Tracking conversation threads among electronic communications

• US 9,426,111 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2016
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ross, Martin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US15/065,985
• Time in Patent Office: 166 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A method for identifying a conversation thread among electronic communications. The method includes a computer processor identifying that a user is accessing a first electronic communication from a plurality of electronic communications. The method further includes a computer processor analyzing meta-data of the first electronic communication to identify a unique identifier included in the meta-data. The method further includes a computer processor determining that the unique identifier is associated with content included in the first electronic communication that was copied from a second electronic communication. The method further includes a computer processor providing the user that is accessing the first electronic communication access to the second electronic communication.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a conversation thread among electronic communications, the method comprising:

identifying that a user accesses a first electronic communication from a plurality of electronic communications, wherein the plurality of electronic communications include;

received electronic communications, sent electronic communications, filed electronic communications, drafted electronic communications, and stored electronic communications;

analyzing meta-data of the first electronic communication to identify at least one unique identifier included in the meta-data of the first electronic communication;

wherein a unique identifier is a universally unique identifier (UUID);

wherein the UUID is further defined by a UUID specification that is identified by a variant value and a version value; and

wherein the at least one unique identifier includes a first UUID;

determining that the first electronic communication includes a portion of content copied from at least one other electronic communication based on identifying one or more UUIDs within the meta-data of the first electronic communication, wherein UUIDs are included in a database that includes cross-references between the plurality of electronic communications, the copied content, and the identified UUIDs;

identifying at least one additional electronic communication from the plurality of electronic communications, wherein an electronic communication is identified for each identified UUID based on the cross-references within the database;

displaying, to the user, a conversation thread that includes the at least one additional electronic communications respectively associated with a UUID identified within the meta-data of the first electronic communication;

receiving from the user, a selection of an electronic communication from the at least one additional electronic communications displayed as the conversation thread, wherein the selected electronic communication is a second electronic communication;

determining whether the user has authority to access the selected second electronic communication, wherein determining that the user has authority to access the selected second electronic communication is based on a log file of an electronic communication program, and wherein the log file identifies electronic communications accessed by the user; and

responsive to determining that the user accessing the first electronic communication has authority to access the selected second electronic communication, accessing the selected second electronic communication.