EMAIL CONVERSATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20140222860A1
• Filed: 04/02/2014
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: BUCHHEIT, Paul, SINGH, Sanjeev
• Granted Patent: US 9,418,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

Methods and systems for searching conversations are provided. At a computer system having one or more processors and memory storing programs executed by the one or more processors a search query is receive from a client. A conversation relevant to the search query is identified. The conversation has two or more messages. There is returned to the client for display a portion of a body of a message in the two or more messages responsive to the search query.

Claims

1. A method of searching conversations, comprising:

at a server having one or more processors and memory storing programs executed by the one or more processors;

receiving a search query from a client;

identifying a conversation relevant to the search query, the conversation having two or more messages; and

returning to the client for display a portion of a body of a message in the two or more messages responsive to the search query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the conversation includes identifying a first message relevant to the search query.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the returning further comprises returning conversation information corresponding to the identified conversation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the conversation information corresponding to the identified conversation is formatted for presentation in a single line.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the conversation information corresponding to the identified conversation includes a list of sender identifiers corresponding to senders who have sent messages in the conversation.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the list of sender identifiers is ordered according to their respective message arrival time.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein, at least one sender identifier in the list of sender identifiers is represented by an icon or unique character string distinct from corresponding names of the senders.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors at a server system, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

receiving a search query from a client;

identifying a conversation relevant to the search query, the conversation having two or more messages; and

returning to the client for display a portion of a body of a message in the two or more messages responsive to the search query.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions for identifying the conversation include instructions for identifying a first message relevant to the search query.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the returning further comprises returning conversation information corresponding to the identified conversation.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the conversation information corresponding to the identified conversation is formatted for presentation in a single line.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the conversation information corresponding to the identified conversation includes a list of sender identifiers corresponding to senders who have sent messages in the conversation.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the list of sender identifiers is ordered according to their respective message arrival time.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein at least one sender identifier in the list of sender identifiers is represented by an icon or unique character string distinct from corresponding names of the senders.

15. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and are configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

receiving a search query from a client;

identifying a conversation relevant to the search query, the conversation having two or more messages; and

returning to the client for display a portion of a body of a message in the two or more messages responsive to the search query.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein identifying the conversation includes identifying a first message relevant to the search query.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the returning further comprises returning conversation information corresponding to the identified conversation.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the conversation information corresponding to the identified conversation is formatted for presentation in a single line.

19. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the conversation information corresponding to the identified conversation includes a list of sender identifiers corresponding to senders who have sent messages in the conversation.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the list of sender identifiers is ordered according to their respective message arrival time.