Electronic communication reminder technology

• US 7,921,174 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2010
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Jason Adam Denise
• Inventors: Denise, Jason Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Shingles, Kristie D
• Application Number:
  US12/882,173
• Time in Patent Office: 203 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Abstract

Techniques are described for providing reminders for electronic communications. For instance, response patterns of a user are determined by communication type based on monitoring past response behavior of the user and the response pattern data is stored for the user by communication type. After storing the response pattern data for the user by communication type, a particular communication that is for the user and that is initiated by a first sender is received. A type of the particular communication is determined and response pattern data associated with the determined type of the particular communication is accessed. A response reminder time for the particular communication is set based on the accessed response pattern data associated with the determined type of the particular communication.

Claims

1. An electronic messaging system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving first electronic messages that are addressed to a particular user and that are from multiple, different senders;

monitoring for responses by the particular user to the first electronic messages;

based on monitoring for responses by the particular user to the first electronic messages, determining response patterns of the particular user by sender;

based on determining response patterns of the particular user by sender, storing, in electronic storage, response pattern data for the particular user by sender;

after storing, in electronic storage, response pattern data for the particular user by sender, receiving second electronic messages that are addressed to the particular user and that are from multiple, different senders, the second electronic messages being different than the first electronic messages and being received subsequent to the first electronic messages; and

alerting the particular user to electronic messages determined to be important based on past response behavior of the particular user by identifying a subset of the second electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded and that are each from a corresponding sender for which the stored response pattern data indicates a threshold response rate by the particular user to past electronic messages from the corresponding sender and, when the particular user begins using the electronic messaging system, causing display, in a list that only includes electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded, of the identified subset of the second electronic messages.

2. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein causing display, in the list that only includes electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded and that is separate from another list that includes electronic messages from the second electronic messages that are not included in the identified subset of the second electronic messages, of the identified subset of the second electronic messages comprises causing display of the identified subset of the second electronic messages in a list that is separate from an electronic message inbox associated with the particular user that includes representations of all of the second electronic messages ordered based on a time of receipt of the second electronic messages.

3. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein causing display, in the list that only includes electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded and that is separate from another list that includes electronic messages from the second electronic messages that are not included in the identified subset of the second electronic messages, of the identified subset of the second electronic messages comprises causing display of the identified subset of the second electronic messages in a first list that alerts the particular user to the identified subset of the second electronic messages and that is displayed concurrently with a second list of electronic messages that includes representations of electronic messages from the second electronic messages that are not included in the identified subset of the second electronic messages.

4. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise, when a single sender has sent multiple electronic messages to the particular user that relate to a same subject and the stored response pattern data indicates a threshold response rate by the particular user to past electronic messages from the single sender, causing display, in the list, of a single entry for the multiple electronic messages from the single sender that relate to the same subject, the single entry including an indication of the single sender, an indication of the same subject, and an indication of a number of electronic messages corresponding to the single entry in the list.

5. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise, when a single sender has sent, at a first time, a first electronic message to the particular user that relates to a first subject, the single sender has sent, at a second time that is subsequent to the first time, a second electronic message to the particular user that relates to the first subject, and the stored response pattern data indicates a threshold response rate by the particular user to past electronic messages from the single sender, causing display of the list without an entry for the first electronic message in response to processing a response by the particular user to the second electronic message even though the particular user has not responded directly to the first electronic message and the first electronic message otherwise would be included in the list that only includes electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded.

6. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise removing, from a display of the list, a particular electronic message included the identified subset of the second electronic messages in response to processing a response by the particular user to the particular electronic message.

7. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein identifying a subset of the second electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded and that are each from a corresponding sender for which the stored response pattern data indicates a threshold response rate by the particular user to past electronic messages from the corresponding sender comprises identifying a subset of the second electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded based on a combination of stored response pattern data for the particular user by sender and stored response pattern data for the particular user by content, wherein a first electronic message received from a first sender and including first content is included in the subset of the second electronic messages and a second electronic message received from the first sender and including second content that is different than the first content is not included in the subset of the second electronic messages.

8. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise, when a single sender has sent, at a first time, a first electronic message to the particular user that relates to a first subject and the list includes an entry corresponding to the first electronic message based on the stored response pattern data indicating a threshold response rate by the particular user to past electronic messages from the single sender, advancing, in the list, an entry corresponding to the first electronic message in response to receiving, at a second time that is subsequent to the first time, a second electronic message from the single sender that relates to the first subject.

9. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise enabling the particular user to delete, from the list, electronic messages included in the identified subset of the second electronic messages and adjusting at least one criterion used in identifying electronic messages to include in the list based on types of communications the particular user has deleted from the list.

10. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, wherein identifying a subset of the second electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded and that are each from a corresponding sender for which the stored response pattern data indicates a threshold response rate by the particular user to past electronic messages from the corresponding sender comprises identifying a subset of the second electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded and that are each from a corresponding sender for which stored response rate data indicates that the particular user has responded to past electronic messages from the corresponding sender at a rate that meets a response rate threshold.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, at a communication system that includes at least one hardware processor, first electronic messages that are addressed to a particular user and that are from multiple, different senders;

monitoring, by the communication system, for responses by the particular user to the first electronic messages;

based on monitoring for responses by the particular user to the first electronic messages, determining, by the communication system, response patterns of the particular user by sender;

based on determining response patterns of the particular user by sender, storing, in electronic storage, response pattern data for the particular user by sender;

after storing, in electronic storage, response pattern data for the particular user by sender, receiving, at the communication system, second electronic messages that are addressed to the particular user and that are from multiple, different senders, the second electronic messages being different than the first electronic messages and being received subsequent to the first electronic messages; and

alerting, by the communication system, the particular user to electronic messages determined to be important based on past response behavior of the particular user by identifying a subset of the second electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded and that are each from a corresponding sender for which the stored response pattern data indicates a threshold response rate by the particular user to past electronic messages from the corresponding sender and, when the particular user begins using the electronic messaging system, causing display, in a list that only includes electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded, of the identified subset of the second electronic messages.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein causing display, in the list that only includes electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded and that is separate from another list that includes electronic messages from the second electronic messages that are not included in the identified subset of the second electronic messages, of the identified subset of the second electronic messages comprises causing display of the identified subset of the second electronic messages in a list that is separate from an electronic message inbox associated with the particular user that includes representations of all of the second electronic messages ordered based on a time of receipt of the second electronic messages.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein causing display, in the list that only includes electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded and that is separate from another list that includes electronic messages from the second electronic messages that are not included in the identified subset of the second electronic messages, of the identified subset of the second electronic messages comprises causing display of the identified subset of the second electronic messages in a first list that alerts the particular user to the identified subset of the second electronic messages and that is displayed concurrently with a second list of electronic messages that includes representations of electronic messages from the second electronic messages that are not included in the identified subset of the second electronic messages.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising, when a single sender has sent multiple electronic messages to the particular user that relate to a same subject and the stored response pattern data indicates a threshold response rate by the particular user to past electronic messages from the single sender, causing display, in the list, of a single entry for the multiple electronic messages from the single sender that relate to the same subject, the single entry including an indication of the single sender, an indication of the same subject, and an indication of a number of electronic messages corresponding to the single entry in the list.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising, when a single sender has sent, at a first time, a first electronic message to the particular user that relates to a first subject, the single sender has sent, at a second time that is subsequent to the first time, a second electronic message to the particular user that relates to the first subject, and the stored response pattern data indicates a threshold response rate by the particular user to past electronic messages from the single sender, causing display of the list without an entry for the first electronic message in response to processing a response by the particular user to the second electronic message even though the particular user has not responded directly to the first electronic message and the first electronic message otherwise would be included in the list that only includes electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising removing, from a display of the list, a particular electronic message included the identified subset of the second electronic messages in response to processing a response by the particular user to the particular electronic message.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying a subset of the second electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded and that are each from a corresponding sender for which the stored response pattern data indicates a threshold response rate by the particular user to past electronic messages from the corresponding sender comprises identifying a subset of the second electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded based on a combination of stored response pattern data for the particular user by sender and stored response pattern data for the particular user by content, wherein a first electronic message received from a first sender and including first content is included in the subset of the second electronic messages and a second electronic message received from the first sender and including second content that is different than the first content is not included in the subset of the second electronic messages.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising, when a single sender has sent, at a first time, a first electronic message to the particular user that relates to a first subject and the list includes an entry corresponding to the first electronic message based on the stored response pattern data indicating a threshold response rate by the particular user to past electronic messages from the single sender, advancing, in the list, an entry corresponding to the first electronic message in response to receiving, at a second time that is subsequent to the first time, a second electronic message from the single sender that relates to the first subject.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising enabling the particular user to delete, from the list, electronic messages included in the identified subset of the second electronic messages and adjusting at least one criterion used in identifying electronic messages to include in the list based on types of communications the particular user has deleted from the list.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying a subset of the second electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded and that are each from a corresponding sender for which the stored response pattern data indicates a threshold response rate by the particular user to past electronic messages from the corresponding sender comprises identifying a subset of the second electronic messages to which the particular user has not yet responded and that are each from a corresponding sender for which stored response rate data indicates that the particular user has responded to past electronic messages from the corresponding sender at a rate that meets a response rate threshold.