Automatic Task Extraction and Calendar Entry

• US 20130007648A1
• Filed: 06/28/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gamon, Michael, Azzam, Saliha, Cai, Yizheng, Caldwell, Nicholas, Wang, Ye-Yi
• Granted Patent: US 10,984,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

Automatically detected and identified tasks and calendar items from electronic communications may be populated into one or more tasks applications and calendaring applications. Text content retrieved from one or more electronic communications may be extracted and parsed for determining whether keywords or terms contained in the parsed text may lead to a classification of the text content or part of the text content as a task. Identified tasks may be automatically populated into a tasks application. Similarly, text content from such sources may be parsed for keywords and terms that may be identified as indicating calendar items, for example, meeting requests. Identified calendar items may be automatically populated into a calendar application as a calendar entry.

Claims

1. A method of automatically extracting a task item from an electronic communication, comprising:

receiving an electronic communication item;

processing the electronic communication item such that text components comprising the electronic communication item may be used for generating an extracted task item;

comparing one or more of the text components to pre-defined patterns associated with a task item;

if one or more of the text components match a pre-defined pattern associated with a task item, designating the one or more of the text components as an extracted task item; and

presenting the designated task item to a user via a computer-generated user interface component.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising extracting from the received electronic communication item one or more task slots associated with the designated task item, and presenting the designated task slots to the user via the computer-generated user interface component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if the user accepts the designated task item, populating an electronic task list with the extracted task.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein if the user does not accept the designated task item, receiving a correction to the presented designated task item, and populating an electronic task list with the corrected task item.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein if the user does not accept the designated task item, receiving a replacement task item, and populating an electronic task list with the replacement task item.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extracting one or more features from the electronic communication item;

determining whether the designated task item is associated with one or more other users based on the extracted one or more features; and

if the designated task item is associated with one or more other users based on the extracted one or more features, then presenting the designated task item to the one or more other users via a computer-generated user interface component.

7. The method of claim 1, prior to designating the one or more of the text components as an designated task item, further comprising:

extracting one or more features from the electronic communication item;

determining a probability that the one or more text components include a task item based on the extracted one or more features; and

if the determined probability exceeds a threshold probability, then designating the one or more of the text components as an extracted task item.

8. A method of automatically extracting a calendar item from an electronic communication, comprising:

receiving an electronic communication item;

processing the electronic communication item such that text components comprising the electronic communication item may be used for generating an extracted calendar item;

comparing one or more of the text components to pre-defined patterns associated with a calendar item;

if one or more of the text components match a pre-defined pattern associated with a calendar item, designating the one or more of the text components as an extracted calendar item; and

presenting the designated calendar item to a user via a computer-generated user interface component.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising extracting from the received electronic communication item one or more calendar slots associated with the designated calendar item, and presenting the designated calendar slots to the user via the computer-generated user interface component.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein if the user accepts the designated calendar item, populating an electronic calendar with the designated calendar item.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein populating an electronic calendar with the extracted calendar item includes forwarding the designated calendar item to the electronic calendar as a meeting request.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein if the user does not accept the designated calendar item, receiving a correction to the presented extracted calendar item, and populating an electronic calendar with the designated calendar item.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein if the user does not accept the designated calendar item, receiving a replacement calendar item, and populating an electronic calendar with the replacement calendar item.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

extracting one or more features from the electronic communication item;

determining whether the designated calendar item is associated with one or more other users based on the extracted one or more features; and

if the designated calendar item is associated with one or more other users based on the extracted one or more features, then presenting the designated calendar item to the one or more other users via a computer-generated user interface component.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein presenting the designated calendar item to the one or more other users via a computer-generated user interface component includes presenting the designated calendar item to the one or more other users as a meeting request.

16. The method of claim 8, prior to designating the one or more of the text components as an extracted calendar item, further comprising:

extracting one or more features from the electronic communication item;

determining a probability that the one or more text components include a calendar item based on the extracted one or more features; and

if the determined probability exceeds a threshold probability, then designating the one or more of the text components as an extracted calendar item.

17. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method of automatically extracting a task item from an electronic communication, comprising:

receiving an electronic communication item;

processing the electronic communication item such that text components comprising the electronic communication item may be used for generating an extracted task item;

extracting one or more features from the electronic communication item;

determining a probability that the one or more text components include a task item based on the extracted one or more features; and

if the determined probability exceeds a threshold probability, then comparing one or more of the text components to pre-defined patterns associated with a task item;

if one or more of the text components match a pre-defined pattern associated with a task item, designating the one or more of the text components as an extracted task item; and

presenting the extracted task item to a user for acceptance of the extracted task item by the user.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein if the user does not accept the extracted task item, receiving a correction to the presented extracted task item, and populating an electronic task list with the corrected task item.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein if the user does not accept the extracted task item, receiving a replacement task item, and populating an electronic task list with the replacement task item.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

extracting one or more features from the electronic communication item;

determining whether the extracted task item is associated with one or more other users based on the extracted one or more features; and

if the extracted task item is associated with one or more other users based on the extracted one or more features, then presenting the extracted task item to the one or more other users via a computer-generated user interface component.