People-centric view of email

• US 20060173961A1
• Filed: 02/01/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Lili, Turski, Andrzej, Farnham, Shelly D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,065,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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
• 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

The subject invention provides a unique system and method that facilitates contact- or people-based organization of messages. A list of contacts can be generated based on the people or groups who have communicated with the user (mailbox owner) via email or otherwise. To view desired messages, a user can select one or more contacts that participated in the desired messages as either a recipient or sender. Following the selection, messages between the selected contacts and the user can be displayed in a window. Any items or information shared in the messages can be viewed in a separate window. A link can be maintained between any shared item and its message of origin. The user can also view messages that include third parties. The contact list is dynamic and due to limited display space, contacts communicating the most frequently with the user can be listed on a top level.

Claims

1. A contact-based message organization and display system comprising:

a receiving component that receives a plurality of communications;

a people-based classification component that organizes the communications according to at least a contact who sent each communication; and

a multi-view display component that presents desired communications to a user in an organized manner that is based at least in part on the contacts associated with the communications.

2. The system of claim 1, the communications comprise messages, email, instant messages, and calendar entries.

3. The system of claim 1, the multi-view display component displays as a separate view any items shared between the user and the contacts in the desired communications.

4. The system of claim 3, the items shared comprise attachments, web pages, hyperlinks, and calendar entries.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a dynamic contact list that is populated with contacts associated with the plurality of communications.

6. The system of claim 5, the contact list is ordered alphabetically.

7. The system of claim 5, the contact is a two-dimensional list that comprises any number of levels, the levels comprising at least a top level.

8. The system of claim 7, the top level of contacts is visible and comprises contacts having a relatively high amount of communication activity with the user.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an analysis component that determines whether a contact'"'"'s communication activity satisfies a level threshold to place the contact at that respective level.

9. The system of 5, the contact list comprises a zoom control to facilitate viewing at least one of the following:

lower levels of contacts and contacts hidden from view.

11. A user interface for a contact-based message organization system comprising:

a contact list that comprises a plurality of contacts that are connected to a user via at least one communication;

a message display area that shows communications exchanged between at least a selected contact and the user; and

a shared items area that displays items included in the communications.

12. The user interface of claim 11, the shared items area comprises a browse control to facilitate navigating through the shared items based in part on the shared items'"'"' metadata.

13. The user interface of claim 11, the contact list comprising a search control that matches a search term to contacts by progressively looking through decreasing levels.

14. The user interface of claim 11, the message display area identifies the user and the at least one selected contact above the communications to indicate that the communications involve such parties.

15. The user interface of claim 11, the message display area comprises a conversational view.

16. A method that facilitates organizing and displaying messages in a contact-based manner comprising:

receiving a plurality of communications;

classifying the communications according to at least a contact who sent the communication; and

selecting communications for display to a user based at least in part on at least one contact associated with the communications.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising populating a contact list with contacts in alphabetical order.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying contacts on the contact list according to a determined level of communication activity with the user.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying the communications associated with at least one selected contact.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying as a separate view any items shared between the user and the selected contact in the communications.