Transmitting information given constrained resources

• US 7,433,859 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Horvitz, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): STARKS, WILBERT L
• Application Number:
  US11/299,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20060167824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 375/322, 708/300, 600/545, 706/55, 726/22, 726/3, 707/5
• US Class Current: 706/55
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/10 using kernel methods, e.g. support vector machines [SVM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

Prioritizing text such as e-mail messages, given constrained resources, is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method first receives a plurality of messages, such as e-mail messages. The method prioritizes the messages, based on a predetermined criteria given a constrained resource. The method then outputs the messages to a user, as prioritized given the constrained resource. Specific constrained resources include limited bandwidth, limited storage space, and limited time in which to receive the texts. Embodiments include policies that include priority-sensitive truncation and summarization. Furthermore, in one embodiment, if context is detected, the priorities for caching are affected. In another embodiment, the likelihood that a user already knows all or part of the information being transmitted is considered.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented business method for executing instructions to prioritize an event comprising:

prioritizing the transmission of electronic text based at least in part on a measurement of user preferences and a likelihood of an intended recipient'"'"'s prior knowledge of the informational content of the text, wherein the text comprises at least one of e-mail messages, instant messages, web pages, software components or graphical data; and

transmitting the complete text to the intended recipient when the priority of the text is above a user-defined threshold; and

transmitting a truncated version of the text to the intended recipient when the priority of the text is below the user-defined threshold, the truncated version of the text contains a predetermined maximum number of characters less than the total number of characters in the non-truncated text.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the likelihood of the prior knowledge of the intended recipient based at least in part on a probability that the intended recipient has been notified of the information contained within the text via an alternate communication medium.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining the likelihood of the prior knowledge of the intended recipient based on at least one of a first time an event described in the text occurred and a second time the event was publicly disseminated.

4. The method of claim 1, prioritizing the text via a probabilistic-based analysis.

5. The method of claim 1, prioritizing the text by considering a likelihood that the text is widespread based on a type of information contained within the text.

6. The method of claim 1, determining the prior knowledge of the intended recipient based at least in part on a likelihood that partial text about an event described in the text is available from an outside source.

7. The method of claim 6, the partial text is at least one of a high-level summary and a rumor.

8. The method of claim 1, the constrained resource comprises at least one of intermittent connectivity, limited bandwidth and expensive bandwidth.

9. A computerized system comprising the following computer executable components:

an aggregation component that receives electronic text based at least in part on a measurement of user preferences, wherein the text comprises at least one of e-mail messages, instant messages, web pages, software components or graphical data;

a prioritization component that prioritizes the transmission of the text based at least in part on the measurement of user preferences and a likelihood of an intended recipient'"'"'s prior knowledge of the informational content of the text; and

a device that transmits the complete text to the intended recipient when the priority of the text is determined to be above a user-defined priority threshold, and transmits a truncated version of the text when the priority is determined to be below the user-defined priority threshold, the truncated version of the text contains a maximum number of characters less than the total characters of the non-truncated text.

10. The system of claim 9, the prioritization component considers a likelihood that the text is widespread based on a type of information contained in the text.

11. The system of claim 9, the prioritization component employs a statistical classifier to perform a probabilistic-based analysis on the text.

12. The system of claim 9, the prioritization component considers a likelihood that the information contained within the text is available via an alternate communication medium.

13. The system of claim 12, the likelihood that the information contained within the text is available via an alternate communication medium is based on at least one of a first time an event occurred and a second time the event was publicly disseminated.

14. The system of claim 9, the prior knowledge of the intended recipient is determined based at least in part on availability of partial text from an outside source.

15. The system of claim 14, the partial text is at least one of a high-level summary and a rumor.

16. The system of claim 9, the prioritized text is transmitted to mitigate an impact associated with the constrained resource.

17. A computerized system comprising the following computer executable means:

means for receiving electronic text containing a file attachment based on a measurement of user preferences, wherein the text comprises at least one of e-mail messages, instant messages, web pages, software components or graphical data;

means for determining a probability that an intended recipient has been notified of the information contained within the text via an alternate communication medium; and

means for removing the file attachment from the electronic text prior to transmitting the text to the intended recipient when the probability is above a predetermined threshold; and

means for transmitting the electronic text to the intended recipient with the file attachment intact when the probability is below the predetermined threshold.

18. The system of claim 17, the means for reducing comprising prioritizing the transmission of the text based at least in part on a likelihood of the recipient prior knowledge of the informational content of the text.

19. The system of claim 18, the means for reducing further comprising considering a likelihood that the information contained within the text is widespread based on the type of information.

20. The system of claim 17, the means for determining considers a first time an event described in the text occurred and a second time the event was publicly disseminated.