System and method for mailing list identification and representation

• US 9,596,205 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2013
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karnin, Zohar, Aharon, Michal, Liberty, Edo, Smadja, Yoelle Maarek
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Imad
• Application Number:
  US13/966,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20150052203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for managing mailing list newsletter messages for a recipient user, and organizing such messages in accordance with a receiving user'"'"'s interests. The present disclosure enables novel organizational tools for emails by intuitively organizing received newsletters and providing highly visible features within a user'"'"'s inbox respective the newsletters. Organization of received newsletters is ensured through ranking users'"'"' mailing lists according to his/her interest in them, based on actions made by the respective user, in addition to actions of other users receiving the same newsletters. Additionally, upon reception of such newsletters, the present disclosure provides a specialized view, in addition to added functionality within a user'"'"'s inbox, thereby enhancing a user'"'"'s experience and engagement with received messages of a newsletter.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, via a computing device, a first sender from a plurality of senders, said plurality of senders communicating a plurality of messages over a network addressed to a plurality of recipients, said first sender associated with a subset of said messages sent within a predetermined time period, said subset of messages being addressed to a number of recipients satisfying a threshold, and corresponding to a type of message associated with an identifier of the sender;

identifying, via the computing device, each recipient of each message of said subset;

filtering, via the computing device, said plurality of messages based on said identifier of the sender, and based on said filtering, identifying said subset of messages such that each message in said subset corresponds to said type;

determining, via the computing device, a recipient listing associated with the first sender, said recipient listing comprising a list of identifiers for each identified recipient;

clustering, via the computing device, each of said subset of messages into a message group based on said recipient listing, said clustering comprising grouping each message sent from said first sender addressed to the recipients on the recipient listing; and

facilitating display, via the computing device, of each message within said message group as a message thread within an inbox associated with each identified recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein for each subsequent message received from said first sender addressed to said recipient listing:

grouping each subsequent message into said message group; and

facilitating display of each subsequent message within said message thread.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring behavior responsive to each message within the message group;

assigning an interest score to the message group based on said behavior; and

ranking the message group based on the assigned interest score, wherein said facilitated display of the message thread is based on said ranking.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said behavior comprises actions taken by all of the identified recipients on the recipient listing.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said behavior comprises actions taken by each recipient of the recipient listing, wherein a recipient interest score is assigned to the message group for each recipient, wherein recipient ranking occurs for each recipient, and wherein said facilitated display of the message thread to each recipient is based on each recipient'"'"'s interest score.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said display of the message thread comprises an indication of the number of messages received for said message group.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said displayed message thread is actionable by each recipient, wherein the message thread is expandable for viewing each received message within said message group.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said message thread enables each recipient to automatically unsubscribe from the message group, wherein functionality to automatically unsubscribe is provided from the message thread.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said message thread enables each recipient to open a forum associated with the message group to communicate with other recipients within the recipient listing, said forum authorizing only the recipients on the recipient listing to communicate on said forum associated with the message group.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined time period is a time span during which the first sender sends a large number of messages to said recipient listing.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said messages are email messages, and said identifiers are email addresses for each identified recipient.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting an advertisement based, at least in part, upon content associated with the messages in the message group, wherein said facilitated display comprises display of said advertisement in association with said message thread within each inbox.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly encoded with computer-executable instructions, that when executed by a processor associated with a computing device, performs a method comprising:

determining a first sender from a plurality of senders, said plurality of senders communicating a plurality of messages over a network addressed to a plurality of recipients, said first sender associated with a subset of said messages sent within a predetermined time period, said subset of messages being addressed to a number of recipients satisfying a threshold, and corresponding to a type of message associated with an identifier of the sender;

identifying each recipient of each message of said subset;

filtering said plurality of messages based on said identifier of the sender, and based on said filtering, identifying said subset of messages such that each message in said subset corresponds to said type;

determining a recipient listing associated with the first sender, said recipient listing comprising a list of identifiers for each identified recipient;

clustering each of said subset of messages into a message group based on said recipient listing, said clustering comprising grouping each message sent from said first sender addressed to the recipients on the recipient listing; and

facilitating display of each message within said message group as a message thread within an inbox associated with each identified recipient.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein for each subsequent message received from said first sender addressed to said recipient listing:

grouping each subsequent message into said message group; and

facilitating display of each subsequent message within said message thread.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

monitoring behavior responsive to each message within the message group, wherein said behavior comprises actions taken by at least one of said identified recipients on said recipient listing;

assigning an interest score to the message group based on said behavior; and

ranking the message group based on the assigned interest score, wherein said facilitated display of the message thread is based on said ranking.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein said display of the message thread comprises:

an indication of the number of messages received for said message group;

an actionable capability enabled for each recipient, wherein the message thread is expandable for viewing each received message within said message group;

an ability for each recipient to automatically unsubscribe from the message group, wherein functionality to automatically unsubscribe is provided from the message thread; and

an ability that enables each recipient to open a forum associated with the message group to communicate with other recipients within the recipient listing, said forum authorizing only the recipients on the recipient listing to communicate on said forum associated with the message group.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

selecting an advertisement based, at least in part, upon content associated with the messages in the message group, wherein said facilitated display comprises display of said advertisement in association with said message thread within each inbox.

18. A system comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising;

determination logic executed by the processor for determining a first sender from a plurality of senders, said plurality of senders communicating a plurality of messages over a network addressed to a plurality of recipients, said first sender associated with a subset of said messages sent within a predetermined time period, said subset of messages being addressed to a number of recipients satisfying a threshold, and corresponding to a type of message associated with an identifier of the sender;

identification logic executed by the processor for identifying each recipient of each message of said subset;

filtering logic executed by the processor for filtering said plurality of messages based on said identifier of the sender, and based on said filtering, identifying said subset of messages such that each message in said subset corresponds to said type;

determination logic executed by the processor for determining a recipient listing associated with the first sender, said recipient listing comprising a list of identifiers for each identified recipient;

clustering logic executed by the processor for clustering each of said subset of messages into a message group based on said recipient listing, said clustering comprising grouping each message sent from said first sender addressed to the recipients on the recipient listing; and

display logic executed by the processor for facilitating display of each message within said message group as a message thread within an inbox associated with each identified recipient.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said display of the message thread comprises:

an indication of the number of messages received for said message group;

an actionable capability enabled for each recipient, wherein the message thread is expandable for viewing each received message within said message group;

an ability for each recipient to automatically unsubscribe from the message group, wherein functionality to automatically unsubscribe is provided from the message thread; and

an ability that enables each recipient to open a forum associated with the message group to communicate with other recipients within the recipient listing, said forum authorizing only the recipients on the recipient listing to communicate on said forum associated with the message group.