System and method for automatically building up topic-specific messaging identities

• US 9,129,263 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kraft, Reiner, Maghoul, Farzin
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/628,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20110131282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,107 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method for automating interaction with a messaging system receives a first message from the messaging system, associates the first message with a topic, assigns the first message to an identity associated with the topic, maps content to the first message, creates a second message based on the content, and sends, via the identity, the second message to the messaging system. The first message may be screened for quality and assigned a quality score, and if the quality score does not exceed a predetermined threshold, then the second message will not be sent to the messaging system.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a machine having at least one processor, storage, and a communication platform connected to a network for interacting with a messaging system, said method comprising:

receiving a first message sent to the messaging system from a user;

identifying a topic associated with the first message;

assigning the first message to an entity based on the topic;

mapping, when a number of interactions from the user to the entity occurred within a specified period is below a threshold, a piece of content consistent with the topic of the first message;

creating a second message based on the piece of content; and

sending, on behalf of the entity, the second message to a plurality of users of the messaging system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether the user is a human user.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising preventing the second message from being sent to the plurality of users if quality of the first message is below a specified level.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said identifying is based on a word within the first message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein, if the first message contains a link, then said identifying is performed in a manner that is based on information found at the link.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said mapping comprises searching for a resource related to the first message.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the second message contains a link to the resource.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said searching comprises using a search engine.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the second message is directed to the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of users include all users other than the entity in the messaging system.

11. A system, implemented on a machine having at least one processor, storage, and a communication platform connected to a network for interacting with a messaging system, the system comprising:

a quality assessment module implemented on the at least one processor and configured to;

receive a first message from a user;

a classifier and assignment module implemented on the at least one processor and configured to;

identify a topic associated with the first message; and

assign the first message to an entity based on the topic;

a content mapper and messenger module implemented on the at least one processor and configured to;

receive, when a number of interactions from the user to the entity occurring within a specified period is below a threshold, from the classifier and assignment module the first message, the topic and an identifier of the entity associated with the entity to which the first message is assigned;

map a piece of content consistent with the topic of the first message;

create a second message based on the piece of content; and

send, on behalf of the entity, the second message to a plurality of users of the messaging system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the quality assessment module implemented on the at least one processor is further configured to determine whether the user is a human user.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the quality assessment module implemented on the at least one processor is further configured to prevent the first message from being received by the classifier and assignment module if a quality of the first message is below a specified level.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the first message is received from the messaging system and the second message is sent to the messaging system via a programmatic interface provided by the messaging system.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the second message is directed to the user.

16. A machine-readable non-transitory medium having information recorded thereon for interacting with a messaging system, wherein the information, when read by a machine, causes the machine to perform the following:

receiving a first message from a user;

identifying a topic associated with the first message;

assigning the first message to an entity based on the topic;

mapping, when a number of interactions from the user to the entity occurred within a specified period is below a threshold, a piece of content consistent with the topic of the first message;

creating a second message based on the piece of content; and

sending, on behalf of the entity, the second message to a plurality of users of the messaging system.

17. The medium of claim 16 wherein the information, when read by the machine, further causes the machine to perform determining whether the user is a human user.

18. The medium of claim 16 wherein the information, when read by the machine, further causes the machine to perform preventing the second message from being sent to the plurality of users if a quality of the first message is below a specified level.

19. The medium of claim 16 wherein said identifying is based on a word within the first message.

20. The medium of claim 16 wherein, if the first message contains a link, then said identifying is performed in a manner that is based on information found at the link.

21. The medium of claim 16 wherein said mapping comprises searching for a resource related to the first message.

22. The medium of claim 21 wherein the second message contains a link to the resource.

23. The medium of claim 21 wherein said searching comprises using a search engine.

24. The medium of claim 16 wherein the second message is directed to the user.