Methods and devices for prioritizing message threads

• US 9,014,720 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2014
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Filev, Momchil, Freund, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Marisol
• Application Number:
  US14/286,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20140258436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

Certain embodiments of this disclosure include methods and devices for prioritizing message threads. According to one embodiment, a method is provided for detecting a current location of an electronic device; determining contact location information describing one or more locations of one or more devices associated with one or more contacts; determining respective proximities between the electronic device and the one or more devices associated with the one or more contacts based at least in part on the current location of the electronic device and the contact location information to provide contact proximity information; identifying a plurality of message threads, wherein each message thread is associated with at least one of the one or more contacts; associating a respective priority value with each message thread based at least in part on the contact proximity information; and outputting, for display, formatting information based on the respective priority values.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by an electronic device, contact proximity information, wherein the contact proximity information describes respective proximities between the electronic device and one or more devices associated with one or more contacts, and wherein the contact proximity information is based at least in part on a current location of the electronic device and location information associated with the one or more contacts;

identifying a plurality of message threads, wherein each message thread of the plurality of message threads is associated with at least one of the one or more contacts;

associating, by the electronic device, and with each respective message thread from the plurality of message threads, a respective priority value from a plurality of priority values, the respective priority value based at least in part on the contact proximity information; and

outputting, for display, at least a portion of the plurality of message threads based on the plurality of priority values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the respective priority value with each message thread comprises:

associating a higher priority value with a first message thread associated with a first contact, the first contact being associated with a first device of the one or more devices, wherein the first device is in close proximity to the electronic device; and

associating a lower priority value with a second message thread associated with a second contact, the second contact being associated with a second device of the one or more devices, wherein the second device is in further proximity to the electronic device than the first device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the respective priority value with each message thread is also based on at least two priority criteria.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each priority criterion may comprise anyone of:

identity information describing an identity of each of the one or more contacts;

frequency information describing a frequency at which each message is activated;

chronological information describing how recently each message was activated; and

timing information describing a time at which each message thread is regularly activated.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each message thread may be activated by at least one of the following conditions:

the message thread is accessed, such that at least one message of the message thread is available for inspection; and

the message thread is updated to include an additional message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting, for display, formatting information based on the respective priority values, and wherein the formatting information comprises display information listing each message thread in a particular order based on the respective priority values of each message thread of the plurality of message threads.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining the formatting information for a first period of time based on a first priority criterion; and

determining the formatting information for a second period of time based on second priority criterion.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first priority criterion is based at least in part on the contact proximity information and wherein the second priority criterion is based at least in part on chronological information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each message thread comprises one or more messages.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving contact location information, wherein the contact location information describes one or more locations of one or more devices associated with the one or more contacts.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a current location of the electronic device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein each respective priority value is based on the location information for a particular contact from the one or more contacts that is associated with the respective message thread with which that respective priority value is associated.

13. An electronic device comprising:

memory comprising executable instructions; and

a processor operatively connected to the memory, the processor configured to execute the executable instructions in order to effectuate a method comprising;

receiving contact proximity information, wherein the contact proximity information describes respective proximities between the electronic device and one or more devices associated with one or more contacts, and wherein the contact proximity information is based at least in part on a current location of the electronic device and location information associated with the one or more contacts;

identifying a plurality of message threads, wherein each message thread of the plurality of message threads is associated with at least one of the one or more contacts;

associating, with each respective message thread from the plurality of message threads, a respective priority value from a plurality of priority values, the respective priority value based at least in part on the contact proximity information; and

outputting, for display, at least a portion of the plurality of message threads based on the plurality of priority values.

14. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program product comprising an algorithm adapted to effectuate a method comprising:

receiving contact proximity information, wherein the contact proximity information describes respective proximities between the electronic device and one or more devices associated with one or more contacts, and wherein the contact proximity information is based at least in part on a current location of the electronic device and location information associated with the one or more contacts;

identifying a plurality of message threads, wherein each message thread of the plurality of message threads is associated with at least one of the one or more contacts;

associating, with each respective message thread from the plurality of message threads, a respective priority value from a plurality of priority values, the respective priority value based at least in part on the contact proximity information; and

outputting, for display, at least a portion of the plurality of message threads based on the plurality of priority values.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein associating the respective priority value with each message thread comprises:

associating a higher priority value with a first message thread associated with a first contact, the first contact being associated with a first device of the one or more devices, wherein the first device is in close proximity to the electronic device; and

associating a lower priority value with a second message thread associated with a second contact, the second contact being associated with a second device of the one or more devices, wherein the second device is in further proximity to the electronic device than the first device.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein associating the respective priority value with each message thread is also based on at least two priority criteria.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein each priority criterion may comprise anyone of:

identity information describing an identity of each of the one or more contacts;

frequency information describing a frequency at which each message is activated;

chronological information describing how recently each message was activated; and

timing information describing a time at which each message thread is regularly activated.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein each message thread may be activated by at least one of the following conditions:

the message thread is accessed, such that at least one message of the message thread is available for inspection; and

the message thread is updated to include an additional message.