Labeling messages of conversations and snoozing labeled conversations in a conversation-based email system

• US 8,583,747 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Buchheit, Paul T., Chang, Bay-Wei W., Golub, Seth J., Lim, Jing Yee, Singh, Sanjeev, Tuck, Russell R. III
• Primary Examiner(s): BEHARRY, NOEL R
• Application Number:
  US12/618,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20100064017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

A method system for labeling messages of conversations, where each conversation has a respective conversation identifier and comprises one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics. A selected conversation has a plurality of messages associated with a first label. In response to an action specifying a second label to be associated with the selected conversation, the second label is associated with the messages of the selected conversation, such that the plurality of messages are each associated with both the first and second labels. An index entry for the second label is modified to account for the association of the second label with the messages. In some embodiments, a set of predetermined conditions is associated with the conversation; the first label is removed from the plurality of messages and is prevented from being automatically associated with newly received messages of the conversation until the predetermined conditions are satisfied.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a conversation-based messaging system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs executed by the one or more processors;

storing plurality of conversations, each of the conversations having a respective conversation identifier and comprising one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria;

storing a plurality of labels, including a first label associated with messages from multiple conversations of the plurality of conversations and a second label associated with messages from multiple conversations of the plurality of conversations;

selecting a conversation from a plurality of conversations, the selected conversation having a plurality of messages associated with the first label;

in response to an action specifying that the second label is to be associated with the selected conversation, associating the second label with every message in the selected conversation, such that the plurality of messages in the selected conversation are each associated with both the first and second labels;

accessing an index of the conversations that includes an index entry for the first label and an index entry for the second label, wherein the index enables the messaging system to identify messages including a respective label in response to a search query that includes a representation of the respective label;

modifying the index entry for the second label to account for the association of the second label with the messages in the selected conversation;

receiving a respective search query including a plurality of search terms, the plurality of search terms including a search term corresponding to the first label and a search term corresponding to the second label; and

in response to receiving the respective search query, applying the respective search query to the index of the conversations to identify a set of search results including one or more messages of the selected conversation with which the first label and the second label have been associated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting includes searching a data structure to identify messages that belong to the conversation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the searching includes using the respective conversation identifier to identify messages that belong to the conversation.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the selecting is in response to a user-initiated action.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to a user action, associating a set of predetermined conditions to the conversation;

removing the first label from the plurality of messages previously associated with the first label; and

preventing the first label from being automatically associated with newly received messages of the conversation until the predetermined conditions are satisfied.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined conditions are received in a communication in response to user-initiated actions.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined conditions are received in a communication from a client.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the set of predetermined conditions include determining whether a predefined period of time has elapsed since a predefined point in time.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the set of predetermined conditions include determining whether an incoming message that is associated with the conversation possesses predefined characteristics, and the predefined characteristics are selected from the list consisting of:

the incoming message causes a number of unchecked messages in the conversation to reach a predetermined limit, the incoming message is from a predetermined sender, the incoming message specifies the user as a primary recipient, and the message contains a specified word or phrase that is associated with the conversation.

10. A conversation-based messaging system, comprising

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more modules, wherein the one or more modules are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more modules including instructions for;

storing a plurality of conversations, each of the conversations having a respective conversation identifier and comprising one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria;

storing a plurality of labels, including a first label associated with messages from multiple conversations of the plurality of conversations and a second label associated with messages from multiple conversations of the plurality of conversations;

selecting a conversation from a plurality of conversations, the selected conversation having a plurality of messages associated with the first label;

responding to an action specifying that the second label is to be associated with the selected conversation by associating the second label with every message in the selected conversation, such that the plurality of messages in the selected conversation are each associated with both the first and second labels;

accessing an index of the conversations that includes an index entry for the first label and an index entry for the second label, wherein the index enables the messaging system to identify messages including a respective label in response to a search query that includes a representation of the respective label;

modifying the index entry for the second label to account for the association of the second label with the messages in the selected conversation;

receiving a respective search query including a plurality of search terms, the plurality of search terms including a search term corresponding to the first label and a search term corresponding to the second label; and

in response to receiving the respective search query, applying the respective search query to the index of the conversations to identify a set of search results including one or more messages of the selected conversation with which the first label and the second label have been associated.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a data structure that associates messages to conversations.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising instructions for using the respective conversation identifier to identify the one or more messages.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising instructions for:

responding to a user action by associating a set of predetermined conditions with the conversation; and

removing the first label from the plurality of messages previously associated with the first label; and

for preventing the first label from being automatically associated with newly received messages of the conversation until the predetermined conditions are satisfied.

14. A conversation-based messaging system, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory storing one or more modules to be executed by the one or more processors; and

means for storing a plurality of conversations, each of the conversations having a respective conversation identifier and comprising one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria;

means for storing a plurality of labels, including a first label associated with messages from multiple conversations of the plurality of conversations and a second label associated with messages from multiple conversations of the plurality of conversations;

means for selecting a conversation from a plurality of conversations, the selected conversation having a plurality of messages associated with the first label;

means for responding to an action specifying that the second label is to be associated with the selected conversation by associating the second label with every message in the selected conversation, such that the plurality of messages in the selected conversation are each associated with both the first and second labels;

means for accessing an index of the conversations that includes an index entry for the first label and an index entry for the second label, wherein the index enables the messaging system to identify messages including a respective label in response to a search query that includes a representation of the respective label;

means for modifying the index entry for the second label to account for the association of the second label with the messages in the selected conversation;

means for receiving a respective search query including a plurality of search terms, the plurality of search terms including a search term corresponding to the first label and a search term corresponding to the second label; and

means for, in response to receiving the respective search query, applying the respective search query to the index of the conversations to identify a set of search results including one or more messages of the selected conversation with which the first label and the second label have been associated.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium and one or more computer programs embedded therein the one or more computer programs comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:

store a plurality of conversations, each of the conversations having a respective conversation identifier and comprising one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria;

store a plurality of labels, including a first label associated with messages from multiple conversations of the plurality of conversations and a second label associated with messages from multiple conversations of the plurality of conversations;

select a conversation from a plurality of conversations, the selected conversation having a plurality of messages associated with the first label;

respond to an action specifying that the second label is to be associated with the selected conversation by associating the second label with every message in the selected conversation, such that the plurality of messages in the selected conversation are each associated with both the first and second labels;

modify the index entry for the second label to account for the association of the second label with the messages in the selected conversation;

receive a respective search query including a plurality of search terms, the plurality of search terms including a search term corresponding to the first label and a search term corresponding to the second label; and

in response to receiving the respective search query, apply the respective search query to the index of the conversations to identify a set of search results including one or more messages of the selected conversation with which the first label and the second label have been associated.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions which, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to select a conversation include instructions for searching a data structure to identify messages that belong to the conversation.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions which, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to search include instructions for using the respective conversation identifier to identify messages that belong to the conversation.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions which, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to select a conversation are in response to a user-initiated action.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to:

in response to a user action, associate a set of predetermined conditions to the conversation;

remove the first label from the plurality of messages previously associated with the first label; and

prevent the first label from being automatically associated with newly received messages of the conversation until the predetermined conditions are satisfied.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, further including instructions which, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to receive the predetermined conditions in a communication in response to user-initiated actions.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, further including instructions which, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to receive the predetermined conditions in a communication from a client.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the set of predetermined conditions include a condition that a predefined period of time has elapsed since a predefined point in time.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the set of predetermined conditions include a condition that an incoming message that is associated with the conversation possesses predefined characteristics, and the predefined characteristics are selected from the list consisting of:

the incoming message causes a number of unchecked messages in the conversation to reach a predetermined limit, the incoming message is from a predetermined sender, the incoming message specifies the user as a primary recipient, and the message contains a specified word or phrase that is associated with the conversation.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the set of predetermined conditions include a condition that an incoming message belongs to the selected conversation.