Indicating the context of a communication

• US 8,495,503 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Michael Wayne, Paolini, Michael A., Smith, Newton James Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): TAN, ALVIN H
• Application Number:
  US10/185,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20040001090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,044 Days
• Field of Search: 715/528, 715/529, 715/536, 715/539, 715/540, 715/752, 715522-524
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A method, system, and program for indicating a reaction response associated with the content of a communication to provide a context for the communication are provided. The content of a communication and the reaction responses to a communication provide the context for a communication. Varying portions of the content of a communication are analyzed to identify a particular reaction response associated with each of the varying portions of content. During a display of the content of the communication, a color within any of the varying portions indicates the associated reaction response. A reaction response may indicate a sender'"'"'s intended response or an anticipated or actual response of a recipient. The colors may be added to a proposed communication and edited by a sender to achieve a particular desired response.

Claims

1. A method for distributing a communication based on reaction response, comprising:

delivering, using at least one messaging server that provides electronic communication service over a network to at least one particular recipient, a plurality of electronic messages from a plurality of separate senders to said at least one particular recipient;

receiving, at said at least one messaging server, at least one actual response specified by said at least one particular recipient to at least one separate type of content for each of said plurality of electronic messages by detecting a separate graphical display attribute selected by said at least one particular recipient to associate with each said at least one separate type of content within a display of each of said plurality of electronic messages, wherein each said separate graphical attribute represents at least one separate type of response from among a plurality of types of responses;

storing, in a database, by said at least one messaging server, said at least one actual response to said at least one separate type of content specified by said at least one particular recipient through each said separate graphical display attribute;

selecting, by said at least one messaging server, a particular communication output interface from among a plurality of separate output interfaces each specified by at least one of said plurality of senders for receiving communications identified with said at least one separate type of response from among said plurality of types of responses, wherein said particular communication output interface is specified by said at least one of said plurality of senders for receipt of communications with said separate type of response of said at least one actual response;

enabling said at least one messaging server to detect a proposed communication request from said at least one of said plurality of senders to said at least one particular recipient; and

returning, by said at least one messaging server, to said at least one sender, anticipated responses of said at least one particular recipient to said proposed communication request determined from a selection of said stored actual responses associated with at least one of said separate type of content appearing in said proposed communication request to said particular communication output interface specified for said separate type of response of said at least one actual response.

2. The method for distributing a communication based on reaction response according to claim 1, wherein said particular communication output interface comprises at least one from among an instant messaging interface, an electronic mail interface, a chat room interface, a telephony device interface, and a pager interface.

3. A method for anticipating responses to communication content, comprising:

delivering, using at least one messaging server that provides electronic communication service over a network to at least one particular recipient, a plurality of electronic messages from a plurality of separate senders to said at least one particular recipient;

receiving, at said at least one messaging server, at least one actual response specified by said at least one particular recipient to at least one separate type of content for each of said plurality of electronic messages by detecting a separate graphical display attribute selected by said at least one particular recipient to associate with each said at least one separate type of content within a display of each of said plurality of electronic messages, wherein each said separate graphical attribute represents at least one separate type of response from among a plurality of types of responses;

storing, in a database, by said at least one messaging server, said at least one actual response to said at least one separate type of content specified by said at least one particular recipient through each said separate graphical display attribute;

enabling said at least one messaging server to detect a proposed communication request from a particular sender for said at least one particular recipient;

specifying, by said at least one messaging server, only a selection of the at least one stored actual responses matching a particular type of content for output to said particular sender according to at least one output preference specifying the particular type content from among a plurality of types of content by said particular sender; and

sending, by said at least one messaging server, to said particular sender anticipated responses of said at least one particular recipient to said proposed communication request determined from only said selection of the at least one stored actual responses associated with at least one of said separate type of content appearing within said proposed communication request.