Using e-mail message characteristics for prioritization

• US 9,589,254 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2010
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Gourevitch, Gregory, Luttinen, Todd, Boctor, Victor, De Graaf, Wilbert, Zhao, Lizhuang
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH CHAU
• Application Number:
  US12/962,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20120150964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,281 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5681 Buffer or queue management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

Message prioritization may be provided. First, a message may be received and a priority level may be calculated for the message. If the message is not rejected for having a priority lower than a predetermined threshold, the message may be placed in a first priority queue. Next, the message may be de-queued from the first priority queue based upon the calculated priority level for the message. Distribution group recipients corresponding to the message may then be expanded and the priority level for the message may be re-calculated based upon the expanded distribution group recipients. Next, the message may be placed in a second priority queue. The message may then be de-queued from the second priority queue based upon the re-calculated priority level for the message and delivered.

Claims

1. A method for providing prioritization, the method comprising:

receiving a message;

determining, upon receipt of the message, a current occupancy of a first priority queue;

determining a first occupancy threshold associated with the first priority queue;

placing the message in the first priority queue based on a comparison of the determined current occupancy and the first occupancy threshold;

calculating a priority level for the message, wherein calculating the priority level for the message comprises calculating the priority based on direct characteristics of the message and aggregated characteristics associated with a sender of the message, the aggregated characteristics associated with the sender comprising a sender threshold;

de-queuing the message from the first priority queue based upon the calculated priority level for the message;

placing the message in a second priority queue;

expanding distribution group recipients corresponding to the message, wherein the distribution group recipients is a group of recipients to which the message is intended to be delivered;

re-calculating the priority level for the message based upon the expanded distribution group recipients;

de-queuing the message from the second priority queue based upon the re-calculated priority level for the message; and

delivering the message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the message comprises receiving the message from an e-mail client.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the message comprises receiving the message from a message server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the priority level for the message based on the direct characteristics comprises calculating the priority level based upon a size of the message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the priority level for the message based on the direct characteristics comprises calculating the priority level based upon a presence of a specific attachment type to the message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the priority level for the message based on the direct characteristics comprises calculating the priority level based upon an authentication level of a sender of the message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the priority level for the message based on the direct characteristics comprises calculating the priority level based upon a number of recipients the message has.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the priority level for the message based on the direct characteristics comprises calculating the priority level based upon a recipient the message within the distribution group.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the priority level for the message based on the direct characteristics comprises calculating the priority level based upon whether the message is “

fresh”

verses “

delayed”

.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the priority level for the message based on the direct characteristics comprises calculating the priority level based upon whether the message is being aggregated from a secondary account verses a regular message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the priority level for the message based on the aggregated characteristics comprises calculating the priority level based one of the following:

a number of recipients, a number of messages sent, and a total size of messages sent.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the priority level for the message based on the aggregated characteristics comprises calculating the priority level based upon tenant organization activity in a given time interval in a multi-tenant e-mail system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the priority level for the message based on the aggregated characteristics comprises calculating the priority level based upon aggregated usage of a specific resource by a sender/tenant.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering the message comprises delivering the message to a recipient e-mail box.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the priority level for the message based on the aggregated characteristics comprises calculating the priority level based upon whether the message is being one of sent to and send from a user who is paying for e-mail service verses receiving the e-mail service for free.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the message in the first priority queue based on the comparison of the determined current occupancy and the first occupancy threshold comprises:

determining whether the current occupancy of the first priority queue is more than the first occupancy threshold;

determining, in response to determining that the current occupancy is more than the first occupancy threshold for the first priority queue, whether the priority of the message is lower than a first predetermined priority level for the determined first occupancy threshold; and

placing, in response to determining that the priority of the message is not lower than the first predetermined priority level for the first threshold, in the first priority queue.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a second occupancy threshold associated with the first priority queue;

determining whether the current occupancy of the first priority queue is more than the second occupancy threshold;

determining, in response to determining that the current occupancy is more than the second occupancy threshold for the first queue, whether the priority of the message is lower than a second predetermined priority level for the second occupancy threshold; and

placing, in response to determining that the priority of the message is not lower than the second predetermined priority level for the second occupancy threshold, in the first priority queue.

18. A system for providing prioritization, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

determine, upon receipt of a message, a current occupancy of a first priority queue;

determine a first occupancy threshold associated with the first priority queue;

place the message in the first priority queue based on a comparison of the determined current occupancy and the first occupancy threshold;

calculate a priority level for the message, the calculated priority level for the message being based upon at least one of the following;

at least one direct characteristic of the message and at least one aggregated characteristic of the message, wherein the at least one aggregated characteristic of the message comprises characteristics associated with a sender of the message comprising a sender threshold;

de-queue the message from the first priority queue based upon the calculated priority level for the message;

place the message in a second priority queue;

expand distribution group recipients corresponding to the message into a plurality of recipients within the distribution group, wherein the distribution group recipients is a group of recipients to which the message is intended to be delivered;

re-calculate the priority level for the message based upon the expanded distribution group recipients;

de-queue the message from the second priority queue based upon the re-calculated priority level for the message; and

deliver the message.

19. A computer readable storage device storing instructions, the instructions, when executed, performing a method, the method comprising:

determining, upon receipt of the message, a current occupancy of a first priority queue;

determining a first occupancy threshold associated with the first priority queue;

placing the message in the first priority queue based on a comparison of the determined current occupancy and the first occupancy threshold;

calculating a priority level for the message, wherein calculating the priority level for the message comprises calculating the priority based on direct characteristics of the message and aggregated characteristics associated with a sender of the message, the aggregated characteristics associated with the sender comprising a sender threshold;

de-queuing the message from the first priority queue based upon the calculated priority level for the message;

placing the message in a second priority queue;

expanding distribution group recipients corresponding to the message, wherein the distribution group recipients is a group of recipients to which the message is intended to be delivered;

re-calculating the priority level for the message based upon the expanded distribution group recipients;

de-queuing the message from the second priority queue based upon the re-calculated priority level for the message; and

delivering the message.