Providing snippets relevant to a search query in a conversation-based email system

• US 20050223067A1
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rakowski, Brian D., Chang, Bay-Wei W., Buchheit, Paul T., Mattis, Peter D., Winograd, Terry A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,601,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

A system and method for searching messages is disclosed that includes searching a message repository to identify one or more messages relevant to a search query, Each identified message belongs to a respective conversation, where each conversation includes one or more messages which share a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria. For at least one of the identified messages, the conversation to which it is associated is identified as well as a message content portion from identified message. The content portion includes content relevant to at least one search term of the search query. The conversation is produced as the search result, including the content portion.

Claims

1. A method of searching messages, comprising:

searching a message repository to identify one or more messages relevant to a search query, wherein each identified message is associated with a-respective conversation, the conversation comprising one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria;

identifying for at least one of the identified messages the conversation to which it is associated;

identifying for the conversation a message content portion from the at least one identified message, the identified message content portion including content relevant to at least one search term of the search query; and

producing the conversation as the search result, including the identified message content portion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined criteria includes, in part, information other than a subject of one or more messages.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predefined criteria includes, in part, information other than one or both of a references field and an in-reply-to field of the one or more messages.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified message content portion includes first text information relevant to the search query and second text information surrounding the first text information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying within the identified message content portion first text relevant to the search query;

identifying within the identified message content portion second text which surrounds the first text; and

including the first text and second text in the search result.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

adding formatting information to the search result such that the first text is visually differentiated from the second text.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the formatting information associates a bold or highlighting attribute to the first text.

8. A method of searching messages, comprising:

searching a message repository to identify conversations that include messages relevant to a search query, wherein each conversation in a subset of the identified conversations includes a plurality of messages and a respective conversation identifier;

creating a list of conversations representing at least a subset of the identified conversations;

identifying for each of a plurality of conversations in the list a portion of conversation content relevant to at least one search term of the search query; and

producing for each of the plurality of conversations in the list the identified portion of conversation content.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein for each of the identified conversations in the subset, the plurality of messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the respective conversation identifier for each identified conversation is a unique numeric conversation identifier.

11. A conversation-based message system, comprising:

a conversation matching unit that matches at least one of a plurality of received messages to a conversation from a plurality of conversations, each of the plurality of conversations having at least one message and a respective conversation identifier;

a message storage system that stores messages and associated information, including conversation information;

a conversation search unit that returns a list of conversations in response to a search query;

a formatting unit that creates formatting information associated with at least one of the conversations in the list of conversations that differentiates those messages in a conversation relevant to the search query from those messages that are not relevant to the search query and includes text information from at least one message relevant to the search query; and

a return unit that transmits the list of conversations and the formatting information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the text information includes first text information associated with text that is relevant to at least one search term of the search query and second text information associated with text proximate to the text relevant to the search query.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first text information is associated with a first format distinct from a second format associated with the second text information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first format is selected from the set consisting of:

bold, highlight, italic, different foreground color, different background color, font size, font color, and other font attributes.

15. A method of processing messages, comprising:

receiving a plurality of messages directed to a user, each message having a unique message identifier;

associating each of the plurality of messages with a respective conversation, each conversation having a respective conversation identifier;

wherein each conversation comprises a set of one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet first predefined criteria; and

displaying a list of conversations in an order determined in accordance with second predefined criteria, and as a set of rows, each row corresponding to one of the listed conversations and including at least a sender list, a conversation topic, a date/time value, and a portion the conversation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the conversation name of the conversation is highlighted when the conversation includes at least one message that has not been viewed or marked as read by the user.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein displaying the portion includes displaying first text information relevant to at least one search term of the search query.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein displaying the portion includes displaying second text information surrounding the first text information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein displaying the portion includes displaying the first text information in a manner distinct from the second text information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the manner includes a format selected from the set consisting of:

bold, highlight, italic, different foreground color, different background color, font size, font color, and other font attributes.

21. A method of searching messages, comprising:

transmitting a search query to a conversation unit;

receiving, in response to the search request, a list of conversations, each conversation comprising one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria and having at least one message relevant to the search query;

the received list of conversations including, for each conversation in at least a subset of the list of conversations, an identified portion of a respective message relevant to the search query, wherein the identified portion of the respective message is a portion of a message body of the respective message; and

displaying at least a subset of the list of conversations including displaying, in association with at least one conversation in the list of conversations, the identified portion of a respective message of the listed conversation.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein displaying the portion includes displaying first text information relevant to at least one search term of the search query.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein displaying the portion includes displaying second text information surrounding the first text information.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein displaying the portion includes displaying the first text information in a manner distinct from the second text information.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the manner includes a format selected from the set consisting of:

bold, highlight, italic, different foreground color, different background color, font size, font color, and other font attributes.

26. A system for searching messages, comprising:

a message repository including one or more messages, wherein at least one message is associated with a conversation, the conversation comprising one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria;

a search module for identifying at least one message relevant to a search query and for identifying the conversation to which the identified message is associated; and

a sending module for producing the conversation as the search result, including a portion of the message content from the at least one message relevant to the search query, wherein the portion of the message content is a portion of a message body of the least one message relevant to the search query.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the common set of characteristics includes, at least in part, a subject of one or more messages and information other than the subject of the one or more messages.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the common set of characteristics includes, in part, information other than one or both of a references field and an in-reply-to field of the one or more messages.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the portion includes first text information relevant to at least one search term of the search query.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the portion includes second text information surrounding the first text information.

31. A computer program product, for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for searching a message repository to identify one or more messages relevant to a search query, wherein each identified message is associated with a respective conversation, the conversation comprising one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria;

instructions for identifying for at least one of the identified messages the conversation to which it Is associated;

instructions for identifying for the conversation a message content portion from the at least one identified message, the identified message content portion including content relevant to at least one search term of the search query; and

instructions for producing the conversation as the search result, including the identified message content portion.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the common set of characteristics includes, in part, information other than a subject reference of one or more messages.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the common set of characteristics includes, in part, information other than one or both of a references field and an in-reply-to field of the one or more messages.

34. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the identified message content portion includes first text information relevant to the search query and second text information surrounding the first text information.

35. The computer program product of claim 31, further comprising:

identifying within the identified message content portion first text relevant to the search query;

identifying within the identified message content portion second text which surrounds the first text; and

including the first text and second text in the search result.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, further comprising:

instructions for adding formatting information to the search result such that the first text is visually differentiated from the second text.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the formatting information associates a bold or highlighting attribute to the first text.

38. A computer program product, for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for receiving a plurality of messages directed to a user, each message having a unique message identifier;

instructions for associating each of the plurality of messages with a respective conversation, each conversation having a respective conversation identifier;

wherein each conversation comprises a set of one or more messages sharing a set of common set of characteristics that meet first predefined criteria; and

instructions for displaying a list of conversations in an order determined in accordance with second predefined criteria and as a set of rows, each row corresponding to one of the listed conversations and including at least a sender list, a conversation topic, a date/time value, and a portion of the conversation.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the conversation name of the conversation is highlighted when the conversation includes at least one message that has not been viewed or marked as read by the user.

40. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein displaying the portion includes displaying first text information relevant to at least one search term of the search query.

41. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein displaying the portion includes displaying second text information surrounding the first text information.

42. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein displaying the portion includes displaying the first text information in a manner distinct from the second text information.

43. The computer program product of claim 42, wherein the manner includes a format selected from the set consisting of:

bold, highlight, italic, different foreground color, different background color, font size, font color, and other font attributes.

44. A system for searching messages, comprising:

means for searching a message repository to identify conversations that include messages relevant to a search query, wherein each conversation in a subset of the identified conversations includes a plurality of messages and a respective conversation identifier;

means for creating a list of conversations representing at least a subset of the identified conversations;

identifying for each of a plurality of conversations in the list a portion of conversation content relevant to at least one search term of the search query; and

means for producing for each of the plurality of conversations in the list the identified portion of conversation content.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein for each of the identified conversations, the plurality of messages satisfies a set of predetermined conditions.