Display of communication system usage statistics

• US 9,716,764 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brezina, Matthew, Smith, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuyetlien T
• Application Number:
  US12/180,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20090031244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,287 Days
• Field of Search: 715736, 715745, 709224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/14 Tree-structured documents parsing G06F40/205; validation G06F40/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 : based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 : Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 : Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 : Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 : Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

Among other disclosures, a method may include collecting historical communication data, personal data and usage statistics relating to a portion of a plurality of communications, a sender of one or more of the communications or one or more recipients of the communications. The method may include depositing the collected data into a repository. The method may include presenting the usage statistics in response to user behavior.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, by a computer, usage statistics based on collected historical communication data relating to communications received for a user from a plurality of persons including a sender;

updating the usage statistics over time as additional communications are received for the user from the persons, including at least one additional communication received from the sender;

receiving, from the user, a configuration designating usage statistics to automatically include in a plurality of new communications from the user, the new communications including a first new communication, the configuration comprising a form of summary designated by the user for use in the new communications, the configuration further comprising rules set by the user regarding inclusion of first usage statistics selected based on a specific recipient for a new communication, and the configuration further comprising user-configurable settings to disable an amount of statistical information in new communications for at least one predetermined time;

receiving, from the user when creating the first new communication, an entry of the sender into an address field of the first new communication for sending the first new communication from the user to the sender;

displaying the first usage statistics in a body of the first new communication for inclusion in the first new communication when sent to the sender, wherein the first usage statistics are in conformance with the rules and the form of summary; and

in response to initiation of sending by the user using a communication client, sending the first new communication to the sender.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying at least one source of information to derive a portion of the historical communication data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one source is selected from the group consisting of e-mail body text, e-mail meta data, e-mail header information, e-mail attachments, search engines, social networks, web pages, and websites.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting a portion of the historical communication data by requesting information from the sender.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the first usage statistics in an additional panel within the communication client.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the panel is a sidebar.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the first usage statistics in a pop-up window.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first usage statistics are displayed in the first new communication along with one or more items from a repository, the one or more items being selected from the group consisting of contact information, conversation threads, and attachments to communications.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the historical communication data includes information selected from the group consisting of times of communications, lengths of communications, subject matters of communications, titles of communications, participants in communications, sources of communications, response times of communications, types of communications and volume of communications.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising sharing at least a portion of the generated usage statistics among a portion of the persons other than the sender.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sharing further comprises sharing different amounts of data with each person based on preference settings.