System for facilitating thread-based message prioritization

• US 8,412,788 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2012
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Hardy, Michael Thomas, Tysowski, Piotr Konrad, Khan, Atif
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le H
• Application Number:
  US13/448,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/223, 379/88.13, 707/770, 707/721, 719/313, 713/171
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40163 by assigning priority to messages according to a message field
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities

Abstract

To perform thread-based message prioritization, metadata may be extracted from a received electronic message. Based on the extracted message metadata and accumulated metadata extracted from previously received messages, a message thread to which the received electronic message belongs may be identified. Based on a set of thread priority assessment criteria, a priority level for the message thread may be determined. At least part of the message thread may be processed according to the priority level. The processing may be altering a notification behavior of an electronic messaging client for electronic messages of the message thread. Thread priority assessment may be based on user-configurable criteria that may be set via a graphical user interface. Message thread identification may also be based on user-configurable criteria that may be set via a graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

in response to receipt of a new message at a computing device,

changing a priority level for a message thread to which the new message belongs; and

applying the changed priority level to one or more previous messages belonging to the message thread.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more previous messages belonging to the message thread comprise previously received messages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the new message and the one or more previous messages are email messages.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to receipt of the new message, identifying the message thread to which the new message belongs using user-configurable thread identification criteria.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the priority level comprises assigning a priority level to the new message, and the priority level of the message thread is defined as the priority level of the new message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the priority level comprises escalating or lowering the priority level.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the priority level comprises changing between a standard priority level and an escalated priority level.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the changed priority level to the one or more previous messages comprises altering a behavior of a messaging client in respect of those one or more previous messages.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the behavior is a notification behavior of the messaging client in respect of those one or more previous messages.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the notification behavior comprises a visual appearance of those one or more previous messages in a message list displayed by the messaging client.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after applying the changed priority level to the one or more previous messages:

further changing the priority level for the message thread; and

applying the further changed priority level to the one or more previous messages belonging to the message thread.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a message server, and changing the priority level and applying the changed priority level are carried out at the message server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a message server configured to provide the received new message to a wireless communication device, and applying the changed priority level is carried out at the wireless communication device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a wireless communication device.

15. A computing system, comprising:

at least one processor capable of;

in response to receipt of a new message at the computing system,

changing a priority level for a message thread to which the new message belongs; and

applying the changed priority level to one or more previous messages belonging to the message thread.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the computing system comprises a message server capable of receiving the new message, changing the priority level for the message thread, and applying the changed priority level to the one or more previous messages.

17. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the computing system comprises a wireless communication device.

18. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the new message and the one or more previous messages are email messages.

19. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further capable of, in response to receipt of the new message, identifying the message thread to which the new message belongs using user-configurable thread identification criteria.

20. The computing system of claim 15, wherein changing the priority level comprises assigning a priority level to the new message, and the priority level of the message thread is defined as the priority level of the new message.

21. The computing system of claim 15, wherein applying the changed priority level to the one or more previous messages comprises altering a notification behavior of a messaging client in respect of those one or more previous messages.

22. The computing system of claim 21, wherein the notification behavior comprises a visual appearance of those one or more previous messages in a message list displayed by the messaging client.

23. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further capable of, after applying the changed priority level to the one or more previous messages:

further changing the priority level for the message thread; and

applying the further changed priority level to the one or more previous messages belonging to the message thread.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium bearing code which, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, causes the computing device to implement the method of:

in response to receipt of a new message at the computing device,

changing a priority level for a message thread to which the new message belongs; and

applying the changed priority level to one or more previous messages belonging to the message thread.