Relationship Identification Based on Email Traffic

• US 20110078259A1
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Vyas, Sapna, Moo-Young, Jillian, Rashad, Tamer, Lee, Kenny Keung Sing, Brady, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 8,341,232 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 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

A method comprises identifying one or more relationships between a target individual and one or more persons based at least in part on a plurality of emails. The plurality of emails comprise one or more outbound emails, which may comprise emails sent to the target individual from the one or more persons. The plurality of emails further comprise one or more inbound emails, which may comprise emails sent from the target individual to the one or more persons. The method further comprises, for each of the one or more relationships, calculating an amount of outbound emails and an amount of inbound emails. The method further comprises assigning a classification to each of the one or more relationships based at least in part on the amount of outbound emails and the amount of inbound emails. The method further comprises sorting the one or more relationships based at least in part on the classification assigned to each of the one or more relationships. The method may further comprise storing information regarding the sorted relationships.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying, with a processor, one or more relationships between a target individual and one or more persons based at least in part on a plurality of emails, wherein the plurality of emails comprises;

one or more outbound emails, the one or more outbound emails comprising emails sent to the target individual from the one or more persons; and

one or more inbound emails, the one or more inbound emails comprising emails sent from the target individual to the one or more persons;

for each of the one or more relationships, calculating an amount of outbound emails;

for each of the one or more relationships, calculating an amount of inbound emails;

assigning, with the processor, a classification to each of the one or more relationships based at least in part on the amount of outbound emails and the amount of inbound emails;

sorting, with the processor, the one or more relationships based at least in part on the classification assigned to each of the one or more relationships; and

storing information regarding the sorted relationships.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on a graphical user interface the one or more sorted relationships.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the classification comprises at least one of strong, moderate, and weak.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring a first threshold for the amount of outbound emails; and

configuring a second threshold for the amount of inbound emails.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the classification of a relationship is based at least in part upon the amount of outbound emails in comparison to the first threshold.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the classification of a relationship is based at least in part upon the amount of inbound emails in comparison to the second threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sorting the relationships is further based upon priority rules.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor operable to;

identify one or more relationships between a target individual and one or more persons based at least in part on a plurality of emails, wherein the plurality of emails comprises;

one or more outbound emails, the one or more outbound emails comprising emails sent to the target individual from the one or more persons; and

one or more inbound emails, the one or more inbound emails comprising emails sent from the target individual to the one or more persons;

for each of the one or more relationships, calculate an amount of outbound emails;

for each of the one or more relationships, calculate an amount of inbound emails;

assign a classification to each of the one or more relationships based at least in part on the amount of outbound emails and the amount of inbound emails; and

sort the one or more relationships based at least in part on the classification assigned to each of the one or more relationships; and

a memory coupled to the processor and operable to store information regarding the sorted relationships.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further operable to display on a graphical user interface the one or more sorted relationships.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the classification comprises at least one of strong, moderate, and weak.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further operable to:

configure a first threshold for the amount of outbound emails; and

configure a second threshold for the amount of inbound emails.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the classification of a relationship is based at least in part upon the amount of outbound emails in comparison to the first threshold.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the classification of a relationship is based at least in part upon the amount of inbound emails in comparison to the second threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein sorting the relationships is further based upon priority rules.

15. Software for processing emails, the software being embodied in a computer-readable medium and when executed operable to:

identifying one or more relationships between a target individual and one or more persons based at least in part on a plurality of emails, wherein the plurality of emails comprises;

one or more outbound emails, the one or more outbound emails comprising emails sent to the target individual from the one or more persons; and

one or more inbound emails, the one or more inbound emails comprising emails sent from the target individual to the one or more persons;

for each of the one or more relationships, calculating an amount of outbound emails;

for each of the one or more relationships, calculating an amount of inbound emails;

assigning a classification to each of the one or more relationships based at least in part on the amount of outbound emails and the amount of inbound emails;

sorting the one or more relationships based at least in part on the classification assigned to each of the one or more relationships; and

storing information regarding the sorted relationships.

16. The software of claim 15, further comprising displaying the one or more sorted relationships.

17. The software of claim 15, wherein the classification comprises at least one of strong, moderate, and weak.

18. The software of claim 15, further comprising:

configuring a first threshold for the amount of outbound emails; and

configuring a second threshold for the amount of inbound emails.

19. The software of claim 18, wherein the classification of a relationship is based at least in part upon the amount of outbound emails in comparison to the first threshold.

20. The software of claim 18, wherein the classification of a relationship is based at least in part upon the amount of inbound emails in comparison to the second threshold.

21. The software of claim 15, wherein sorting the relationships is further based upon priority rules.

22. A system for processing emails, comprising:

an email repository operable to store raw email data comprising outbound emails sent to a target individual from a particular person and inbound emails sent from the target individual to the particular person;

an email analyzer communicatively coupled to the email repository and operable to;

identify one or more relationships between the target individual and the particular person based at least in part upon a calculated amount of the outbound emails and a calculated amount of the inbound emails;

assign a classification to each of the one or more relationships based at least in part on the calculated amount of the outbound emails and the calculated amount of the inbound emails;

sort the one or more relationships based at least in part on the classification assigned to each of the one or more relationships; and

store the sorted relationships.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the email analyzer is further operable to display on a graphical user interface the one or more sorted relationships.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the classification comprises at least one of strong, moderate, and weak.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the email analyzer is further operable to:

configure a first threshold for the amount of outbound emails; and

configure a second threshold for the amount of inbound emails.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the classification of a relationship is based at least in part upon the amount of outbound emails in comparison to the first threshold.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the classification of a relationship is based at least in part upon the amount of inbound emails in comparison to the second threshold.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein sorting the relationships is further based upon priority rules.