DETECTING CONFLICTS IN EMAIL MESSAGES

• US 20110302251A1
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Majandro LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Castellani, Stefania, Proux, Denys, Cheminot, Eric, Segond, Frederique, Meunier, Jean-Luc, Hag+e,gra e+ee ge, Caroline
• Granted Patent: US 8,346,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A computer implemented electronic out-of-office message analysis system and method are disclosed. The method includes, for each of a plurality of users, receiving a user-generated electronic out-of-office message in a natural language in which a time window of absence and at least one alternate named contact are expressed and, based on the out-of-office message, generating a structured representation of the out-of-office message which links the alternate contact to a normalized representation of the time window. The structured representation of the out-of-office message is stored in a database. From the database it can be determined whether a current user'"'"'s out-of-office message conflicts with another user'"'"'s out-of-office message. If a conflict is detected, the current user can be notified.

Claims

1. An electronic out-of-office message analysis method comprising:

for each of a plurality of users;

receiving a user-generated electronic out-of-office message in a natural language in which a time window of absence and at least one alternate named contact are expressed;

with a computer processor, based on the out-of-office message, generating a structured representation of the out-of-office message which links the alternate contact to a normalized representation of the time window;

storing the structured representation of the out-of-office message in a database;

determining, from the database, whether a current user'"'"'s out-of-office message conflicts with another user'"'"'s out-of-office message; and

if a conflict is detected, notifying the current user of the conflict.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating a structured representation includes:

identifying and normalizing a temporal expression from the out-of-office message related to the time window of absence.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating a structured representation includes:

identifying the at least one alternate named contact from a named entity directory.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating a display to the user of the structured representation for confirmation.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the structured representation comprises a directed link from the current user to each of the identified at least one alternate named contacts and the normalized representation of the time window.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conflict comprises a circularity between the current user'"'"'s out-of-office message and at least one alternate named contact'"'"'s out-of-office message when a structured representation associated with the at least one alternate named contact expresses the current user as an alternate contact during an overlapping time window.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conflict comprises a cascade of out-of-office message when a structured representation associated with the at least one alternate named contact expresses another user as an alternate contact during an overlapping time window.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conflict comprises at least one alternate named contact being irrelevant according to a status of the alternate named contact organizational role consistent with the named entity directory.

9. The method according to claim 5, further including:

suggesting to the user, a candidate alternate contact with a relevant organizational role.

10. The method according to claim 1, further including:

updating scheduled events on a user calendar which coincide with the defined time window of absence based on the recorded structured representation.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the structured representation is removed from the database automatically based on the normalized representation of the time window.

12. The method according to claim 2, wherein the temporal expression includes at least one of absolute dates, referential dates, durations, intervals, and frequencies.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alternate named contact is identified based on at least one of a name, electronic mail address, telephone number, and facsimile number defined in the electronic out-of-office message.

14. A computer program product comprising tangible media on which a computer program is recorded which when executed by a computer performs the method of claim 1.

15. An electronic out-of-office message analysis system comprising:

a mailer module comprising instructions stored in memory for receiving an electronic out-of-office message for a user in a natural language in which a time window of absence and at least one alternate named contact are expressed;

a temporal expression module comprising instructions stored in memory for identifying and normalizing a temporal expression from the out-of-office message related to the time window of absence;

a named entity recognition module comprising instructions stored in memory for identifying the at least one alternate named contact;

a representation module comprising instructions stored in memory for generating a structured representation of the user-generated out-of-office message which links an alternate contact to a normalized representation of the time window;

an out-of-office module comprising instructions stored in memory for storing the structured representation of the out-of-office message in a database and notifying a current user that a conflict exists between the current user'"'"'s out-of-office message and another user'"'"'s out-of-office message; and

a processor which executes the instructions.

16. The electronic out-of-office message analysis system of claim 15, further comprising:

a temporal expression module comprising instructions stored in memory for identifying and normalizing a temporal expression from the out-of-office message related to the time window of absence.

17. The electronic out-of-office message analysis system of claim 15, wherein the named entity recognition module comprises instructions stored in memory for identifying the at least one alternate contact from a user directory.

18. The electronic out-of-office message analysis system of claim 15, wherein the structured representation comprises a directed link from a user to each of the identified at least one alternate named contacts and the respective normalized representation of the time window.

19. The electronic out-of-office message analysis system of claim 15, wherein the conflict comprises a circularity between a current user'"'"'s out-of-office message and at least one alternate named contact'"'"'s out-of-office message and a structured representation associated with at least one of the at least one alternate named contact expresses the current user as an alternate contact during an overlapping time window.

20. The electronic out-of-office message analysis system of claim 15, wherein the conflict comprises a cascade of out-of-office messages and a structured representation associated with the at least one alternate named contact expresses another user as an alternate contact during an overlapping time window.

21. The electronic out-of-office message analysis system of claim 15, wherein the conflict comprises at least one alternate named contact being irrelevant according to a status of the alternate named contact organizational role consistent with a named entity directory.

22. The electronic out-of-office message analysis system of claim 21, wherein the out-of-office module further comprising instructions stored in memory for suggesting to the user a candidate alternate contact with a relevant status.

23. The electronic out-of-office message analysis system of claim 15, further including:

a calendar update module comprising instructions stored in memory for updating scheduled events on a user calendar which coincide with the defined time window of absence based on the recorded structured representation.

24. The electronic out-of-office message analysis system of claim 15, further comprising instructions for removing the structured representation from the database automatically based on the normalized representation of the time window.

25. The electronic out-of-office message analysis system of claim 15, further comprising a user directory whereby the alternate named contact is identified based on at least one of a name, electronic mail address, telephone number, and facsimile number defined in the electronic out-of-office message.

26. A network computer system comprising the electronic out-of-office message analysis system of claim 15 and a plurality of client computers, each configured for generating out-of-office messages, the electronic out-of-office message analysis system being resident on at least one of the client computers and a server computer in communication therewith via a network and wherein the database is linked to the at least one of the client computers and the server computer via the network.

27. A method for updating an electronic calendar comprising:

receiving a user-generated electronic out-of-office message in a natural language in which a time window of absence and at least one alternate named contact are expressed;

based on the out-of-office message, with a computer processor, generating a structured representation of the out-of-office message which links the alternate contact to a normalized representation of the time window;

storing the structured representation of the out-of-office message in a database; and

proposing updates for entries in an electronic calendar based on the structured representation.

28. A method for updating an electronic calendar comprising:

receiving an electronic message in a natural language in which a change in role is expressed;

with a natural language processor implemented by a computer processor, automatically detecting the change in role within the email message;

optionally, storing the change in role in a contacts database; and

proposing updates for entries in an electronic calendar based on the detected change in role.