Propagation of message having time-based information

• US 8,949,354 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2012
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeLuca, Lisa Seacat, Do, Lydia M., Li, Jenny S.
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, NICHOLAS R
• Application Number:
  US13/450,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20130282836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A method for propagating a message includes searching a plurality of messages for time-based information; associating located time-based information with the corresponding message as meta-data; extracting the meta-data and propagating the message as the time-based information approaches; and displaying the propagated message in a graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A method for propagating a message, comprising:

searching content of a plurality of messages for time-based information, the plurality of messages comprising a message or a post within a social networking environment;

extracting the time-based information based on the content of the plurality of messages; and

dynamically and automatically changing a display of messages in a graphical user interface, wherein said dynamically and automatically changing comprises;

propagating at least one message comprising time-based information as the time-based information approaches, said propagating of the at least one message comprising moving the at least one propagated message to a top of an e-mail inbox of a user;

displaying the at least one propagated message in a calendar of the user; and

propagating at least one message after the time-based information has passed, wherein the method is performed within a social networking system.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the time-based information comprises at least one of time, date, day, or event information.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said propagating comprises transmitting the message out of queue before the time-based information occurs.

4. A method according to claim 1, comprising propagating at least one message before an event.

5. A method according to claim 1, comprising establishing a setting for an amount of time before an event in which at least one message having associated meta-data is propagated, said establishing performed by a recipient of the at least one message.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said setting comprises at least one of a setting for a specific user or a setting according to a social network relationship.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one message remains propagated until the user marks it as done.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one message remains propagated pursuant to a time lapse indicator.

9. A method according to claim 1, comprising establishing a setting for an amount of time after an event in which at least one email message having associated meta-data is propagated.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said setting comprises at least one of a setting for a specific user or a setting according to a social network relationship.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said displaying comprises displaying a propagated message as an icon.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises displaying a propagated message with at least one of a colored background, a media file, or stylized text.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein said displaying comprises displaying a propagated message in a separate field or section of a message application.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein said displaying comprises a propagated message in an online calendar.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein when a propagated message comprises an action due date, said method further comprises displaying an action trace for the message to show what action the user has performed on the message.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein said dynamically and automatically changing a display of messages comprises presenting a customized view of messages based on extracted meta-data and at least one of user time preferences or user display preferences.

20. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one propagated message comprises an email message.

17. A system for propagating a message, comprising:

at least one electronic or digital device;

a search engine for mining content of a plurality of messages for time-based information, the plurality of messages comprising a message or a post within a social networking environment;

a graphical user interface; and

a controller for extracting time-based information from the plurality of messages and dynamically and automatically changing a display of messages in the graphical user interface, said dynamically and automatically changing including propagating the message within a social networking system, displaying the propagated message in a calendar of a user, moving the propagated message to a top of an e-mail inbox of the user, and propagating the propagated message after the time based information has passed within a social networking system.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the controller comprises one or more processors with embedded computer code or application logic.

21. A system according to claim 17, wherein the propagated message comprises an email message.

19. A computer program product for propagating a message, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to search a content of a plurality of messages for time-based information, the plurality of messages comprising a message or a post in a social networking environment;

second program instructions to extract time-based information from a corresponding message;

third program instructions to propagate the message within a social networking system as the time-based information approaches; and

fourth program instructions to dynamically and automatically change a display of messages in a graphical user interface including displaying the propagated message in a calendar of a user, and moving the propagated message to a top of an e-mail inbox of the user,

wherein said first, second, third, and fourth program instructions are stored on said computer readable storage medium, and wherein said fourth program instructions further comprise instructions to propagate at least one message within a social networking system after the time-based information has passed.

22. A computer program product according to claim 19, wherein the propagated message comprises an email message.