Methods for routing items for communications based on a measure of criticality

• US 6,622,160 B1
• Filed: 07/30/1999
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Horvitz, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, ISAAC M
• Application Number:
  US09/364,528
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/207, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/223, 709/226, 709/225, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/353 into predefined classes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The routing of prioritized documents such as email messages is disclosed. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method first receives a text. The method assigns a priority to the document, based on a text classifier such as a Bayesian classifier or a support-vector machine classifier. The method then routes the text based on a routing criteria. In one embodiment the routing is directed by a measure of priority that reflects the expected cost of delayed review of the document.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving an item intended for a recipient;

generating a priority of the item based on a classifier, the priority being representative of at least an urgency of the item relative to the intended recipient, the priority comprises a measure of a rate of cost accrued with delayed review of the item; and

,

routing the item for communications based on a routing criteria and the generated priority.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority is based on NEVA=EVTA−

ECA−

TC, wherein NEVA is the net expected value of alerting, EVTA is the expected value of alerting, ECA is the expected cost of alerting, and TC is the transmission cost.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the item comprises receiving an email.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein routing the item comprises forwarding the item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein routing the item comprises replying to a sender of the item.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein replying to the sender comprises replying to the sender with a predetermined message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein routing the item based on a routing criteria comprises:

determining whether the priority is greater than a predetermined threshold;

determining whether a user has been away for more than a predetermined amount of time; and

,

routing the item upon determining that the priority of the item is greater than the predetermined threshold and that the user has been away for more than the predetermined amount of time.

8. The method of claim 1, the item is at least one of a text, a document, a file, a message, a message attachment, and content associated with the message.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving an item intended for a recipient;

generating a priority of the item based on a classifier, the priority being representative of at least an urgency of the item relative to the intended recipient the priority comprises a measure of a rate of cost accrued with delayed review of the item; and

,

routing the item for communications based on a routing criteria and the generated priority, wherein routing the item based on a routing criteria comprises;

determining whether the priority is greater than a predetermined threshold; and

,

routing the item upon determining that the priority of the item is greater than the predetermined threshold.

10. The method of claim 9, the predetermined threshold dynamically changing as a function of extrinsic information.

11. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving an item intended for a recipient;

generating a priority of the item based on a classifier, the priority of the item being representative of at least an urgency of the item relative to the intended recipient, the priority comprises a measure of a rate of cost accrued with delayed review of the item; and

,

routing the item for communications based on a routing criteria and the generated priority, wherein routing the item based on a routing criteria comprises;

determining whether the priority is greater than a predetermined threshold; and

,

routing the item upon determining that the priority of the item is greater than the predetermined threshold.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the item comprises receiving an email.

13. The medium of claim 11, wherein routing the item comprises forwarding the item.

14. The medium of claim 11, wherein routing the item comprises replying to a sender of the item.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein replying to the sender comprises replying to the sender with a predetermined message.

16. The method of claim 11, the item is at least one of a text, a document, a file, a message, a message attachment, and content associated with the message.

17. The method of claim 11, the predetermined threshold dynamically changing as a function of extrinsic information.

18. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving an item;

generating a priority of the item based on a classifier, the priority of the item being a function of at least one of an urgency of the item and an expected cost of delayed review of the item; and

,

routing the item for communications based on a routing criteria and the generated priority, wherein routing the item based on a routing criteria comprises;

determining whether the priority is greater than a predetermined threshold;

determining whether a user has been away for more than a predetermined amount of time; and

,

routing the item upon determining that the priority of the item is greater than the predetermined threshold and that the user has been away for more than the predetermined amount of time.

19. A computerized system comprising:

a classifier to generate a priority of a received item, the priority being a function of at least one of a relative urgency of the item or an expected cost of delayed review of the item; and

,

a routing mechanism to route the item for communications based on a routing criteria and the generated priority, wherein the routing criteria comprises a determination of whether the priority of the item is greater than a predetermined threshold, and whether a user has been away for more than a predetermined amount of time.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the item is a received electronic mail.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the classifier comprises a Bayesian classifier.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the classifier comprises a support-vector-machine classifier.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the routing mechanism comprises at least one of a:

forwarding mechanism and a replying mechanism.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the classifier comprises a computer executed by a processor from a computer-readable medium.

25. The system of claim 19, the item is at least one of a text, a document, a file, a message, a message attachment, and content associated with the message.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising properties relating to the item.

27. The system of claim 26, the properties comprising at least one of date and time information.

28. The system of claim 26, the properties relating to an urgency associated with the item.

29. The system of claim 28, the urgency being determined at least in part as a function of time.

30. The system of claim 26, the properties relating to an identity of an individual.

31. The system of claim 30, the properties relating to hierarchical classification of the individual with respect to a group of individuals.

32. The system of claim 31, the hierarchical classification being based at least in part on an organization chart structure.

33. The system of claim 30, the properties comprising information regarding a relative relationship between at least one of a message originator and a recipient and the individual.

34. The system of claim 26, the properties comprising information regarding a state relative to the item.

35. The system of claim 34, the state corresponding to a past event.

36. The system of claim 34, the state corresponding to a future event.

37. The system of claim 34, the properties comprising information relative to a likelihood that an event can occur.

38. The system of claim 34, the properties comprising information relative to time criticality.

39. The system of claim 26, the properties relating to indications of personal requests.

40. The system of claim 19, the predetermined threshold dynamically changing as a function of extrinsic information.

41. The system of claim 19, the predetermined threshold being calculated at least in part based on a cost-benefit analysis.

42. A computerized system comprising:

a classifier to generate a priority of a received item, the priority being a function of at least one of a relative urgency of the item and an expected cost of delayed review of the item, the priority being calculated at least in part based on a cost-benefit analysis; and

,

a routing mechanism to route the item for communications based on a routing criteria and the generated priority.