Predictive electronic mail addressing

• US 8,301,707 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2009
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Kates, Jesse, Miller, Kristen, Hebb, Lauriann L., Schumaker, Christine Denise
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Liangche A
• Assistant Examiner(s): NDIAYE, CHEIKH T
• Application Number:
  US12/568,708
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/226, 709/245
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system for predictive electronic mail addressing is provided. The system comprises a computer system and an application, that when executed on the computer system, observes the instantiation of a draft electronic mail message on a client device. The system also analyzes at least one of an entry of a first addressee, an entry of text in the subject line, and an entry of text in the body of the draft electronic mail message. The system also identifies at least one list comprising a plurality of proposed addressees based on the analyzed entries. The system also displays the at least one list in a selection pane on the client device and enters the list into the addressee entry space of the draft electronic mail message when selected.

Claims

1. A system for predictive electronic mail addressing, comprising:

a computer system comprising a processor; and

an application, that when executed by the processor on the computer system,

observes an instantiation of a draft electronic mail message on a client device;

observes an entry of a first addressee in the draft electronic mail message;

observes an entry of a first keyword in a message body of the draft electronic mail message;

determines a first probability calculated as a percentage of historic electronic mail messages addressed to the observed first addressee and including the observed first keyword in the body at least one time;

determines, when the first probability exceeds a first predetermined minimum, a second probability calculated as a percentage of the historic electronic mail messages with the observed first addressee, and with the observed first keyword, and including a list of additional addressees as addressees;

displays, when the second probability exceeds a second predetermined minimum, the list of additional addressees in a pop-up window that enables selectively adding the list of additional addressees to the first addressee displayed in the draft electronic mail message; and

enters the list into an addressee entry space of the draft electronic mail message when selected from the pop-up window.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one list is identified based on analysis of an entry of a first addressee and analysis of at least one of an entry of a second addressee, an entry of text in the subject line, and an entry of text in the body of the draft electronic mail message.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a database aggregating historical combinations of addressees, subject line text blocks, and message body text blocks appearing in historical sent electronic mail messages, the combinations used by the application to create the at least one list.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the application determines the probabilities of combinations of addressees, additional addressees, subject line text blocks, and message body text blocks appearing in historical sent electronic mail messages and wherein the application identifies at least one list further based on the probabilities.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the client device is one of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a media player, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, and a desktop computer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein all individual addressees contained in the list are selected for entry by the completion of one of a single keystroke on one of a keypad and keyboard and a click of a pointing device associated with the client device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the application further observes the instantiation of a draft meeting request on a client device, observes an entry of at least one invitee, identifies at least one list comprising additional proposed invitees, displays the at least one list in a selection pane on the client device, and enters the list comprising the additional invitees into the invitee entry space of the draft meeting request when selected.

8. A processor-implemented method for predictive electronic mail addressing, comprising:

observing, by a predictive addressing server, an entry of a first addressee in a first draft electronic mail message on a client computer;

observing, by the predictive addressing server, an entry of a first keyword in a message body of the first draft electronic mail message;

determining, by the predictive addressing server, a first probability calculated using a percentage of historic electronic mail messages addressed to the observed first addressee and including the observed first keyword in the message body at least one time;

when the first probability exceeds a first predetermined minimum, determining, by the predictive addressing server, a second probability calculated as a percentage of the historic electronic mail messages with the observed first addressee, and with the observed first keyword, and including a first collection of additional addressees as addressees;

when the second probability exceeds a second predetermined minimum, displaying, by the predictive addressing server, the first collection of additional addressees in a pop-up window that enables selectively adding the first collection of additional addressees to the first addressee displayed in the first draft electronic mail message; and

inserting, by the predictive addressing server, the first collection of additional addressees when selected from the pop-up window.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

observing, by the predictive addressing server, the entry of the first addressee in a second draft electronic mail message on the client computer;

observing, by the predictive addressing server, the entry of a second keyword in the subject line of the second draft electronic mail message;

determining, by the predictive addressing server, a third probability calculated as a percentage of the historic electronic mail messages addressed to the first addressee and including the second keyword in the subject line at least one time;

when the third probability exceeds a third predetermined minimum, determining, by the predictive addressing server, a fourth probability calculated as a percentage of the historic electronic mail messages with the first addressee, and with the second keyword, and including a second collection of additional addressees as addressees;

when the fourth probability exceeds a fourth predetermined minimum, displaying, by the predictive addressing server, the second collection of additional addressees in a pop-up window and providing a mechanism to add the second collection of additional addressees to the first addressee displayed in the second draft electronic mail message; and

inserting, by the predictive addressing server, the second collection of additional addressees when selected.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first keyword and the second keywords are one of contiguous strings of alphanumeric characters, non-contiguous strings of alphanumeric characters, and a file embedded in the body of the first draft electronic mail message wherein the file displays an image in the first draft electronic mail message.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein historic electronic mail messages are defined as electronic mail messages sent within ninety days before the first draft electronic mail message is instantiated.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising presenting, by the predictive addressing server, multiple collections of additional addressees in one pop-up window for review and providing a mechanism for one of selection of one collection of additional addressees for insertion and closure of the pop-up window without selection of one collection of additional addressees.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising presenting, by the predictive addressing server, a third collection of additional addressees in a pop-up window and providing a mechanism to add the third collection of additional addressees to one of a Copy To line and a Blind Copy To line of the first draft electronic mail message.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein individual addressees contained in the first collection of additional addressees are individually selectable for addition to the first addressee.