GRAPHICALLY MANAGING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20140218391A1
• Filed: 02/07/2013
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: MCCONNELL, James T., Lemus, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 9,189,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

One or more devices may receive information associated with multiple electronic communications intended for a user; identify attributes of the multiple electronic communications; determine, based on the attributes, display data for displaying representations of multiple electronic communications; and cause, based on the display data, the representations of the, multiple electronic communications to be displayed as a graphical display of icons arranged in a particular graphical structure in which the icons are connected via links. The icon may correspond to the representation of an electronic communication. The icon may be presented within the graphical display to visually indicate, to the user, an attribute of the electronic communication.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more devices, information associated with a plurality of electronic communications intended for a user;

identifying, by the one or more devices, attributes of the plurality of electronic communications;

determining, by the one or more devices and based on the attributes, display data for displaying representations of the plurality of electronic communications; and

causing, by the one or more devices and based on the display data, the representations of the plurality of electronic communications to be displayed as a graphical display of icons arranged in a particular graphical structure in which the icons are connected via links,

the icon, corresponding to the representation of an electronic communication of the plurality of electronic communications, being presented within the graphical display to visually indicate, to the user, an attribute of the electronic communication.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user input,

the user input corresponding to a modification to the display data;

modifying the display data based on the user input; and

causing the graphical display to be modified based on the modified display data.

3. The method of claim 1, where the icon comprises at least one of an image of a sender of the electronic communication, an image of a logo corresponding to a domain associated with the electronic communication, or an image representative of a geographic location from which the electronic communication originated.

4. The method of claim 1, where a link connecting a first icon, representing a first electronic communication, of the plurality of electronic communications, with a second icon, representing a second electronic communication, of the plurality of electronic communications, includes a thickness proportional to a size of the first or second electronic communication or an importance of the first or second electronic communication.

5. The method of claim 1, where the attribute corresponds to a sender of the electronic communication, a domain associated with the electronic communication, an internet protocol (IP) address associated with the electronic communication, a geographic location associated with the electronic communication, or a content of the electronic communication.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one of weighting information or rules information;

where determining the display data is further based on the at least one of the weighting information or the rules information.

7. The method of claim 6, where the rules information identifies an image associated with an icon representing a user or an icon associated with the electronic communication.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning priorities to the plurality of electronic communications based on at least one of weighting information, rules information, or a content associated with the plurality of electronic communications,

the icons, corresponding to the representations of the plurality of electronic communications, being presented within the graphical display to visually indicate the priorities of the plurality of electronic communications.

9. A system comprising:

one or more devices to;

receive information associated with a plurality of electronic communications intended for a user;

identify attributes of the plurality of electronic communications;

determine, based on the attributes, display data for displaying representations of the plurality of electronic communications;

cause, based on the display data, the representations of the plurality of electronic communications to be displayed as a graphical display of icons arranged in a particular graphical structure in which the icons are connected via links,

the icon, corresponding to the representation of an electronic communication of the plurality of electronic communications, being presented within the graphical display to visually indicate, to the user, an attribute of the electronic communication;

receive a user input from the user device,

the user input corresponding to a modification to the display data;

modify the display data based on the user input; and

cause the graphical display to be modified based on the modified display data.

10. The system of claim 9, where the one or more devices includes a user device,

where the graphical display is presented on a display screen associated with the user device.

11. The system of claim 9, where the one or more devices includes a server device that communicates with a user device,

where the graphical display is presented on a display screen associated with the user device.

12. The system of claim 9, where the attribute corresponds to a sender of the electronic communication, a domain associated with the electronic communication, an internet protocol (IP) address associated with the electronic communication, a geographic location associated with the electronic communication, or a content of the electronic communication.

13. The system of claim 9, where the one or more devices are further to:

receive at least one of weighting information or rules information;

where when determining the display data, the one or more devices are further to determine the display data further based on the at least one of the weighting information or the rules information.

14. The system of claim 9, where the one or more devices are further to:

assign priorities to the plurality of electronic communications based on at least one of weighting information, rules information, or a content associated with the plurality of electronic communications,

the icons, corresponding to the representations of the plurality of electronic communications, being presented within the graphical display to visually indicate the priorities of the plurality of electronic communications.

15. A computer-readable medium for storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

a plurality of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive information associated with a plurality of electronic communications intended for a user;

identify attributes of the plurality of electronic communications;

receive weighting information or rules information;

determine, based on the attributes and the weighting information or the rules information, display data for displaying representations of the plurality of electronic communications; and

cause, based on the display data, the representations of the plurality of electronic communications to be displayed as a graphical display of icons arranged in a particular graphical structure in which the icons are connected via links,

the icon, corresponding to the representation of an electronic communication of the plurality of electronic communications, being presented within the graphical display to visually indicate, to the user, an attribute of the electronic communication.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive a user input,

the user input corresponding to a modification to the display data;

modify the display data based on the user input; and

cause the graphical display to be modified based on the modified display data.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the icon comprises at least one of an image of a sender of the electronic communication, an image of a logo associated with the electronic communication, or an image representative of a geographic location associated with the electronic communication.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the attribute corresponds to a sender of the electronic communication, a domain associated with the electronic communication, an IP address associated with the electronic communication, a geographic location associated with the electronic communication, or content of the electronic communication.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where a link connecting a first icon, representing a first electronic communication, of the plurality of electronic communications, with a second icon, representing a second electronic communication, of the plurality of electronic communications, includes a thickness proportional to a size of the first or second electronic communication or an importance of the first or second electronic communication.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

assign priorities to the plurality of electronic communications based on at least one of weighting information, rules information, or a content associated with the plurality of electronic communications,

the icons, corresponding to the representations of the plurality of electronic communications, being presented within the graphical display to visually indicate the priorities of the plurality of electronic communications.