System and method for increasing email productivity
First Claim
1. An electronic mail apparatus, comprising:
- a computing device capable of being connected to a network; and
an email productivity module, executed by the computing device, and configured to interact with an existing email application executed by the computing device that sends and receives email messages over the network, wherein the email productivity module includes;
a content analysis engine, executed by the computing device, configured to analyze a received email message to generate content information representative of a content of the received email message;
a prioritization module, executed by the computing device, having at least one prioritization knowledge base implemented on the computing device, the prioritization module being configured to apply the content information to the at least one prioritization knowledge base to determine at least one priority score for the received email message that reflects a relative priority of the received email message as a legitimate email message and to assign at least one priority level to the received email message based on the priority score that reflects a range of priority scores;
a message sorting module, executed by the computing device, having at least one sorting knowledge base implemented on the computing device, the message sorting module being configured to apply the content information to the at least one sorting knowledge base to determine a set of suggested folders for the received email message that represent one or more folders in which are stored other emails having similar content and in which a user would be most likely to store the received email message; and
a junkmail module, executed by the computing device, having at least one junkmail knowledge base implemented on the computing device, the junkmail module being configured to apply the content information to the at least one junkmail knowledge base to determine a junkmail score for the received email message that represents a probability that the received email message is junkmail, and the junkmail module being configured to cause a user interface of the existing email application to modify a presentation of the received email message in accordance with the junkmail score;
the email productivity module being configured to attach fields for the priority score, priority level, set of suggested folders, and junkmail score to the received email message for display by the existing email application;
the email productivity module being configured to receive user feedback to the existing email application indicative of a user action taken with respect to the received email message, and to cause the computing device to adapt the at least one prioritization knowledge base, the at least one sorting database, or the at least one junkmail database, in accordance with the user feedback;
wherein the at least one prioritization knowledge base is adapted by the computing device in accordance with explicit user feedback in an event that the user modifies the at least one priority level or the at least one priority score produced by the prioritization module and attached to the received email message for display; and
wherein the at least one prioritization knowledge base is adapted by the computing device in accordance with implicit user feedback in an event that the user does not modify the at least one priority level or the at least one priority score produced by the prioritization module and attached to the received email message for display.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for increasing email productivity based on an analysis of the content of received email messages. The system includes a content analysis engine that analyzes the content of a received email message using natural language processing techniques. A prioritization module produces a priority score and a priority level for the message using a prioritization knowledge base. A message sorting module produces a set of suggested folders for the message using a sorting knowledge base. A junkmail module produces a junkman score for the message using a junkmail knowledge base. The prioritization knowledge base, the sorting knowledge base, and the junkmail knowledge base are updated with feedback from the user for each received email message, which allows the system to learn in real-time the user'"'"'s preferences.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. An electronic mail apparatus, comprising:
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a computing device capable of being connected to a network; and an email productivity module, executed by the computing device, and configured to interact with an existing email application executed by the computing device that sends and receives email messages over the network, wherein the email productivity module includes; a content analysis engine, executed by the computing device, configured to analyze a received email message to generate content information representative of a content of the received email message; a prioritization module, executed by the computing device, having at least one prioritization knowledge base implemented on the computing device, the prioritization module being configured to apply the content information to the at least one prioritization knowledge base to determine at least one priority score for the received email message that reflects a relative priority of the received email message as a legitimate email message and to assign at least one priority level to the received email message based on the priority score that reflects a range of priority scores; a message sorting module, executed by the computing device, having at least one sorting knowledge base implemented on the computing device, the message sorting module being configured to apply the content information to the at least one sorting knowledge base to determine a set of suggested folders for the received email message that represent one or more folders in which are stored other emails having similar content and in which a user would be most likely to store the received email message; and a junkmail module, executed by the computing device, having at least one junkmail knowledge base implemented on the computing device, the junkmail module being configured to apply the content information to the at least one junkmail knowledge base to determine a junkmail score for the received email message that represents a probability that the received email message is junkmail, and the junkmail module being configured to cause a user interface of the existing email application to modify a presentation of the received email message in accordance with the junkmail score; the email productivity module being configured to attach fields for the priority score, priority level, set of suggested folders, and junkmail score to the received email message for display by the existing email application; the email productivity module being configured to receive user feedback to the existing email application indicative of a user action taken with respect to the received email message, and to cause the computing device to adapt the at least one prioritization knowledge base, the at least one sorting database, or the at least one junkmail database, in accordance with the user feedback; wherein the at least one prioritization knowledge base is adapted by the computing device in accordance with explicit user feedback in an event that the user modifies the at least one priority level or the at least one priority score produced by the prioritization module and attached to the received email message for display; and wherein the at least one prioritization knowledge base is adapted by the computing device in accordance with implicit user feedback in an event that the user does not modify the at least one priority level or the at least one priority score produced by the prioritization module and attached to the received email message for display. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for providing increased email productivity, comprising:
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receiving an email message at an email productivity module, executed by a computing device capable of being connected to a network, and configured to interact with an existing email application, executed by the computing device, that sends and receives email messages over the network, wherein the email productivity module performs the steps of; analyzing the email message, in a content analysis engine executed by the computing device, to generate content information representative of a content of the email message; applying the content information, in a prioritization module executed by the computing device, to at least one prioritization knowledge base implemented on the computing device to determine at least one priority score for the email message that reflects a relative priority of the email message as a legitimate email message and to assign at least one priority level to the email message based on the priority score that reflects a range of priority scores; applying the content information, in a message sorting module executed by the computing device, to at least one sorting knowledge base implemented on the computing device to determine a set of suggested folders for the email message that represent one or more folders in which are stored other emails having similar content and in which a user would be most likely to store the email message; and applying the content information, in a junkmail module executed by the computing device, to at least one junkmail knowledge base implemented on the computing device to determine a junkmail score for the email message that represents a probability that the email message is junkmail, and to cause a user interface of the existing email application to modify a presentation of the email message in accordance with the junkmail score; the email productivity module being configured to attach fields for the priority score, priority level, set of suggested folders, and junkmail score to the email message for display by the existing email application; the email productivity module being configured to receive user feedback to the existing email application indicative of a user action taken with respect to the email message and to cause the computing device to adapt the at least one prioritization knowledge base, the at least one sorting database, or the at least one junkmail database, in accordance with the user feedback; wherein the at least one prioritization knowledge base is adapted by the computing device in accordance with explicit user feedback in an event that the user modifies the at least one priority level or the at least one priority score produced by the prioritization module and attached to the email message for display; and wherein the at least one prioritization knowledge base is adapted by the computing device in accordance with implicit user feedback in an event that the user does not modify the at least one priority level or the at least one priority score produced by the prioritization module and attached to the email message for display. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification