Automatic Conversation Techniques

• US 20130159879A1
• Filed: 02/18/2013
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Affronti, Michael, Brauninger, Andrew, McCann, Robert Emmett, Edelen, James, Pereira, Jorge
• Granted Patent: US 9,338,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

Automatic conversation techniques are described. An apparatus may comprise a computing device having an incoming message module operative to receive an incoming message, a conversation identification module communicatively coupled to the incoming message module, the conversation identification module operative to determine the incoming message is part of a conversation thread, and associate the incoming message with the conversation thread by setting a conversation identifier property of the incoming message to a conversation identifier for the conversation thread, and a conversation manager module communicatively coupled to the conversation identification module, the conversation manager module operative to determine a conversation rule is associated with the conversation thread, and apply the conversation rule to the incoming message. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying, on a computing device, a user interface comprising a dialog box, the dialog box having an option button for ignoring a conversation comprising a plurality of stored conversation items;

receiving a selection of the option button for ignoring the conversation; and

moving, by the computing device, the plurality of stored conversation items to a deleted items folder in response to receiving the selection of the option button for ignoring the conversation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating an entry in a conversation action table for the conversation using a conversation ID.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving one or more new conversation items for the conversation; and

automatically moving the one or more new conversation items to the deleted items folder when the one or more new conversation items matches the conversation ID.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving one or more new conversation items for the conversation comprises receiving one or more new e-mail messages for the conversation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein moving, by the computing device, the plurality of stored conversation items to a deleted items folder in response to receiving the selection of the option button for ignoring the conversation comprises moving a plurality of stored e-mail messages to the deleted items folder.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying another dialog box in the user interface, the another dialog box having an option button to stop ignoring the conversation;

receiving a selection of the option button in the another dialog box to stop ignoring the conversation; and

moving the plurality of conversation items in the conversation to an inbox folder in response to receiving the selection of the option button in the another dialog box to stop ignoring the conversation.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising removing an entry for an always delete conversation rule from a conversation action table.

8. An article comprising a tangible computer-readable memory storage containing instructions that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:

display a ribbon user interface comprising a dialog box, the dialog box having an option button for ignoring a conversation comprising a plurality of stored e-mail messages;

receive a selection of the option button for ignoring the conversation; and

move the plurality of stored email messages to a deleted items folder in response to receiving the selection of the option button for ignoring the conversation.

9. The article of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the computer system to create an entry in a conversation action table for the conversation using a conversation ID.

10. The article of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the computer system to:

receive one or more new e-mail messages for the conversation; and

automatically move the one or more new e-mail messages to the deleted items folder when the one or more new e-mail messages matches the conversation ID.

11. The article of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the computer system to:

display another dialog box in the ribbon user interface, the another dialog box having an option button to stop ignoring the conversation;

receive a selection of the option button in the another dialog box to stop ignoring the conversation; and

move the plurality of e-mail messages in the conversation to an inbox folder in response to receiving the selection of the option button in the another dialog box to stop ignoring the conversation.

12. The article of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the computer system to remove an entry for an always delete conversation rule from a conversation action table.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing executable program code; and

a processor, functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program code and operative to;

display a ribbon user interface comprising a first dialog box, the first dialog box having an option button for ignoring a plurality of conversations, each of the plurality of conversations comprising one or more stored conversation items;

receive a selection of the option button for ignoring the plurality of conversations; and

move the one or more stored conversation items in each of the plurality of conversations to a deleted items folder in response to receiving the selection of the option button for ignoring the plurality of conversations.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operative to create an entry in a conversation action table for each of the plurality of conversations using a conversation ID.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further operative to:

receive one or more new conversation items for one or more of the plurality of conversations; and

automatically move the one or more new conversation items for the one or more of the plurality of conversations to the deleted items folder when the one or more new conversation items matches the conversation ID.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more new conversation items comprises one or more new e-mail messages.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more stored conversation items comprises one or more stored e-mail messages.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operative to display a second dialog box in the ribbon user interface, the second dialog box having an option button to stop ignoring the plurality of conversations.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is further operative to:

receive a selection of the option button in the second dialog box to stop ignoring the plurality of conversations; and

move the one or more stored conversation items in each of the plurality of conversations to an inbox folder in response to receiving the selection of the option button in the second dialog box to stop ignoring the plurality of conversations.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is further operative to remove one or more corresponding entries for always delete conversation rules from a conversation action table.