Prioritization of incoming communications

• US 8,346,881 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2012
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cohen, Gabriel Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US13/475,318
• Time in Patent Office: 228 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/224, 709/225, 709/238
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/28 in relation to timing considerations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

The subject matter of this disclosure can be implemented in, among other things, a method performed by a computing device. In these examples, the method includes determining an identity of an originator of an incoming communication using an originating address of the incoming communication, and applying a first set of rules to the identity of the originator of the incoming communication to determine an importance of the incoming communication. The first set of rules includes rules generated based at least on information about the originator included in a directory of the computing device. The method may also include applying a second set of rules to the identity of the originator. The second set of rules includes rules generated based at least on previous interactions between the computing device and the originator.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computing device having at least one processor, the method comprising:

determining an identity of an originator of an incoming communication using an originating address of the incoming communication;

applying a first set of rules to the identity of the originator of the incoming communication to determine an importance of the incoming communication, wherein the first set of rules comprise rules generated based at least on information about the originator of the incoming communication included in a directory of the computing device, and wherein the directory includes information about potential originators of incoming communications based on a location of each of the potential originators;

applying a second set of rules to the identity of the originator of the incoming communication to determine the importance of the incoming communication, wherein the second set of rules comprise rules generated based at least on previous interactions between the computing device and the originator of the incoming communication;

generating a prioritization score based on the importance determined by the first and second sets of rules;

outputting, by the computing device, at least one of information about the originator of the incoming communication and a basis for the generated prioritization score;

transmitting usage data of the incoming communication to a server, wherein the server collects usage data from multiple recipients of communications to update the importance of a contact and to maintain one or more block lists; and

receiving at least one of an updated importance of a contact and one or more updated block lists.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, a user-specified prioritization score for the incoming communication; and

overriding the generated prioritization score with the user-specified prioritization score.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user-specified prioritization score is valid for a limited amount of time, the method further comprising:

responsive to determining that the limited amount of time elapsed, discarding the user-specified prioritization score.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the previous interactions between the computing device and the originator of the incoming communication comprises the frequency of interaction between the originator of the incoming communication and the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the previous interactions between the computing device and the originator of the incoming communication comprise sending at least one communication to the originator within a predefined period before the incoming communication was received by the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of rules is generated based at least on the duration of the previous communications between the computing device and the originator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein applying a first set of rules to determine the importance of the incoming communication to a user of the computing device comprises:

applying an importance assigned to a contact associated with an originating address of the incoming communication.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the importance applied to the contact is predetermined based on a classification associated with the contact and a relationship associated with the contact and the user, and wherein the relative importance associated with the classification and relationship is adjustable by the user of the computing device.

9. The method of claim 7,

wherein applying the importance comprises applying the highest relative importance when the incoming communication comprises an incoming communication from an originator who provides services related to the health, security, or safety of the user of the computing device, and

wherein outputting the relative importance of the incoming communication from an originator who provides services related to the health, security, or safety of the user of the computing device comprises outputting an audible alert.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the directory includes the one or more block lists, wherein each of the one or more block lists comprises a list of contacts or originating addresses to be excluded from communicating with the computing device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

updating at least one of the one or more block lists to include an undesirable entity based on interactions between the undesirable contact and other recipients of communications, wherein a statistic representative of the interactions between the undesirable contact and other recipients of communications is gathered remotely from the computing device and transmitted to the computing device from a server.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein interactions between the undesirable contact and other users comprise a bounce rate on incoming communications originating from the undesirable contact to other recipients of communications, wherein the bounce rate comprises a frequency at which communications originating from the undesirable contact are ignored by the other recipients.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the one or more block lists is maintained by the user.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

classifying the originator of the incoming communication as an important contact; and

responsive to classifying the originator as the important contact, determining that the importance of the incoming communication is a highest level of importance.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the directory with usage data of the incoming communication, wherein the usage data includes at least one of communication duration, frequency, and bounce rate.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the directory includes at least one of a social contact and a business contact associated with a social networking service user account of the user.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of rules comprises a first set of hierarchical rules, and wherein the second set of rules comprises a second set of hierarchical rules.

18. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

a directory configured to store information about potential originators of incoming communications based on a location of the potential originators;

an originator identification module that identifies an originator of an incoming communication using an originating address of the incoming communication; and

a message prioritization module operable by the one or more processors to apply a first set of rules to the identity of the originator of the incoming communication to determine an importance of the incoming communication, wherein the first set of rules comprise rules generated based at least on information about the originator of the incoming communication included in a directory of the computing device, apply a second set of rules to the identity of the originator of the incoming communication to determine the importance of the incoming communication, wherein the second set of rules comprise rules generated based at least on previous interactions between the computing device and the originator of the incoming communication, generate a prioritization score based on the importance determined by the first and second sets of rules, output at least one of information about the originator of the incoming communication and a basis for the generated prioritization score, transmit usage data of the incoming communication to a server, wherein the server collects data from multiple recipients of communications to update the importance of a contact and to maintain one or more block lists, and receive at least one of an updated importance of a contact and one or more updated block lists.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions that if executed by one or more programmable processors of a computing device cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

determining an identity of an originator of an incoming communication using an originating address of the incoming communication;

applying a first set of rules to the identity of the originator of the incoming communication to determine an importance of the incoming communication, wherein the first set of hierarchical rules comprise rules generated based at least on information about the originator of the incoming communication included in a directory of the computing device, and wherein the directory includes information about potential originators of incoming communications based on a location of each of the potential originators;

applying a second set of rules to the identity of the originator of the incoming communication to determine the importance of the incoming communication, wherein the second set of rules comprise rules generated based at least on previous interactions between the computing device and the originator of the incoming communication;

generating a prioritization score based on the importance determined by the first and second sets of rules;

outputting at least one of information about the originator of the incoming communication and a basis for the generated prioritization score;

transmitting usage data of the incoming communication to a server, wherein the server collects usage data from multiple recipients of communications to update the importance of a contact and to maintain one or more block lists; and

receiving at least one of an updated importance of a contact and one or more updated block lists.