Verbal labels for electronic messages

• US 8,831,951 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cohen, Michael H.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOZNIAK, JAMES S
• Application Number:
  US12/618,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 704/235, 704/251, 704/270, 704/275, 709/206
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

Verbal labels for electronic messages, as well as systems and methods for making and using such labels, are disclosed. A verbal label is a label containing audio data (such as a digital audio file of a user'"'"'s voice and/or a speaker template thereof) that is associated with one or more electronic messages. Verbal labels permit a user to more efficiently manipulate e-mail and other electronic messages by voice. For example, a user can add such labels verbally to an e-mail or to a group of e-mails, thereby permitting these messages to be sorted and retrieved more easily.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a computing device having one or more processors and one or more programs stored in memory, the method comprising;

receiving an audio input from a user;

performing speech recognition on the audio input from the user to generate text corresponding to the audio input;

using the one or more processors, creating a unified label comprising;

the text corresponding to the audio input, and

data representing the audio input from the user;

labeling a plurality of electronic messages using the unified label;

identifying two or more labeled electronic messages in the plurality of electronic messages using the unified label; and

concurrently displaying;

(i) information identifying an electronic message identified in the two or more electronic messages;

(ii) the text included in the unified label; and

(iii) as a single-line item, the two or more electronic messages identified using the text corresponding to the audio input of the unified label.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic messages are e-mail messages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the text corresponding to the audio input is identified by a reference in the unified label.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data representing the audio input from the user is stored in a digital audio file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the unified label comprises digital audio data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the unified label comprises a speaker template of digital audio data representing the audio input from the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the unified label comprises digital audio data representing the audio input from the user and a speaker template of the digital audio data.

8. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a computing device having one or more processors and one or more programs stored in memory, the method comprising;

receiving a request for electronic messages associated with a unified label; and

responding to the request by;

identifying, using the unified label, electronic messages labeled with the unified label, wherein the unified label comprises;

data representing audio input by a user, and

a corresponding preexisting text label for the user; and

returning, using the one or more processors, a response including information corresponding to at least two of the identified electronic messages labeled with the unified label, wherein the returning includes;

concurrently displaying;

(i) information identifying the at least two electronic messages;

(ii) the text included in the unified label; and

(iii) as a single-line item, the two or more electronic messages identified using the preexisting text corresponding to the audio input of the unified label.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the text corresponding to the audio input by the user is determined by performing speech recognition on the audio input from the user.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the request is generated by voice input.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the request is generated by text input.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the identified messages associated with the unified label has the same label as the unified label.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the identified messages associated with the unified label has information in a header that corresponds to the unified label.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the identified messages associated with the unified label has content that corresponds to the unified label.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifying includes searching for messages selected from the group comprising messages having the same label as the unified label, messages having information in a header that corresponds to the unified label, and messages having content that corresponds to the unified label.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the request more closely corresponds to a speaker-template label for the identified messages than to a garbage model.

17. A system comprising at least one server, the at least one server comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

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

receiving an audio input from a user;

performing speech recognition on the audio input from the user to generate text corresponding to the audio input;

using the one or more processors, creating a unified label comprising;

the text corresponding to the audio input, and

data representing the audio input from the user;

labeling a plurality of electronic messages using the unified label;

identifying two or more labeled electronic messages in the plurality of electronic messages using the unified label; and

concurrently displaying;

(i) information identifying an electronic message identified in the two or more electronic messages;

(ii) the text included in the unified label; and

(iii) as a single-line item, the two or more electronic messages identified using the text corresponding to the audio input of the unified label.

18. A system comprising at least one server, the at least one server comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

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

receiving a request for electronic messages associated with a unified label; and

responding to the request by;

identifying, using the unified label, electronic messages labeled with the unified label, wherein the unified label comprises;

data representing audio input by a user, and

a corresponding preexisting text label for the user; and

returning, using the one or more processors, a response including information corresponding to at least two of the identified electronic messages labeled with the unified label, wherein the returning includes;

concurrently displaying;

(i) information identifying the at least two electronic messages;

(ii) the text included in the unified label; and

(iii) as a single-line item, the two or more electronic messages identified using the preexisting text corresponding to the audio input of the unified label.

19. A non-transitory machine readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive an audio input from a user;

perform speech recognition on the audio input from the user to generate text corresponding to the audio input;

create a unified label comprising;

the text corresponding to the audio input, and

data representing the audio input from the user;

label a plurality of electronic messages using the unified label;

identifying two or more labeled electronic messages in the plurality of electronic messages using the unified label; and

concurrently displaying;

(i) information identifying an electronic message identified in the two or more electronic messages;

(ii) the text included in the unified label; and

(iii) as a single-line item, the two or more electronic messages identified using the text corresponding to the audio input of the unified label.

20. A non-transitory machine readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a request for electronic messages associated with a unified label; and

respond to the request by;

identifying, using the unified label, electronic messages labeled with the unified label, wherein the unified label comprises;

data representing audio input by a user, and

a corresponding preexisting text label for the user; and

returning, using the one or more processors, a response including information corresponding to at least two of the identified electronic messages labeled with the unified label, wherein the returning includes;

concurrently displaying;

(i) information identifying the at least two electronic messages;

(ii) the text included in the unified label; and

(iii) as a single-line item, the two or more electronic messages identified using the preexisting text corresponding to the audio input of the unified label.