

41. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of populating a database with the designated keywords and the assigned priority level;

wherein a user can view the database contents by double clicking on one of four priority buttons.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising the step of updating the database entry by one of manually typing a keyword, dragging and dropping from the electronic message, and dragging and dropping from one category to another category within the database.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the database is local to a user'"'"'s machine, further comprising the step of transmitting the database contents across a communication network.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the transmitted database contents are accessible to other users for entry into their prioritization system, and are accessible on an organization wide basis with specific rights controlling a user'"'"'s ability to edit and view the database contents.

45. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of updating the keywords based actions taken by users, singly or in combination.

46. A method of unsupervised learning based on monitoring a user'"'"'s interactions with a GUI of an electronic messaging system, comprising the steps of:

marking, by the user, the status of an electronic message as cleared;

opening the electronic message to view its full content by double-clicking on a summarized view of the message;

inserting, by the user, a user'"'"'s note on the electronic message; and

instructing the electronic messaging system to reply or forward the electronic message.