Identifying likely recipients of a message

• US 7,543,243 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2003
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Palmen, Hilary, Silbey, Marc Adam, Kabir, Ahsan Syed, Schwartz, Jordan Luther King, Van Dok, Cees, Barnet, Sandra, Park, Vivien, Giacobbe, Gail Borod
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pitaro; Ryan F
• Application Number:
  US10/342,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20040135816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,330 Days
• Field of Search: 715/811, 715/745, 715/752
• US Class Current: 715/811
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for identifying the most likely recipients for a message or other communication from a source and building a most frequently used list of recipients. The present invention utilizes a contact list and determines the likelihood that a list of recipients from that contact list are the intended targets for a current message. The likelihood determination is made using both how recent and how frequent prior communications were made to particular individuals or groups of recipients. Further, a user is able to switch between a most frequently used list of recipients and full list of contacts.

Claims

1. A method in a computing environment for identifying a likely recipient of electronic mail (e-mail) message comprising:

maintaining a list of likely recipients based on the frequency the likely recipients have been messaged by a user, wherein;

(1) the list comprises the number of times each listed likely recipient has been messaged,

(2) the list contains a maximum number of recipients, and

(3) new recipients and older recipients are added to and deleted from the list, respectively, on a first in first out (FIBO) basis;

receiving an indication that a messaging system requires a recipient designation;

automatically displaying the list of likely recipients for the e-mail message, wherein the likely recipients are included in an address book associated with the messaging system;

prompting a user to add contact information of a non-address book recipient to the address book when the user previously addresses and sends e-mail messages to the non-address recipient two or more times, wherein the non-address book recipient is a second recipient designation that has not been included in the address book;

providing the ability to select one or more recipients from said list of likely recipients;

accepting a selected one or more recipient as targets for the e-mail message

determining that six or more recipients were targeted for the message; and

because six or more recipients were targeted for the message, refusing to adjust the indications in the list of frequently messaged recipients.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said list of likely recipients includes an identified grouping of recipients.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said list of likely recipients is a list of most frequent contacts.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said list of likely recipients is a full list of contacts from a messaging system.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing an identifier for the recipient wherein said identifier is a reference to a record within an address book.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising sending the e-mail message to said selected one or more recipients.

29. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the list of likely recipients for the message is automatically displayed when a focus is fixated on a To text box within the messenger.

7. One or more computer storage media having computer executable instructions for performing a method for identifying a likely recipient of a message, the method comprising:

maintaining a list of likely recipients based on the frequency the likely recipients have been messaged by a user, wherein;

(1) the list comprises the number of times each listed likely recipient has been messaged,

(2) the list contains a maximum number of recipients, and

(3) new recipients and older recipients are added to and deleted from the list, respectively, on a first in first out (FIBO) basis;

receiving an indication that a messaging system requires a recipient designation;

displaying automatically the list of likely recipients for the message, wherein the likely recipients are included in an address book associated with the messaging system;

prompting the user to add contact information of a non-address book recipient to the address book when the user addresses and sends an e-mail message to the non-address recipient two or more times, wherein the non-address book recipient is a second recipient designation that has not been included in the address book;

providing the ability to select one or more recipients from said list of likely recipients; and

accepting a selected one or more recipient as targets for the message.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising sending the message to said selected one or more recipients.

9. A computer system having a processor, a memory and an operating environment, the computer system operable to execute a method for identifying a likely recipient of a message, the method comprising:

maintaining a list of frequently messaged recipients, wherein the list includes indications designating frequencies that the frequently messaged recipients have been messaged;

when the list includes a threshold number of recipients, adding new recipients to and deleting old recipients from the list on a first in first out (FIBO) basis;

receiving an indication that a messaging system requires a recipient designation;

displaying automatically a list of likely recipients for the message, wherein the likely recipients are included in an address book associated with the messaging system;

providing the ability to select one or more likely recipients from said list of recipients;

accepting a designation of one or more recipients as targets for the message;

determining that six or more recipients were targeted for the message; and

because six or more recipients were targeted for the message, refusing to adjust the indications in the list of frequently messaged recipients.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising sending the message to said selected one or more recipients.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein said list of likely recipients is ordered according to the most likely intended recipients of the message.

12. A method in a computing environment for providing a list of most likely recipients for a message comprising:

collecting information regarding a specified message recipient in the computing environment;

applying a contact frequency algorithm to track said specified message recipient, wherein said specified message recipient is included in an address book associated with a messaging system;

maintaining a list of likely recipients based on the frequency the likely recipients have been messaged by a user, wherein;

(1) the list comprises the number of times each listed likely recipient has been messaged,

(2) the list contains a maximum number of recipients, and

(3) new recipients and older recipients are added to and deleted from the list, respectively, on a first in first out (FIBO) basis;

automatically presenting said specified message recipient in an ordered position within the list of most likely recipients upon receiving an indication that a messaging system requires a recipient designation, wherein said ordered position corresponds to the output of said contact frequency algorithm;

prompting a user to add contact information of a non-address book recipient to the address book when the user addresses an e-mail message to the non-address recipient two or more times, wherein the non-address book recipient is a second recipient designation that has not been included in the address book

determining that six or more recipients were targeted for the message; and

because six or more recipients were targeted for the message, refusing to adjust the indications in the list of frequently messaged recipients.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein information regarding said specified message recipient is collected when there is a limited total number of said specified message recipients.

14. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the list of most likely recipients includes an identified grouping of recipients.

15. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein said specified message recipient is from a list of most frequent contacts.

16. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein said specified message recipient is obtained from a full list of contacts from a messaging system.

17. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising providing an identifier for said specified message recipient wherein said identifier is a reference to a record within an address book.

18. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising obtaining a reference to a contact list entry pertaining to said specified message recipient.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein said reference to said contact list is utilized in the presented list of most likely recipients.

20. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein said reference to said contact list remains unchanged with regards to its inclusion or position when there is an edit of said message recipient'"'"'s contact information such as an e-mail address.

21. One or more computer storage media having computer executable instructions for providing a list of most likely recipients for a message, the method comprising:

collecting information regarding a specified message recipient in the computing environment;

applying a contact frequency algorithm to track a specified message recipient, wherein said specified message recipient is included in an address book associated with a messaging system;

maintaining a list of likely recipients based on the frequency the likely recipients have been messaged by a user, wherein;

(1) the list comprises the number of times each listed likely recipient has been messaged,

(2) the list contains a maximum number of recipients, and

(3) new recipients and older recipients are added to and deleted from the list, respectively, on a first in first out (FIBO) basis;

obtaining a reference to a contact list entry pertaining to said specified message recipient;

automatically presenting said specified message recipient in an ordered position within the list of most likely recipients upon receiving an indication that a messaging system requires a recipient designation, wherein said ordered position corresponds to the output of said contact frequency algorithm;

prompting a user to add contact information of a non-address book recipient to the address book when the user addresses and sends an e-mail message to the non-address recipient two or more times, wherein the non-address book recipient is a recipient designation that has not been included in the address book

determining that six or more recipients were targeted for the message; and

because six or more recipients were targeted for the message, refusing to adjust the indications in the list of frequently messaged recipients.

22. A computer system having a processor, a memory and an operating environment, the computer system operable to execute a method for providing a list of most likely recipients for a message, the method comprising:

collecting information regarding a specified message recipient in the computing environment;

applying a contact frequency algorithm to track a specified message recipient, wherein said specified message recipient is included in an address book associated with a messaging system;

maintaining a list of likely recipients based on the frequency the likely recipients have been messaged by a user, wherein;

(1) the list comprises the number of times each listed likely recipient has been messaged,

(2) the list contains a maximum number of recipients, and

(3) new recipients and older recipients are added to and deleted from the list, respectively, on a first in first out (FIBO) basis;

obtaining a reference to a contact list entry pertaining to said specified message recipient;

automatically presenting said specified message recipient in an ordered position within the list of most likely recipients upon receiving an indication that a messaging system requires a recipient designation, wherein said ordered position corresponds to the output of said contact frequency algorithm;

prompting a user to add contact information of a non-address book recipient to the address book when the user addresses an e-mail message to the non-address recipient two or more times, wherein the non-address book recipient is a second recipient designation that has not been included in the address book

determining that six or more recipients were targeted for the message; and

because six or more recipients were targeted for the message, refusing to adjust the indications in the list of frequently messaged recipients.

23. A computer system having a processor, a memory and an operating environment, for identifying likely message recipients in a messaging computing environment, the computer system comprising:

an automated pick window display component;

a list of selectable likely recipients, wherein each of said selectable likely recipients is included within an address book and is based on the frequency the likely recipients have been messaged by a user, wherein;

(1) the list comprises the number of times each listed likely recipient has been messaged,

(2) the list contains a maximum number of recipients, and

(3) new recipients and older recipients are added to and deleted from the list, respectively, on a first in first out (FIBO) basis; and

a recipient identification component;

said recipient identification component utilizing the frequency, context and how recently a contact has received messages, to incorporate a reference to said contact in said list of selectable likely recipients;

said list of selectable likely recipients being incorporated and automatically displayed by said automated pick window display component when a user entry is expected by the messaging computing environment;

said recipient identification component prompting a user to add contact information of a non-address book recipient to the address book when the user addresses an e-mail message to the non-address recipient two or more times, wherein the non-address book recipient is a recipient designation that has not been included in the address book

determining that six or more recipients were targeted for the message; and

because six or more recipients were targeted for the message, refusing to adjust the indications in the list of frequently messaged recipients.

24. A method in a computing environment for identifying a likely recipient of a message comprising:

maintaining a list of potential recipients based on the frequency the likely recipients have been messaged by a user, wherein;

(1) the list comprises the number of times each listed likely recipient has been messaged,

(2) the list contains a maximum number of recipients, and

(3) new recipients and older recipients are added to and deleted from the list, respectively, on a first in first out (FIBO) basis;

receiving an indication that a messaging system requires a target recipient designation;

displaying automatically the list of likely recipients for the message, wherein the likely recipients are included in an address book associated with the messaging system;

prompting a user to add contact information of a non-address book recipient to the address book when the user addresses an e-mail message to the non-address recipient two or more times, wherein the non-address book recipient is a recipient designation that has not been included in the address book;

providing the ability to toggle between said displayed list of most likely recipients and a full list of contacts;

providing the ability to select one or more target recipients from either said list of most likely recipients or said full list of contacts

determining that six or more recipients were targeted for the message; and

because six or more recipients were targeted for the message, refusing to adjust the indications in the list of frequently messaged recipients.

25. A method as recited in claim 24, further comprising sending the message to said selected one or more target recipients.

26. A method as recited in claim 24 wherein said list of most likely recipients includes an identified grouping of recipients.

27. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein said list of most likely recipients is a list of most frequent contacts.

28. A method as recited in claim 24, further comprising providing an identifier for each of the selectable one or more target recipients, wherein said identifier is a reference to a record within an address book.