Method, system, and computer product for providing a distribution list

• US 6,816,863 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2002
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bates, Cary Lee, Santosuosso, John Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Choules, Jack M.
• Application Number:
  US10/142,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20030212680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-10, 709/201
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A method, system and computer product are disclosed whereby distribution lists of invitees in an ordered manner are automatically generated for use in scheduling meetings in a way that is responsive to specifiable parameters following a review of a collection of electronic mail messages as to subject matter and recipients.

Claims

1. A method of automatically generating at least a distribution list for use in a scheduling system, comprising the steps of:

providing a collection of electronic messages wherein each one of the messages includes at least a recipient portion containing recipients and a subject portion containing subject matter;

providing at least one search parameter for use in searching the subject matter T of each one of the messages;

matching messages by having the one search parameter match with subject matter having an attribute of the one search parameter;

providing a relevancy ordering of recipients of the recipient portion associated with the matched messages; and

,

sorting the relevancy ordering of recipients to provide the distribution list.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the relevancy ordering is in accordance with an algorithm.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the relevancy algorithm operates to provide a score indicative of relevance.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the distribution list includes providing a first list associated with a first category of recipients.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the first list includes meeting invitees considered mandatory for a meeting.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of providing the distribution list includes providing a second list associated with a second category of recipients.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the second category of recipients includes meeting invitees considered optional for a meeting.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of matching messages includes excluding messages not satisfying at least one user selected parameter.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing a relevancy ordering of recipients includes eliminating matched messages having a number of recipients above a selected parameter.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing a relevancy ordering includes evaluating a special distribution list of recipients associated with a folder containing a matched message.

11. The method of claim 1 further including sorting the distribution list automatically by limiting the invitees in accordance with limitations imposed by a meeting resource.

12. A computer system using a scheduling mechanism for automatically generating a distribution list of ordered invitees for scheduling a meeting, said system comprising:

a memory containing a collection of electronic messages wherein each of the messages has at least a portion for subject matter and at least a portion for message recipients; and

a group scheduling application including a module for scheduling a meeting;

the group scheduling application including a matching module configurable to match messages having subject matter with an attribute of at least one user selected search parameter;

the group scheduling application includes a relevance determination module for providing an ordered relationship to a list of recipients of the matched messages;

and a sorting module for sorting the ordered relationship to provide the distribution list; and

a processor which performs operations comprising;

matching each message in the collection having an attribute to at least one user selected search parameter;

providing a relevancy ordering of the recipients of the matched messages by the relevance determination module; and

sorting the relevancy ordering by the sorting module for providing the distribution list of ordered invitees.

13. The scheduling system of claim 12 wherein the relevance determination module includes an algorithm for assigning a score to each recipient of the matched messages, whereby a score is indicative of the relevancy of the recipients of the matched messages.

14. The scheduling system of claim 12 wherein the matching module provides for excluding messages in the collection of messages which do not satisfy a user selected parameter.

15. The scheduling system of claim 12 wherein the relevance determination module provides a first category of ordered recipients.

16. The scheduling system of claim 15 wherein the relevance determination module provides a second category of ordered recipients.

17. The scheduling system of claim 15 wherein the first category of ordered recipients is related to a first list of invitees of the distribution list.

18. The scheduling system of claim 16 wherein the second list of ordered recipients is related to a second list of invitees.

19. The scheduling system of claim 12 wherein the relevance determination module evaluates at least a special distribution list associated with a folder in which a matched message is located.

20. The scheduling system of claim 12 wherein the sorting module sorts the invitees in accordance with limitations imposed by a meeting resource.

21. A computer program product for use in a computer-implemented process for automatically generating a distribution list for use in a scheduling system by analyzing a collection of electronic messages wherein each one of the messages includes at least a recipient portion containing recipients and a subject portion containing subject matter, the computer program product comprising:

a medium readable by a computer, the computer readable medium having computer program code adapted for;

providing at least one search parameter to be used for searching the subject matter of each one of the messages for attributes of the search parameter;

matching messages by having the one search parameter match with subject matter having an attribute of the one search parameter;

ordering the recipients associated with the matched messages by relevancy; and

,

sorting the relevancy ordered recipients to provide the distribution list of invitees.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the relevancy step is performed by an algorithm for assigning a score to each recipient which score is indicative of relevancy.

23. The computer program product of claim 21 further including a step of excluding matched messages that do not meet at least an exclusion parameter.

24. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the relevancy ordering includes eliminating matched messages in accordance with a parameter.

25. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the relevancy determining includes evaluating a special distribution list associated with a folder in which a matched message is located.

26. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein sorting includes automatically limiting invitees in accordance with limitations imposed by a meeting resource.

27. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein providing the distribution list includes providing a first list of invitees associated with a first category of recipients.

28. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein the step of providing the distribution list includes providing a second list of invitees associated with a second category of recipients.