EXPRESSING STATEMENTS IN MESSAGES WITH PERSONALIZED EXPRESSION STYLE

• US 20160050166A1
• Filed: 08/14/2014
• Published: 02/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Stewart
• Granted Patent: US 10,116,600 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Many computing scenarios enable a user to send a message to a user expressing a statement, such as a “happy birthday” message or a “let'"'"'s meet for lunch” message, and may seek assistance in composing the message. Some services may suggest stock messages, which the user may browse and select, but the generic, impersonal style of the messages may be apparent to the recipient. Presented herein are techniques for composing a message from a user to a recipient expressing a selected statement in the personalized style of the user. Such techniques involve evaluating an expression set (e.g., a mailbox or text message set) of the user to identify an expression style of the user when expressing such statements to such recipients, and composing a message that expressing the statement in the expression style of the user.

Claims

1. A method of expressing a statement to a recipient on behalf of a user on a device having a processor, the method comprising:

executing on the processor instructions that cause the device to;

examine an expression set comprising at least one expression authored by an individual to identify an expression style of the individual;

compose a message expressing the statement in the expression style of the individual;

present the message to the user for confirmation; and

responsive to receiving a confirmation of the message from the user, transmit the message to the recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the expression style further comprises a phrase that appears in the at least one expression of the expression set with a phrase frequency exceeding a phrase frequency threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the expression style further comprises a tone of the at least one expression authored by the individual.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the statement is associated with a statement context;

respective expressions in the expression set are associated with an expression context; and

identifying the expression style of the individual further comprising;

examine only the at least one expression having an expression context matching the statement context to identify the expression style of the individual in the statement context.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the expression context further comprises respective instances of an event that is associated with the expression; and

the statement context further comprises an instance of the event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

respective expressions in the expression set are associated with an expression recipient; and

identifying the expression style of the individual further comprising;

examine only the at least one expression associated with an expression recipient matching the recipient of the statement.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

executing the instructions further causes the device to, at a first time, responsive to receiving a selected expression from the individual;

evaluate the selected expression to identify an expression style of the individual, and

store the expression style; and

composing the message further comprises;

at a second time that is after the first time, retrieve the expression style of the individual to compose the message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the device further comprises an adaptive algorithm that, for respective expressions, identifies the expression style of the expression; and

identifying an expression style of the individual further comprises;

invoking the adaptive algorithm to identify the expression style of the at least one expression authored by the individual.

9. A server that sends a message expressing a statement on behalf of a user, the server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing;

an expression set comprising at least one expression authored by an individual; and

instructions that, when executed by the processor, provide;

an expression style identifier that examines the expression set to identify an expression style of the individual; and

a message composer that;

composes a message expressing the statement in the expression style of the individual;

presents the message to the user for confirmation; and

responsive to receiving a confirmation of the message from the user, transmits the message to the recipient.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein:

the memory further stores a message template set comprising at least one message template respectively associated with an expression style; and

the message composer composes the message expressing the statement by;

selecting, from the message template set, a selected message template associated with the expression style of the individual; and

composing the message using the selected message template.

11. The server of claim 9, wherein:

the statement is associated with a content item; and

the message composer composes the message expressing the statement by;

identifying a selected content item that is associated with the statement; and

composing the message including the selected content item in the message.

12. The server of claim 9, wherein:

the server further comprises at least two expression sets respectively comprising, for respective individuals, at least one expression authored by the individual;

the memory further stores an individual selector that;

presents, to the user, the respective individuals associated with an expression set; and

receives from the user, among the respective individuals, a selected individual whose expression style is to be used for the message; and

the message composer further composes the message expressing the statement in the expression style of the selected individual.

13. A nontransitory memory device storing instructions that, when executed on a processor of a server, cause the server to express a statement to a recipient on behalf of a user, by:

examining an expression set comprising at least one expression authored by an individual to identify an expression style of the individual;

composing a message expressing the statement in the expression style of the individual;

presenting the message to the user for confirmation; and

responsive to receiving a confirmation of the message from the user, transmitting the message to the recipient.

14. The nontransitory memory device of claim 13, wherein:

the statement is associated with an event involving the recipient; and

executing the instructions further causes the server to;

responsive to detecting the event involving the recipient, present to the user an offer to generate a message expressing a statement about the event to the recipient; and

responsive to receiving an acceptance of the offer from the user, compose the message expressing the statement in the expression style of the individual.

15. The nontransitory memory device of claim 13, wherein composing the message further comprises:

responsive to receiving from the user a request to compose a message expressing a statement, compose the message expressing the statement in the expression style of the individual.

16. The nontransitory memory device of claim 13, wherein composing the message further comprises:

monitoring an interaction between the user and the recipient to detect a statement opportunity; and

responsive to detecting the statement opportunity, present to the user an offer to compose a message expressing to the recipient a statement associated with the statement opportunity.

17. The nontransitory memory device of claim 13, wherein composing the message further comprises:

receiving from the user a topic to be referenced in the message; and

composing a message referencing the topic and expressing the statement in the expression style of the individual.

18. The nontransitory memory device of claim 13, wherein executing the instructions further causes the server to, responsive to receiving a request from the user to generate a second expression:

reexamine the expression set to identify a second expression style of the individual; and

compose a second message expressing the statement in the second expression style of the individual.

19. The nontransitory memory device of claim 18, wherein:

the server further comprises an adaptive algorithm that, according to a composition property composes the message expressing the statement in the expression style of the individual and according to the composition property; and

executing the instructions further causes the server to, responsive to receiving the request from the user, adjust the composition property of the adaptive algorithm.

20. The nontransitory memory device of claim 13, wherein presenting the message to the user for confirmation further comprises:

responsive to receiving from the user a request to adjust the message, adjust the message in accordance with the request.