Associating an event attribute with a user based on a group of one or more electronic messages associated with the user

• US 9,507,836 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2016
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Tomkins, Andrew, Ravikumar, Shanmugasundaram, Agarwal, Shalini, Pang, Bo, Li, Mark Yinan
• Primary Examiner(s): DWIVEDI, MAHESH H
• Application Number:
  US15/139,273
• Time in Patent Office: 217 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3331 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

Methods and apparatus related to associating an event attribute with a user based on a group of electronic messages associated with the user. An event may be associated with the group of electronic messages. One or more event attributes of the event may be determined, including an event location identifier that identifies a physical event location. One or more of the event attributes may be determined based on the group of electronic messages. Location data of the user may be identified and a likelihood that the user interacted with the physical event location may be determined based on comparing the location data of the user to the event location identifier. The likelihood that the user interacted with the physical event location and at least one of the event attributes determined based on the group of electronic messages may be associated with the user.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

identifying one or more electronic messages associated with a user;

identifying an event associated with the electronic messages;

determining one or more event attributes of the event, the event attributes including at least one event location identifier identifying a physical event location, wherein determining the one or more event attributes includes determining, based on the event being associated with the electronic messages, at least one of the event attributes based on at least one of the electronic messages;

storing, in association with the user in one or more databases and in response to determining that the user interacted with the physical event location, an association of the event location identifier with the at least one of the event attributes determined based on the group of electronic messages;

receiving a query;

utilizing the stored association to identify content responsive to the query; and

providing the identified content in response to the query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the event attributes determined based on the group of electronic messages includes one or more additional users associated with the event;

and

wherein the association of the event location identifier with the at least one of the event attributes includes an association of the event location identifier with the one or more additional users associated with the event.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein utilizing the stored association to identify the content responsive to the query includes:

determining that at least one term of the query maps to at least one of the additional users of the one or more additional users associated with the event; and

wherein providing the identified content in response to the query includes;

providing content related to the physical event location based on the event location identifier being associated with the at least one of the additional users and based on the event location identifier identifying the physical event location.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining that the one or more additional users interacted with the physical event location;

wherein storing the association of the event location identifier with the one or more additional users associated with the event is based on determining that the one or more additional users interacted with the physical event location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the user interacted with the physical event location, wherein determining that the user interacted with the physical event location includes:

identifying location data of the user;

determining that the user interacted with the physical event location based on comparing the location data of the user to the event location identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the location data of the user includes data from a locational query issued by the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more event attributes determined based on the electronic messages include one or more of invitees to the event, likely visitors to the physical event location, a date of the event, a time of the event, a dress code for the event, and a type of event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic messages associated with the user include at least a first electronic message generated by the user and at least one second electronic message received by the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the event location identifier of the event attributes is determined based on the group of electronic messages.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the association of the event location identifier with the at least one of the event attributes determined based on the group of electronic messages includes creating a new entry that defines the association and that has one or more access restrictions.

11. A system comprising:

memory storing instructions; and

one or more processors operable to execute the instructions stored in the memory;

wherein the instructions comprise instructions to;

identify one or more electronic messages associated with a user;

identify an event associated with the electronic messages;

determine one or more event attributes of the event, the event attributes including at least one event location identifier identifying a physical event location, wherein the instructions to determine the one or more event attributes include instructions to determine, based on the event being associated with the electronic messages, at least one of the event attributes based on at least one of the electronic messages;

store, in association with the user in one or more databases and in response to determining that the user interacted with the physical event location, an association of the event location identifier with the at least one of the event attributes determined based on the group of electronic messages;

receive a query;

utilize the stored association to identify content responsive to the query; and

provide the identified content in response to the query.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the event attributes determined based on the group of electronic messages includes one or more additional users associated with the event;

and

wherein the association of the event location identifier with the at least one of the event attributes includes an association of the event location identifier with the one or more additional users associated with the event.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions to utilize the stored association to identify the content responsive to the query include instructions to:

determine that at least one term of the query maps to at least one of the additional users of the one or more additional users associated with the event; and

wherein the instructions to provide the identified content to the user in response to the query include instructions to;

provide content related to the physical event location based on the event location identifier being associated with the at least one of the additional users and based on the event location identifier identifying the physical event location.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

determine that that the one or more additional users interacted with the physical event location;

wherein storing the event location identifier with the one or more additional users associated with the event is based on determining that the one or more additional users interacted with the physical event location.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to determine that the user interacted with the physical event location, wherein the instructions to determine that the user interacted with the physical event location include instructions to:

identify location data of the user; and

determine that the user interacted with the physical event location based on comparing the location data of the user to the event location identifier.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the location data of the user includes data from a locational query issued by the user.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more event attributes determined based on the electronic messages include one or more of invitees to the event, likely visitors to the physical event location, a date of the event, a time of the event, a dress code for the event, and a type of event.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the electronic messages associated with the user include at least a first electronic message generated by the user and at least one second electronic message received by the user.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the event location identifier of the event attributes is determined based on the group of electronic messages.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions executable by a processor, the instructions including instructions to:

identify one or more electronic messages associated with a user;

identify an event associated with the electronic messages;

determine one or more event attributes of the event, the event attributes including at least one event location identifier identifying a physical event location, wherein the instructions to determine the one or more event attributes include instructions to determine, based on the event being associated with the electronic messages, at least one of the event attributes based on at least one of the electronic messages;

store, in association with the user in one or more databases and in response to determining that the user interacted with the physical event location, an association of the event location identifier with the at least one of the event attributes determined based on the group of electronic messages;

receive a query;

utilize the stored association to identify content responsive to the query; and

provide the identified content in response to the query.