Method and apparatus for processing messages based on interactive history and context between sender and recipient

• US 8,200,692 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2006
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Xu, Tian, Farrenkopf, Eckhard, Saager, Dirk, Eichhorst, Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): Jalil, Neveen Abel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Young, Kevin L
• Application Number:
  US11/606,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20080126112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,022 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Techniques for processing messages based on interactive history and context between a sender and a recipient are described herein. In one embodiment, a process includes, but is not limited to, in response to a message to be received by a recipient from a sender over a network, determining one or more previous transactions associated with the sender and the recipient, the one or more previous transactions being recorded during course of operations performed within an entity associated with the recipient, and generating a list of one or more candidates of interactive history links based on the determined one or more previous transactions, such that the recipient is able to select one or more of the candidates of interactive history links to be performed for responding the message of the sender. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a communication over a network from a sender to an entity having a recipient associated with the entity;

determining at least one previous transaction associated with the sender and the entity, the at least one previous transaction being recorded during a course of operations performed within the entity;

determining a type of business of the sender and a location of the sender;

determining at least one role of the recipient within the entity;

extracting at least one keyword from the communication; and

generating at least one action candidate of interactive history links based on the determined at least one previous transaction and one or more of the following;

the sender information, the recipient associated with the entity information and the extracted keyword, wherein the at least one action candidate includes at least one required action candidate and at least one optional action candidate, wherein the optional candidate is a candidate that the recipient will more likely than not be taken by the recipient, and wherein the recipient selects at least one required action candidate and at least one optional action candidate to respond to the communication from the sender;

wherein the interactive history links include links of business context from at least one previous transaction, the business context being obtained from a sender-oriented database and an entity-oriented database configured to generate the at least one action candidate, wherein the at least one action candidate is selected and configured based on a determination of whether the at least one action candidate is sender-oriented or entity-oriented.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one previous transaction comprises:

performing a search within a business context database associated with the entity to identify information associated with the sender; and

upon identifying information associated with the sender, performing another search based on the identified information to identify at least one previous transaction associated with the entity, wherein the at least one action candidate is generated based on the at least one previous transaction associated with sender and entity.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising

performing yet another search within the business context database for information associated with the entity;

and

performing a yet another further search based on the identified information associated with the entity to identify at least one previous transaction, wherein the at least one action candidate is generated based on the at least one previous transaction associated with sender and entity.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

presenting the at least one previous transaction to the recipient to enable the recipient to select at least a portion of the at least one previous transaction; and

generating a transaction context based on a selection of the recipient, the transaction context representing at least one related link associated with the sender linked with at least a portion of the at least one action candidate.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising

generating another transaction context based on the search performed based on the identified information associated with the entity, the another transaction context having at least one link related to at least a portion of the at least one action candidate, and the at least one link is associated with at least one event triggered by the recipient.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising

determining at least one role of the recipient within the entity, wherein the another transaction context is generated based on the determined at least one role of the recipient.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising

generating a transaction context associated with the message based on an identification (ID) of the sender extracted from the message, and wherein the at least one action candidate is linked to at least a portion of content of the transaction context.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity is an enterprise entity, and wherein information of the at least one previous transaction is provided from an enterprise information system (EIS) associated with the enterprise entity, the EIS system including at least an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a communication over a network from a sender to an entity having a recipient associated with the entity;

determining at least one previous transaction associated with the sender and the entity, the at least one previous transaction being recorded during a course of operations performed within the entity;

determining a type of business of the sender and a location of the sender;

determining at least one role of the recipient within the entity;

extracting at least one keyword from the communication; and

generating at least one action candidate of interactive history links based on the determined at least one previous transaction and one or more of the following;

the sender information, the recipient associated with the entity information and the extracted keyword, wherein the at least one action candidate includes at least one required action candidate and at least one optional action candidate, wherein the optional candidate is a candidate that the recipient will more likely than not be taken by the recipient, and wherein the recipient selects at least one required action candidate and at least one optional action candidate to respond to the communication from the sender;

wherein the interactive history links include links of business context from at least one previous transaction, the business context being obtained from a sender-oriented database and an entity-oriented database configured to generate the at least one action candidate, wherein the at least one action candidate is selected and configured based on a determination of whether the at least one action candidate is sender-oriented or entity-oriented.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein determining the at least one previous transaction comprises:

performing a search within a business context database associated with the entity to identify information associated with the sender; and

upon identifying information associated with the sender, performing another search based on the identified information to identify at least one previous transaction associated with the entity, wherein the at least one action candidate is generated based on the at least one previous transaction associated with sender and entity.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising

performing yet another search within the business context database for information associated with the entity;

and

performing a yet another further search based on the identified information associated with the entity to identify at least one previous transaction, wherein the at least one action candidate is generated based on the at least one previous transaction associated with sender and entity.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

presenting the at least one previous transaction to the recipient to enable the recipient to select at least a portion of the at least one previous transaction; and

generating a transaction context based on a selection of the recipient, the transaction context representing at least one related link associated with the sender linked with at least a portion of the at least one action candidate.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises

generating another transaction context based on the search performed based on the identified information associated with the entity, the another transaction context having at least one link related to at least a portion of the at least one action candidate, and the at least one link is associated with at least one event triggered by the recipient.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises

determining at least one role of the recipient within the entity, wherein the another transaction context is generated based on the determined at least one role of the recipient.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises

generating a transaction context associated with the message based on an identification (ID) of the sender extracted from the message, and wherein the at least one action candidate is linked to at least a portion of content of the transaction context.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the entity is an enterprise entity, and wherein information of the at least one previous transaction is provided from an enterprise information system (EIS) associated with the enterprise entity, the EIS system including at least an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

17. A data processing system, comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to include

a processing logic configured to

receive a communication over a network from a sender to an entity having a recipient associated with the entity,

determine at least one previous transaction associated with the sender and the entity, the at least one previous transaction being recorded during a course of operations performed within the entity;

determine a type of business of the sender and a location of the sender;

determine at least one role of the recipient within the entity;

extract at least one keyword from the communication; and

an action generator, coupled to the processing logic, configured to generate at least one action candidate based on the determined at least one previous transaction and one or more of the following;

the sender information, the recipient associated with the entity information and the extracted keyword, wherein the at least one action candidate includes at least one required action candidate and at least one optional action candidate, wherein the optional candidate is a candidate that the recipient will more likely than not be taken by the recipient, and wherein the recipient selects at least one required action candidate and at least one optional action candidate to respond to the communication from the sender;

wherein the interactive history links include related links of business context from at least one previous transaction, the business context being obtained from a sender-oriented database and an entity-oriented database configured to generate the at least one action candidate, wherein the at least one action candidate is selected and configured based on a determination of whether the at least one action candidate is sender-oriented or entity-oriented.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a search engine, coupled to the processing logic, configured to search within a business context database associated with the entity to identify information associated with the sender; and

another search engine, coupled to the processing logic, configured to search based on the identified information to identify at least one previous transaction associated with the entity, wherein the at least one action candidate is generated based on the at least one previous transaction associated with sender and entity.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a user interface, coupled to the processor, configured to present the at least one previous transaction to the recipient to enable the recipient to select at least a portion of the at least one previous transaction; and

a context generator to generate a transaction context based on a selection of the recipient, the transaction context representing at least one related link associated with the sender linked with at least a portion of the at least one action candidate.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising another context generator to generate another transaction context based on the search performed based on the identified information associated with the entity, the another transaction context having at least one link related to at least a portion of the at least one action candidate, and the at least one link is associated with at least one event triggered by the recipient.