AUTOMATIC CONVERSATION TECHNIQUES

• US 20090319619A1
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Edelen, James, Brauninger, Andrew, Mccann, Robert Emmett, Affronti, Michael, Pereira, Jorge
• Granted Patent: US 8,402,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

Automatic conversation techniques are described. An apparatus may comprise a computing device having an incoming message module operative to receive an incoming message, a conversation identification module communicatively coupled to the incoming message module, the conversation identification module operative to determine the incoming message is part of a conversation thread, and associate the incoming message with the conversation thread by setting a conversation identifier property of the incoming message to a conversation identifier for the conversation thread, and a conversation manager module communicatively coupled to the conversation identification module, the conversation manager module operative to determine a conversation rule is associated with the conversation thread, and apply the conversation rule to the incoming message. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an incoming message;

determining the incoming message is part of a conversation thread;

associating the incoming message with the conversation thread;

determining a conversation rule is associated with the conversation thread; and

applying the conversation rule to the incoming message.

2. The method of claim 1, receiving the incoming message as an e-mail message, a text message, a short message service message, a multimedia message server message, a voice message, or a video message.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising creating the conversation thread having multiple messages.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising creating a conversation rule for the conversation thread.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising creating an always delete conversation rule to automatically route the incoming message to a deleted items folder.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising creating an always move conversation rule to automatically route the incoming message to a target items folder.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising creating an always categorize conversation rule to automatically assign a category for the incoming message.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising storing a conversation rule for the conversation thread in a conversation action table.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising associating the incoming message with the conversation thread by assigning the incoming message with a conversation identifier for the conversation thread.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising applying the conversation rule to any stored messages for the conversation thread.

11. An article comprising a storage medium containing instructions that if executed enable a system to:

determine an incoming message is part of a conversation thread;

associate the incoming message with the conversation thread;

retrieve a conversation rule associated with the conversation thread; and

apply the conversation rule to the incoming message.

12. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to create a conversation rule for the conversation thread.

13. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to create a conversation rule for the conversation thread, the conversation rule to comprise an always delete conversation rule to automatically route the incoming message to a deleted items folder, an always move conversation rule to automatically route the incoming message to a target items folder, or an always categorize conversation rule to automatically assign a category for the incoming message.

14. The article of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to apply the conversation rule to any stored messages for the conversation thread.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

an incoming message module operative to receive an incoming message;

a conversation identification module communicatively coupled to the incoming message module, the conversation identification module operative to determine the incoming message is part of a conversation thread, and associate the incoming message with the conversation thread by setting a conversation identifier property of the incoming message to a conversation identifier for the conversation thread; and

a conversation manager module communicatively coupled to the conversation identification module, the conversation manager module operative to determine a conversation rule is associated with the conversation thread, and apply the conversation rule to the incoming message.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, the messages comprising e-mail messages, text messages, short message service messages, multimedia message server messages, voice messages, or video messages.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, the conversation manager module operative to create a conversation rule for the conversation thread.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, the conversation manager module operative to create a conversation rule for the conversation thread, the conversation rule to comprise an always delete conversation rule to automatically route the incoming message to a deleted items folder, an always move conversation rule to automatically route the incoming message to a target items folder, or an always categorize conversation rule to automatically assign a category for the incoming message.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, the conversation manager module operative to create a conversation rule for the conversation thread, and store the conversation rule in a conversation action table.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, comprising a message database communicatively coupled to the conversation manager module, the message database operative to store a plurality of messages for the conversation thread, the conversation manager module operative to create a conversation rule for the conversation thread, and apply the conversation rule to the plurality of stored messages for the conversation thread.