Associating email messages with conversations

• US 8,150,924 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Buchheit, Paul T., Singh, Sanjeev
• Primary Examiner(s): Pwu, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUSA, ABDELNABI O
• Application Number:
  US10/914,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20050223057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,797 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/205, 709/204, 709/201, 709/207
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

A method and system is described for using a conversation-based messaging system. When a messages is received by the system an attempt is made to associate the message with an existing conversation, if any. If there is no existing conversation to which the message belongs, a new conversation is created. The message is then associated with the existing or new conversation and may be provided certain initial attributes. Information about the message including certain indexing information is stored in memory for the respective conversation. The text of message is indexed along with other information and stored in memory for subsequent searching.

Claims

1. A method of managing messages, comprising:

on a server system having one or more processors and memory;

storing a plurality of conversations, each of the conversations having a respective conversation identifier and comprising one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria;

storing a plurality of labels, including a first label associated with messages from multiple conversations of the plurality of conversations;

sending, to a remotely located client system, first display information enabling the client system to display a user interface including a first label affordance for the first label, wherein the first label affordance is configured to, in response to selection of the first label affordance, cause a first predefined request for conversations having messages associated with the first label to be transmitted from the client system to the server system;

after sending the first display information to the client system, receiving the first predefined request from the client system; and

in response to the first predefined request;

producing a first list of conversations in accordance with a criterion that all conversations in the first list of conversations include at least one message associated with the first label, wherein a plurality of the conversations in the first list each include a plurality of messages, and producing the first list of conversations includes accessing an index of the conversations that includes an index entry for the first label, wherein the index enables the messaging system to identify messages associated with a respective label in response to a search query that includes a search term corresponding to the respective label; and

sending, to the client system, second display information enabling the client system to display the first list of conversations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first label is one of:

a system-defined label or a user-defined label.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second display information includes information enabling the client system to display, concurrently with the first list of conversations, an updated first label affordance that is visually highlighted.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first display information includes information enabling the client system to display as part of the user interface, a plurality of respective label affordances for respective labels, wherein each respective label affordance is configured to, in response to selection of the respective label affordance, cause a respective predefined request for conversations having messages associated with the respective label to be transmitted from the client system to the server system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of respective label affordances includes at least one label affordance corresponding to a system-defined label and at least one label affordance corresponding to a user-defined label.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of respective label affordances includes a second label affordance associated with a second predefined request for messages associated with a second label, and the method further comprises:

after sending the first display information to the client system, receiving the second predefined request from the client system; and

in response to the second predefined request;

producing a second list of conversations in accordance with a criterion that all conversations in the second list of conversations include at least one message associated with the second label, wherein a plurality of the conversations in the second list each include a plurality of messages; and

sending, to the client system, third display information enabling the client system to display the second list of conversations.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a respective message;

determining whether the respective message satisfies predetermined filter criteria; and

in accordance with a determination that the respective message satisfies the predetermined filter criteria, associating the first label with the respective message.

8. A server system, comprising

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more modules, wherein the one or more modules are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more modules including instructions for;

storing a plurality of conversations, each of the conversations having a respective conversation identifier and comprising one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria;

storing a plurality of labels, including a first label associated with messages from multiple conversations of the plurality of conversations;

sending, to a remotely located client system, first display information enabling the client system to display a user interface including a first label affordance for the first label, wherein the first label affordance is configured to, in response to selection of the first label affordance, cause a first predefined request for conversations having messages associated with the first label to be transmitted from the client system to the server system;

after sending the first display information to the client system, receiving the first predefined request from the client system; and

in response to the first predefined request;

producing a first list of conversations in accordance with a criterion that all conversations in the first list of conversations include at least one message associated with the first label, wherein a plurality of the conversations in the first list each include a plurality of messages, and producing the first list of conversations includes accessing an index of the conversations that includes an index entry for the first label, wherein the index enables the messaging system to identify messages associated with a respective label in response to a search query that includes a search term corresponding to the respective label; and

sending, to the client system, second display information enabling the client system to display the first list of conversations.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first label is one of:

a system-defined label or a user-defined label.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the second display information includes information enabling the client system to display, concurrently with the first list of conversations, an updated first label affordance that is visually highlighted.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the first display information includes information enabling the client system to display as part of the user interface, a plurality of respective label affordances for respective labels, wherein each respective label affordance is configured to, in response to selection of the respective label affordance, cause a respective predefined request for conversations having messages associated with the respective label to be transmitted from the client system to the server system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of respective label affordances includes at least one label affordance corresponding to a system-defined label and at least one label affordance corresponding to a user-defined label.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of respective label affordances includes a second label affordance associated with a second predefined request for messages associated with a second label, and the one or more modules further comprise instructions for:

after sending the first display information to the client system, receiving the second predefined request associated from the client system; and

in response to the second predefined request;

producing a second list of conversations in accordance with a criterion that all conversations in the second list of conversations include at least one message associated with the second label, wherein a plurality of the conversations in the second list each include a plurality of messages; and

sending, to the client system, third display information enabling the client system to display the second list of conversations.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising instructions for:

receiving a respective message;

determining whether the respective message satisfies predetermined filter criteria; and

in accordance with a determination that the respective message satisfies the predetermined filter criteria, associating the first label with the respective message.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium and one or more computer programs embedded therein the one or more computer programs comprising instructions which, when executed by a server system, cause the server system to:

store a plurality of conversations, each of the conversations having a respective conversation identifier and comprising one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria;

store a plurality of labels, including a first label associated with messages from multiple conversations of the plurality of conversations;

send, to a remotely located client system, first display information enabling the client system to display a user interface including a first label affordance for the first label, wherein the first label affordance is configured to, in response to selection of the first label affordance, cause a first predefined request for conversations having messages associated with the first label to be transmitted from the client system to the server system;

after sending the first display information to the client system, receive the first predefined request from the client system; and

in response to the first predefined request;

produce a first list of conversations in accordance with a criterion that all conversations in the first list of conversations include at least one message associated with the first label, wherein a plurality of the conversations in the first list each include a plurality of messages, and producing the first list of conversations includes accessing an index of the conversations that includes an index entry for the first label, wherein the index enables the messaging system to identify messages associated with a respective label in response to a search query that includes a search term corresponding to the respective label; and

send, to the client system, second display information enabling the client system to display the first list of conversations.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first label is one of:

a system-defined label or a user-defined label.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the second display information includes information enabling the client system to display, concurrently with the first list of conversations, an updated first label affordance that is visually highlighted.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first display information includes information enabling the client system to display as part of the user interface, a plurality of respective label affordances for respective labels, wherein each respective label affordance is configured to, in response to selection of the respective label affordance, cause a respective predefined request for conversations having messages associated with the respective label to be transmitted from the client system to the server system.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the plurality of respective label affordances includes at least one label affordance corresponding to a system-defined label and at least one label affordance corresponding to a user-defined label.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the plurality of respective label affordances includes a second label affordance associated with a second predefined request for messages associated with a second label, and the one or more computer programs further comprises instructions which, when executed by the server system, cause the server system to:

after sending the first display information to the client system, receiving the second predefined request from the client system; and

in response to the second predefined request;

produce a second list of conversations in accordance with a criterion that all conversations in the second list of conversations include at least one message associated with the second label, wherein a plurality of the conversations in the second list each include a plurality of messages; and

send, to the client system, third display information enabling the client system to display the second list of conversations.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the server system, cause the server system to:

receive a respective message;

determine whether the respective message satisfies predetermined filter criteria; and

in accordance with a determination that the respective message satisfies the predetermined filter criteria, associate the first label with the respective message.