Managing Delivery of Electronic Messages

• US 20090132662A1
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ent Services Development Corporation LP (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Electronic Data Systems Corporation (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Risov, Marie, Mayes, Stephen F., Sheridan, William A., Kasravi, Kas, Wick, Corey W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,497 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 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities

Abstract

In certain embodiments, a method for managing delivery of electronic messages includes receiving an electronic message, the electronic message having an intended recipient, and analyzing the electronic message to determine a priority for the electronic message. The method further includes determining, based on the determined priority for the electronic message; whether to deliver the electronic message to the intended recipient at the current time. If it is determined, based on the determined priority for the electronic message, that the electronic message should be delivered to the intended recipient at the current time, delivery of the electronic message to the intended recipient is initiated.

Claims

1. A method for managing delivery of electronic messages, comprising:

receiving an electronic message, the electronic message having an intended recipient;

analyzing the electronic message to determine a priority for the electronic message;

determining, based on the determined priority for the electronic message;

whether to deliver the electronic message to the intended recipient at the current time; and

if it is determined, based on the determined priority for the electronic message, that the electronic message should be delivered to the intended recipient at the current time, initiating delivery of the electronic message to the intended recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the electronic message to determine the priority for the electronic message comprises:

accessing a set of analyzer heuristics comprising one or more analyzer heuristics; and

analyzing the electronic message based on the accessed set of analyzer heuristics to determine the priority for the electronic message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more heuristics in the set of analyzer heuristics comprises one or more rules related to one or more of the following:

a white list;

a black list;

a subject of the electronic message;

a calendar of the intended recipient; and

workplace semantics.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the electronic message to determine the priority for the electronic message comprises using a machine learning mechanism to determine the priority for the electronic message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined priority comprises a numeric priority value.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising determining the priority for the electronic message by:

computing a numeric priority value for the electronic message;

determining a priority level based on the determined priority value, the priority for the electronic message comprising the priority level.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the priority level is one of a plurality of priority levels, each priority level associated with a corresponding range of numeric priority values; and

the method comprises determining the priority level for the electronic message by;

determining a particular range of numeric priority values within which the computed priority value falls; and

determining that the priority level for the electronic message comprises the priority level that corresponds to the particular range of numeric priority values.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising comparing the priority to a priority threshold to determine whether to send the electronic message.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising, if it is determined based on the determined priority for the electronic message that the electronic message should not be delivered to the intended recipient at the current time, initiating holding of the electronic message for delivery to the intended recipient at a later time.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, if it is determined that the electronic message should be held for delivery at a later time, reanalyzing the electronic message after the passage of a particular amount of time to determine whether to initiate delivery of the electronic message.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on the determined priority for the electronic message, that the electronic message should be delivered to the intended recipient at the current time;

initiating delivery of the electronic message to the intended recipient;

receiving feedback from the intended recipient, the feedback comprising an indication of whether the electronic message should have been delivered in the manner in which the electronic message was delivered; and

using one or more machine learning techniques to determine whether to generate update one or more analyzer heuristics for determining priority of future electronic messages.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the manner in which the electronic message was delivered comprises one or more of:

whether the electronic message should have been delivered to the intended recipient; and

whether the electronic message should have been delivered to the intended recipient at the time at which the electronic message was delivered.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic message comprises one or more of the following:

an email message;

an instant message (IM);

a voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) message; and

a text message.

14. A system for managing delivery of electronic communications, comprising:

a memory module operable to store one or more analyzer heuristics; and

one or more processing units operable to;

receive an electronic message, the electronic message having an intended recipient;

analyze the electronic message, based on one or more of the analyzer neuristics, to determine a priority for the electronic message;

determine, based on the determined priority for the electronic message;

whether to deliver the electronic message to the intended recipient at the current time; and

if it is determined, based on the determined priority for the electronic message, that the electronic message should be delivered to the intended recipient at the current time, initiate delivery of the electronic message to the intended recipient.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more analyzer heuristics comprise one or more rules related to one or more of the following:

a white list;

a black list;

a subject of the electronic message;

a calendar of the intended recipient; and

workplace semantics.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein analyzing the electronic message to determine the priority for the electronic message comprises using a machine learning mechanism to determine the priority for the electronic message.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the determined priority comprises a numeric priority value.

18. The system of claim 14, comprising determining the priority for the electronic message by:

computing a numeric priority value for the electronic message;

determining a priority level based on the determined priority value, the priority for the electronic message comprising the priority level.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the priority level is one of a plurality of priority levels, each priority level associated with a corresponding range of numeric priority values; and

the one or more processing units are operable to determine the priority level for the electronic message by;

determining a particular range of numeric priority values within which the computed priority value falls; and

determining that the priority level for the electronic message comprises the priority level that corresponds to the particular range of numeric priority values.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processing units are operable to compare the priority to a priority threshold to determine whether to send the electronic message.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein one or more processing units are operable to, if it is determined based on the determined priority for the electronic message that the electronic message should not be delivered to the intended recipient at the current time, initiate holding of the electronic message for delivery to the intended recipient at a later time.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more processing units are further operable to, if it is determined that the electronic message should be held for delivery at a later time, reanalyze the electronic message after the passage of a particular amount of time to determine whether to initiate delivery of the electronic message.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processing units are further operable to:

determine, based on the determined priority for the electronic message, that the electronic message should be delivered to the intended recipient at the current time;

initiate delivery of the electronic message to the intended recipient;

receive feedback from the intended recipient, the feedback comprising an indication of whether the electronic message should have been delivered in the manner in which the electronic message was delivered; and

using one or more machine learning techniques to determine whether to generate update one or more analyzer heuristics for determining priority of future electronic messages.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the manner in which the electronic message was delivered comprises one or more of:

whether the electronic message should have been delivered to the intended recipient; and

whether the electronic message should have been delivered to the intended recipient at the time at which the electronic message was delivered.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the electronic message comprises one or more of the following:

an email message;

an instant message (IM);

a voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) message; and

a text message.

26. Software for managing delivery of electronic messages, the software being embodied in a computer-readable medium and when executed operable to:

receive an electronic message, the electronic message having an intended recipient;

analyze the electronic message to determine a priority for the electronic message;

determine, based on the determined priority for the electronic message;

whether to deliver the electronic message to the intended recipient at the current time; and

if it is determined, based on the determined priority for the electronic message, that the electronic message should be delivered to the intended recipient at the current time, initiate delivery of the electronic message to the intended recipient.