CO-REFERENCES FOR MESSAGES TO AVOID CONFUSION IN SOCIAL NETWORKING SYSTEMS

• US 20170346779A1
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Published: 11/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bastide, Paul R., Lord, Melissa A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,958,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Clarifying communications includes receiving, using a processor, a first message from a sending device directed to a user device, determining, using the processor, a second message correlated with the first message, generating, using the processor, a co-reference from the second message, and providing, using the processor, the first message in association with the co-reference to the user device.

Claims

1. A method of clarifying communications, comprising:

receiving, using a processor, a first message from a sending device directed to a user device;

determining, using the processor, a second message correlated with the first message;

generating, using the processor, a co-reference from the second message; and

providing, using the processor, the first message in association with the co-reference to the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the second message is performed responsive to detecting an ambiguity in text of the first message using natural language processing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the co-reference includes text from the second message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the text from the second message is selected as a subset of text of the second message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the second message comprises:

determining a plurality of messages correlated with the first message;

providing the plurality of messages to the sending device as selectable options; and

designating a particular message from the plurality of messages as the second message responsive to a selection of the particular message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second message is determined from a plurality of messages of users of a social networking system based upon relationship of the users of the social networking system to a sending user or a target of the first message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the second message is performed responsive to determining that the first message meets co-reference criteria.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor programmed to initiate executable operations for clarifying communications comprising;

receiving a first message from a sending device directed to a user device;

determining a second message correlated with the first message;

generating a co-reference from the second message; and

providing the first message in association with the co-reference to the user device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the determining the second message is performed responsive to detecting an ambiguity in text of the first message using natural language processing.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the co-reference includes text from the second message.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the text from the second message is selected as a subset of text of the second message.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the determining the second message comprises:

determining a plurality of messages correlated with the first message;

providing the plurality of messages to the sending device as selectable options; and

designating a particular message from the plurality of messages as the second message responsive to a selection of the particular message.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the second message is determined from a plurality of messages of users of a social networking system based upon relationship of the users of the social networking system to a sending user or a target of the first message.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the determining of the second message is performed responsive to determining that the first message meets co-reference criteria.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, the program code executable by a processor to perform a method of clarifying communications, comprising:

receiving, using the processor, a first message from a sending device directed to a user device;

determining, using the processor, a second message correlated with the first message;

generating, using the processor, a co-reference from the second message; and

providing, using the processor, the first message in association with the co-reference to the user device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the determining the second message is performed responsive to detecting an ambiguity in text of the first message using natural language processing.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the co-reference includes text from the second message.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the text from the second message is selected as a subset of text of the second message.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the determining the second message comprises:

determining a plurality of messages correlated with the first message;

providing the plurality of messages to the sending device as selectable options; and

designating a particular message from the plurality of messages as the second message responsive to a selection of the particular message.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the second message is determined from a plurality of messages of users of a social networking system based upon relationship of the users of the social networking system to a sending user or a target of the first message.