AUTOMATIC CATEGORIZATION OF EMAIL IN A MAIL SYSTEM

• US 20090327192A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Galgali, Pallavi V, Lanjewar, Ujjwal
• Granted Patent: US 8,838,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/353 into predefined classes
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/022 Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes

Abstract

A sender-driven framework for enhancing the categorization of emails, wherein the sender is able to create or define rules that refine or augment those at the receiver'"'"'s end. Particularly, the sender is enabled, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, to add information relating to the context of an email, which can help streamline categorization at the receiver'"'"'s end.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

applying a rule to email at a sending end; and

employing the rule to direct automatic categorization of the email at a receiving end.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said employing comprises augmenting a preexisting rule at the receiving end with the rule applied at the sending end.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said employing comprises subjecting the rule to modification at the receiving end.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said subjecting comprises availing the rule for optional employment at the receiving end.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said employing comprises directing unconditional employment of the rule at the receiving end.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said applying comprises embedding the rule in metadata information associated with the email.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rule relates to a context of the email.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a rule applier which permits application of a rule to email at a sending end; and

a rule manager which employs the rule to direct automatic categorization of the email at a receiving end.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said rule manager acts to augment a preexisting rule at the receiving end with the rule applied at the sending end.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said rule manager acts to subject the rule to modification at the receiving end.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said rule manager acts to avail the rule for optional employment at the receiving end.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said rule manager acts to direct unconditional employment of the rule at the receiving end.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said rule applier acts to embed the rule in metadata information associated with the email.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the rule relates to a context of the email.

15. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method comprising:

applying a rule to email at a sending end; and

employing the rule to direct automatic categorization of the email at a receiving end.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein said employing comprises augmenting a preexisting rule at the receiving end with the rule applied at the sending end.

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein said employing comprises subjecting the rule to modification at the receiving end.

18. The device according to claim 15, wherein said subjecting comprises availing the rule for optional employment at the receiving end.

19. The device according to claim 15, wherein said employing comprises directing unconditional employment of the rule at the receiving end.

20. The device according to claim 15, wherein said applying comprises embedding the rule in metadata information associated with the email.

21. The device according to claim 15, wherein the rule relates to a context of the email.