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

• US 7,464,093 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2005
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Horvitz, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo; Isaac M
• Application Number:
  US11/183,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206, 709238-244
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 that facilitates communicating, comprising:

generating a priority of a received communication item based on a trained classifier, the priority is related to a net expected value of alerting (NEVA), where NEVA=EVTA−

ECA−

TC, and EVTA is an expected value of alerting, ECA is an expected cost of alerting, and TC is a transmission cost;

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

automatically routing the communication item based on a routing criteria and the priority upon determining that the user has been away from the computer for more than the predetermined amount of time.

2. The method of claim 1, the priority relates to an urgency of the communication item relative to an intended recipient.

3. The method of claim 1, the priority is a measure of a rate of cost accrued with delayed review of the item.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising inferring the user'"'"'s presence based on at least one of mouse or keyboard activity.

5. The method of claim 1, the item comprises at least one of an email, a text, a document, a file, a message, a message attachment, and content associated with the message.

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

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

8. The method of claim 7, replying to the sender comprises replying with a predetermined message.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the priority exceeds a predetermined threshold and routing the item when the priority exceeds the threshold.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a user'"'"'s presence, and routing the item if the user is absent and the priority of the item exceeds a predetermined threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying whether a user is preoccupied, and routing the item based in part upon the identified preoccupation.

12. The method of claim 1, the routing criteria governs when and how a user is alerted to a prioritized item.

13. A computerized system that facilitates communicating, comprising:

means for generating a priority of a received communication item based on a trained classifier, the priority is related to a net expected value of alerting (NEVA), where NEVA=EVTA−

ECA−

TC, and EVTA is an expected value of alerting, ECA is an expected cost of alerting, and TC is a transmission cost;

means for determining whether the priority exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

means for automatically routing the communication item based on a routing criteria upon determining that the priority exceeds the threshold.

14. A computer-implemented system that facilitates communicating, comprising:

a classifier component that generates a priority of a received communication item based on a trained classifier, the priority is related to a net expected value of alerting (NEVA) where NEVA=EVTA−

ECA−

TC, and EVTA is an expected value of alerting, ECA is an expected cost of alerting and TC is a transmission cost; and

a routing component that determines a user'"'"'s presence at a computer and automatically routes the communication item based on a routing criteria and the priority when it is determined that the user is not present the computer.

15. The system of claim 14, the priority relates to an urgency of the communication item relative to an intended recipient.

16. The system of claim 14, the priority is a measure of a rate of cost accrued with delayed review of the item.

17. The system of claim 14, the routing component determines whether the priority exceeds a predetermined threshold and routes the item when the priority exceeds the threshold.

18. The system of claim 14, the communication item comprises at least one of an email, a text, a document, a file, a message, a message attachment, and content associated with the message.

19. The system of claim 14, the routing component forwards the item.

20. The system of claim 14, the routing component replies to a sender of the item.