MESSAGE GROUPING AND RELEVANCE

• US 20180006973A1
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hays, Boyd, Masud, Imran, Kwan, Cindy
• Granted Patent: US 10,616,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for providing grouped data of interest. In some configurations, a computing device can include a user interface with one or more groups configured to receive messages. The groups can be computer-defined groups, such as by the computing device or other system, or user-defined groups. Techniques and technologies described herein receive a message in the one or more groups, and determine a message relevance (e.g., utility) based on the content and/or context (e.g., time of day, sender, geo-location of recipient, message urgency, etc.) of the message. In some configurations, the message relevance can be based, at least in part, on the particular group or a cluster of groups to which the message is associated.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium storing instructions for a message relevance framework, for actuation by the processor, the message relevance framework comprising;

a grouping module including instructions to configure the processor to generate a cluster of groups;

a user preference module including instructions to configure the processor to receive a parameter related to the cluster of groups;

a utility function module including instructions to configure the processor to;

generate a utility function for the cluster of groups based at least in part on the parameter;

receive a message; and

calculate a utility of the message based at least in part on the utility function; and

a display module including instructions to configure the processor to;

cause a presentation of an indication of the message on a display of a consumer device based at least in part on the utility.

2. The system as claim 1 recites, wherein the parameter includes location data and the messaging module is further configured to determine a location of the consumer device upon receipt of the message, wherein the utility of the message is further based on the location of the consumer device.

3. The system as claim 1 recites, wherein the parameter includes timing data and the messaging module is further configured to determine a time of day of receipt of the message, wherein the utility of the message is further based on the time of day in which the message is received.

4. The system as claim 1 recites, further comprising a message relation module including instructions to configure the processor to:

determine a relation between a first message and a second message; and

adjust a first utility of the first message and a second utility of the second message based at least in part on the relation between the first message and the second message.

5. The system as claim 1 recites, further comprising a ranking module including instructions to configure the processor to:

rank a plurality of messages in the cluster of groups based at least in part on a respective utility of each message in the plurality of messages;

select a set of messages based at least in part on the respective utility being above a threshold utility; and

send the set of messages to the display module for presentation on the display.

6. The system as claim 1 recites, further comprising a machine learning module including instructions to configure the processor to:

monitor a user action with respect to the message; and

update a respective utility function based at least in part on the user action.

7. The system as claim 1 recites, wherein one or more of a size or a location of the indication of the message presented on the display is based at least in part on the utility.

8. The system as claim 1 recites, wherein the indication of the message comprises one or more of:

an audio notification of the message;

a visual notification of the message;

or

a symbol identifying a number of unread messages.

9. A method comprising:

generating a cluster of groups;

generating a utility function for individual groups in the cluster of groups, wherein the utility function comprises a parameterized equation;

receiving a message in a group of the cluster of groups;

calculating a utility of the message based at least in part on a respective utility function of the group; and

causing an indication of the message to be presented on a display of a consumer device based at least in part on the utility.

10. The method as claim 9 recites, further comprising:

monitoring a user action with respect to the message; and

updating the respective utility function based at least in part on the user action.

11. The method as claim 9 recites, further comprising receiving, via a user interface on a consumer device, a parameter related to a particular group of the cluster of groups, wherein a utility function for the particular group is based at least in part on the parameter.

12. The method as claim 11 recites, wherein the parameter comprises one or more of:

a geo-location of the consumer device;

a geo-location of a sender of the message;

a time of day in which the message is received;

a day in a week in which the message is received;

a keyword in a content of the message;

or

an event associated with the message.

13. The method as claim 9 recites, further comprising receiving, via a user interface on a consumer device, a parameter related to the cluster of groups, wherein the utility function for individual groups is based at least in part on the parameter.

14. The method as claim 9 recites, further comprising receiving, via a user interface on a consumer device, a parameter related to a particular group of the cluster of groups, wherein the parameter comprises a user preference with respect to messages in the particular group.

15. The method as claim 9 recites, wherein the generating the cluster of groups is based on at least one of a system setting or a user preference.

16. A device comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium having thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer executable instructions responsive to execution by the processor to configure the device to perform operations comprising;

generating a cluster of groups;

generating a utility function for individual groups in the cluster of groups;

receiving a message in a group of the cluster of groups;

calculating a utility of the message based at least in part on a respective utility function of the group; and

causing an indication of the message to be presented on a display of a consumer device based at least in part on the utility.

17. The device as claim 16 recites, wherein the cluster of groups is generated based at least in part on a user preference.

18. The device as claim 16 recites, wherein the cluster of groups is generated based at least in part on a system setting.

19. The device as claim 16 recites, wherein the cluster of groups is generated based at least in part on individual groups in the cluster of groups comprising a similar topic.

20. The device as claim 16 recites, the operations further comprising:

monitoring a user action with respect to the message; and

updating the respective utility function based at least in part on the user action.