AUTOMATIC PRIORITY ADJUSTMENT FOR INCOMING EMAILS

• US 20090125602A1
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: BHATIA, UPINDER K., Bahl, Amarjit, Li, Jenny S.
• Application Number:
  US11/940,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20090125602A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities

Abstract

A method, an information processing system, and a computer readable storage medium for at least one of assigning and dynamically adjusting a priority level associated with an email message. The method includes receiving at least one email message associated with a recipient. Definitions of a plurality of priority assignment parameters and respective priority levels that are associated with each of the plurality of priority assignment parameter are accepted from a user. At least one identified priority assignment parameter within the plurality of priority assignment parameters is identified within the at least one email message. A corresponding priority level that is associated with the at least one identified priority assignment parameter is assigned to the at least one email message.

Claims

1. A method for at least one of assigning and dynamically adjusting a priority level associated with an email message, the method comprising:

receiving at least one email message associated with a recipient;

accepting, from a user, definitions of a plurality of priority assignment parameters and respective priority levels that are associated with each of the plurality of priority assignment parameters;

identifying, within the at least one email message, at least one identified priority assignment parameter within the plurality of priority assignment parameters; and

assigning, to the at least one email message, a corresponding priority level that is associated with the at least one identified priority assignment parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining a plurality of priority assignment rules;

defining a priority assignment rule application sequence for applying the plurality of priority assignment rules to the at least one email message; and

adjusting the priority level associated with the at least one email message by applying the at least one priority assignment rule to the at least one email message according to the priority assignment rule application sequence.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a priority level conflict exists between the at least one email message and at least one other email message; and

adjusting, in response to determining that a priority level conflict exists, the priority level that has been assigned to the at least one email message to resolve, based upon user defined priority conflict rules, the conflict.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one priority assignment parameter within the plurality of priority assignment parameters is dependent upon externally stored data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a priority table associated with the recipient, wherein the priority table comprises at least a respective unique identifier for each email message within the at least one email message received by the recipient, and the priority table further comprises a respective priority level indicator associated with the each email message; and

updating the priority table with priority levels assigned to the at least one email message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of priority assignment parameters is defined within a priority assignment rule that defines a set of priority assignment parameters to identify within the at least one email message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of priority assignment parameter comprises at least one of:

text within the at least one email message;

a location of the email address associated with the recipient within a list of addresses of the at least one email message;

a context relationship between a sender of the at least one email message and the recipient;

a context associated with the sender;

a total number of addressees associated with the at least one email message; and

a priority profile associated with the at least one email message, wherein the priority profile indicates a priority level that is to be assigned to a received email message based on the sender of the received email address.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a relationship between the at least one email message and at least one other email message, wherein the relationship is defined within the plurality of priority assignment parameters; and

adjusting the corresponding priority level of the at least one email message based at least in part on the relationship.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the adjusting further comprises:

adjusting, in response to adjusting the priority level, a priority level associated with the at least one other email message based at least in part on at least one priority assignment parameter associated with the at least one email message.

10. An information processing system for at least one of assigning and dynamically adjusting a priority level associated with an email message, the information processing system comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor;

an email client adapted to receive at least one email message associated with a recipient;

a priority manger adapted to accept definitions of a plurality of priority assignment parameters and respective priority levels that are associated with each of the plurality of priority assignment parameters and identify at least one priority assignment parameter within the at least one email message; and

a priority assigner adapted to assign a corresponding priority level that is associated with the at least one identified priority assignment parameter.

11. The information processing system of claim 10, further comprising a priority updater adapted to:

determine that a priority level conflict exists between the at least one email message and at least one other email message; and

adjust, in response to determining that a priority level conflict exists, the priority level that has been assigned to the at least one email message to resolve, based upon user defined priority conflict rules, the conflict.

12. The information processing system of claim 10, further comprising:

a priority table generator adapted create a priority table associated with the recipient, wherein the priority table comprises at least a respective unique identifier for each email message within the at least one email message received by the recipient, and the priority table further comprising a respective priority level indicator associated with the each email message; and

a priority table updater adapted to update the priority table with priority levels assigned to the at least one email message.

13. The information processing system of claim 10, wherein the priority manager is further adapted to:

determine a relationship between the at least one email message and at least one other email message, wherein the relationship is defined within the plurality of priority assignment parameters; and

wherein the information processing system further comprises;

a priority updater adapted to adjust the corresponding priority level of the at least one email message based at least in part on the relationship.

14. The information processing system of claim 13, wherein the priority updater is further adapted to:

adjust, in response to adjusting the priority level, a priority level associated with the at least one other email message based at least in part on at least one priority assignment parameter associated with the at least one email message.

15. A computer program product for at least one of assigning and dynamically adjusting a priority level associated with an email message, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

receiving at least one email message associated with a recipient;

accepting, from a user, definitions of a plurality of priority assignment parameters and respective priority levels that are associated with each of plurality of priority assignment parameters;

identifying, within the at least one email message, at least one identified priority assignment parameter within the plurality of priority assignment parameters; and

assigning, to the at least one email message, a corresponding priority level that is associated with the at least one identified priority assignment parameter.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that a priority level conflict exists between the at least one email message and at least one other email message; and

adjusting the priority level that has been assigned to the at least one email message to resolve, based upon user defined priority conflict rules, the conflict.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

creating a priority table associated with the recipient, wherein the priority table comprises at least a respective unique identifier for each email message within the at least one email message received by the recipient, and the priority table further comprising a respective priority level indicator associated with the each email message; and

updating the priority table with priority levels assigned to the at least one email message.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of priority assignment parameter is defined within a priority assignment rule that defines a set of priority assignment parameters to identify within the at least one email message.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

creating a priority table associated with the recipient, wherein the priority table comprises at least a respective unique identifier for each email message within the at least one email message received by the recipient, and the priority table further comprises a respective priority level indicator associated with the each email message; and

updating the priority table with the priority level assigned to the at least one email message.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a relationship between the at least one email message and at least one other email message, wherein the relationship is defined within the plurality of priority assignment parameters; and

adjusting, in response to determining that a priority level conflict exists, the corresponding priority level of the at least one email message based at least in part on the relationship; and

adjusting, in response to adjusting the priority level that has been assigned to the at least one email message, a priority level associated with the at least one other email message based at least in part on at least one priority assignment parameter associated with the at least one email message.