Methods and apparatuses for searching and categorizing messages within a network system

• US 20070179958A1
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Lei, Vitorino, Elena, Huang, Jimmy, Chen, Weidong, Zhu, Min, Chu, Wilson, Iijima, Richard
• Application Number:
  US11/549,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20070179958A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses detect a query; detect a plurality of available participants; search a plurality of electronic mail messages associated with the plurality of available participants based on the query; and identify a qualified participant from the plurality of available participants based on searching the plurality of electronic mail messages.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a query;

detecting a plurality of available participants;

searching a plurality of electronic mail messages associated with the plurality of available participants based on the query; and

identifying a qualified participant from the plurality of available participants based on searching the plurality of electronic mail messages.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of available participants is determined based on a status.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the status is one of available, on-line, and busy.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of available participants is determined based on a hierarchy between a requester and a plurality of participants wherein the plurality of available participants are a subset of the plurality of participants.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein searching further comprises identifying specific terms within the plurality of electronic mail messages.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising ranking the qualified participant based on a match between the query and an electronic message associated with the qualified participant.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising initiating a collaboration session between a requester and the qualified participant.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the collaboration session exchanges audio content among the qualified participant and the requester.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein the collaboration session exchanges graphical content among the qualified participant and the requester.

10. The method according to claim 7 wherein the collaboration session exchanges textual content among the qualified participant and the requester.

11. A system comprising:

a content detection module configured to detect a subject matter corresponding to the collaboration session;

a rating manager module configured to determined a similarity score between the subject matter and an expertise of a potential participant based on an electronic mail message referenced within a profile of the potential participant; and

a controller module configured to selectively allow the potential participant to join the collaboration session based on the similarity score.

12. The system according to claim 11 further comprising a storage module configured to update the profile of the potential participant if the potential participant joins the collaboration session.

13. The system according to claim 11 further comprising a participant recognition module configured to detect a current participant of the collaboration session.

14. The system according to claim 11 wherein the content detection module detects content utilized during the collaboration session.

15. The system according to claim 11 wherein the content detection module further comprises determining the subject matter from content exchanged during the collaboration session.

16. The system according to claim 11 wherein the content detection module further comprises determining the subject matter from a title describing the collaboration session.

17. The system according to claim 11 wherein the subject matter is represented by a key word.

18. A system comprising:

means for detecting a query;

means for detecting a plurality of available participants;

means for searching a plurality of electronic mail messages associated with the plurality of available participants based on the query; and

means for identifying a qualified participant from the plurality of available participants based on searching the plurality of electronic mail messages.

19. The system according to claim 18 wherein the means for searching further comprises identifying specific terms within the plurality of electronic mail messages.