Graphical e-mail content analyser and prioritizer including hierarchical email classification system in an email

• US 6,832,244 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2000
• Issued: 12/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Raghunandan, Hulikunta Prahlad
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit, Bunjob
• Application Number:
  US09/666,229
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 709/205-207, 725/47
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

This invention relates to graphical email content analyser and prioritizer in an email system comprising a means for the user to define search parameters and possible values for each parameter with corresponding graphical images, for identifying and/or prioritizing received email messages, a means for parsing the contents of the email header and body contents and displaying the parameter values of the said messages in graphical form using the said graphical images, a means for grouping, and prioritising the said graphical message displays in accordance with user-defined requirements, and a means for accessing any message selected from the said graphical display.

The invention further includes a hierarchical e-mail classification system in a an email system comprising a means for the user to define parameters for classifying received email messages, a means for classifying each email after parsing the email contents or header to obtain values of classification parameters, a means for arranging and displaying said classified email messages in a hierarchical structure, a means for descending or ascending to a particular level in the structured hierarchy, a means for accessing a message at the lower level of the hierarchy from said display.

The invention also includes a method and computer program product in respect of the above systems.

Claims

1. In a computing system having a processor, storage and input and output devices, a email system comprising:

email receiving means for receiving emails;

a configurator for providing configuration data;

an email header parser for parmine a header of such a received email to extract a subject sender, date, and domain responsive to the configuration data;

an email body parser for parsing a body of such a received email to extract at least one keyword responsive to the configuration data; and

a graphical output generator for generating a number of buttons representing respective ones of the emails, the buttons being arranged by the graphical output generator in arrays of rows and columns for displaying, such a button having graphical elements including least a colour pattern and symbol for identifying selected ones of the extracted keyword, sender, subject, date, and domain of the button'"'"'s respective email, wherein the colours patterns and symbols and the ones of the extracted keyword, sender, subject, date and domain selected are responsive to the configuration data.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, including:

a display device for displaying one of the arrays so that the buttons of the array that can be selected using a pointing device.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said buttons are of a size such that at least 238 of the buttons are concurrently displayable.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the graphical output generator reduces sizes of the buttons responsive to a volume of the received emails so that the number of buttons concurrently displayable increases as the volume of the received emails increases.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a hierarchy generator for classifying the emails, responsive to a parameter selection, into a hierarchical arrangement having a number of levels, the parameters including keyword, sender, subject, date, size and domain, and the parameter selection being in response to the configuration data wherein the arrays correspond to respective ones of the levels in the hierarchy.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein for the sender, subject and domain parameters the levels of the hierarchical arrangement correspond to letter sequences in text values.

7. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein for the size parameter the levels of the arrangement correspond to ranges and subranges of size values.

8. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein for the date parameter the levels of the hierarchical arrangement correspond to date ranges and subranges.

9. In a computing system, a method for

a) receiving emails;

b) providing configuration data;

c) parsing a header of such a received email to extract a subject, sender, date, and domain responsive to the configuration data;

d) parsing a body of such a received email to extract at least one keyword responsive to the configuration data; and

e) generating a number of buttons representing respective ones of the emails, the buttons being arranged in arrays of rows and columns for displaying, such a button having graphical elements including at least a colour, pattern and symbol for identifying selected ones of the extracted keyword, sender, subject, date and domain of the button'"'"'s respective email, wherein the colours, patterns and symbols and the ones of the extracted keyword, sender, subject date and domain selected are responsive to the configuration data.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 comprising the step of:

displaying one of the arrays so that the buttons of the array can be selected using a pointing device.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein said buttons are of such a size that at least 238 of the buttons are concurrently displayable.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein step e) further comprises the step of:

reducing sizes of the buttons responsive to a volume of the received emails so that the number of buttons concurrently displayable increases as the volume of the received emails increases.

13. A method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising the step of:

classifying the emails, responsive to a parameter selection, into a hierarchical arrangement having a number of levels, the parameters including keyword, sender, subject, date, size and domain, and the parameter selection being in response to the configuration data, wherein the arrays correspond to respective ones the levels in the hierarchy.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein for the sender, subject and domain parameters the levels of the hierarchical arrangement correspond to letter sequences in text values.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein for the size parameter the levels of the hierarchical arrangement correspond to ranges and subranges of size values.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein for the date parameter, the levels of the hierarchical arrangement correspond to date ranges and subranges.

17. A computer program product comprising computer readable program code stored on computer readable storage medium embodied therein for providing information about email, the computer readable program code comprising:

email receiving code for receiving emails;

configurator code for providing configuration data;

email header parser code for parsing a header of such a received email to extract a subject, sender, date, and domain responsive to the configuration data;

email body parser code for parsing a body of such a received email to extract at least one keyword responsive to the configuration data; and

graphical output generator code for generating a number of buttons representing respective ones of the emails, the buttons being arranged by the graphical output generator in arrays of rows and columns for displaying such a button having graphical elements including at least a colour, pattern and symbol for identifying selected ones of the extracted keyword, sender, subject, date and domain of the button'"'"'s respective email, wherein the colours, patterns and symbols and the ones of the extracted keyword sender subject, date and domain selected are responsive to the configuration data.

18. A computer program product as claimed in claim 17, wherein said buttons are of a size such that least 238 buttons are concurrently displayable.

19. A computer program product as claimed in claim 17, wherein the graphical output generator code reduces sizes of the buttons responsive to a volume of the received emails so that the number of buttons concurrently displayble increases as the volume of the received emails increases.

20. A computer program product as claimed in claim 17, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises:

hierarchy generator code for classifying the emails, responsive to a parameter selection, into a hierarchical arrangement having a number of levels, the parameters including keyword, sender, subject, date, size and domain and the parameter selection being in response to the configuration data wherein the arrays correspond to respective ones of the levels in the hierarchy.

21. A computer program product as claimed in claim 20, wherein for the sender, subject and domain parameters the levels of the hierarchical arrangement correspond to letter sequences in text values.

22. A computer program product as claimed in claim 20, wherein for the size parameter, the levels of the hierarchical arrangement correspond to range and subranges of size values.

23. A computer program product as claimed in claim 20, wherein for the date parameter, the levels of the hierarchical arrangement correspond to date ranges and subranges.