Method and apparatus for providing destination-address suggestions

• US 8,209,390 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2011
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gibbs, Colin, Cohen, Gabriel, Miyakawa, Daisuke, Lehmann, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M
• Application Number:
  US13/267,496
• Time in Patent Office: 264 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-206, 709217-227, 709228-229
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing destination-address suggestions for a new communication. For each of various communication addresses, multiple counts of use of the communication address are maintained, with each count being for a respective type of communication and/or for a respective application class. When a new communication of a particular type or by an application of a particular class is being established, the communication addresses are presented as destination-address suggestions in a rank-order based on the counts specific to the communication type and/or application class. The rank-ordering of can also take into account other factors, such as source persona, time, and location, for instance.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions executable by a processor to carry out functions comprising:

determining a first plurality of counts of communications of a first communication type, wherein each count in the first plurality of counts is based on a respective quantity of communications of the first communication type placed to a respective communication address in a plurality of communication addresses;

determining a second plurality of counts of communications of a second communication type, wherein each count in the second plurality of counts is based on a respective quantity of communications of the second communication type placed to a respective communication address in the plurality of communication addresses;

detecting a request for a plurality of destination address suggestions, the request being received from a first application program and being associated with a new communication, the new communication being of the first communication type and having an associated source persona;

sorting at least the plurality of communication addresses based at least in part on (i) the first plurality of counts and (ii) the source persona, so as to establish a list comprising the plurality of communication addresses ordered according to a rank-ordering that is based at least in part on the first plurality of counts and is further based at least in part on the source persona, wherein at least one count from the first plurality of counts is based at least in part on one or more communications placed by at least a second application program different from the first application program;

sending, in response to the request and to the new communication being of the first communication type and having the associated source persona, the list comprising the plurality of communication addresses ordered according to the rank-ordering that is based at least in part on the first plurality of counts and is further based at least in part on the source persona; and

outputting the list for display.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

upon detecting the request, determining that the new communication is of the first communication type and is associated with the source persona; and

carrying out the sorting in response to the determining.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the rank-ordering is further based at least in part on recency of the communications of the first communication type, and wherein the sorting is further based at least in part on the recency of the communications of the first communication type.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein sorting at least the plurality of communication addresses comprises categorizing the communications of the first communication type into buckets based on recency.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

carrying out the sorting in advance of the detecting the request.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the request is a first request, the new communication is a first new communication, the list is a first list, and the rank-ordering is a first rank-ordering, and wherein the functions further comprise:

detecting a second request for a plurality of destination-address suggestions, the second request being received from a third application program and being associated with a second new communication, the second new communication being of the second communication type;

sending, in response to the second request, a second list comprising the plurality of communication addresses, wherein, in response to the second new communication being of the second communication type, the plurality of communication addresses in the list are ordered according to a second rank-ordering that is based at least in part on the second plurality of counts and is different from the first rank-ordering; and

outputting the second list for display.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication addresses are telephone numbers, the first communication type is telephone call communication, and the second communication type comprises messages selected from the group consisting of short messaging service (SMS) messages and multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication addresses are e-mail addresses, the first communication type is e-mail communication, and the second communication type comprises messages selected from the group consisting of short messaging service (SMS) messages and multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are part of a computer operating system, and wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving usage records from a plurality of application programs, and establishing the first plurality of counts and the second plurality of counts based on the received usage records.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the functions further comprise:

providing an abstraction layer through which to receive the usage records and through which to detect the request.

11. A non-transitory machine readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a processor to carry out functions comprising:

determining a first plurality of counts of communications of a first communication type, wherein each count in the first plurality of counts is based on a respective quantity of communications of the first communication type placed to a respective communication address in a plurality of communication addresses;

determining a second plurality of counts of communications of a second communication type, wherein each count in the second plurality of counts is based on a respective quantity of communications of the second communication type placed to a respective communication address in the plurality of communication addresses, the first communication type and the second communication type being mutually exclusive;

detecting a request for destination-address suggestions for a new communication, the new communication being associated with a source persona; and

in response to the request, (i) if the new communication is of the first communication type, then causing a user interface to present a first list comprising the plurality of communication addresses sorted based at least in part on the source persona and the first plurality of counts determined for the plurality of communication addresses and not based on the second plurality of counts determined for the plurality of communication addresses, and (ii) if the new communication is of the second communication type, then causing the user interface to present a second list comprising the plurality of communication addresses sorted based at least in part on the source persona and the second plurality of counts determined for the plurality of communication addresses and not based on the first plurality of counts determined for the plurality of communication addresses.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the plurality of communication addresses are telephone numbers, the communications of the first communication type are telephone calls, and the communications of the second communication type comprise messages selected from the group consisting of short messaging service (SMS) messages and multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the plurality of communication addresses are e-mail addresses, the communications of the first communication type are e-mail messages, and the communications of the second communication type comprise messages selected from the group consisting of short messaging service (SMS) messages and multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

responsive to the request, making a determination of whether the new communication is of the first communication type or of the second communication type, so as to then decide whether to cause the user interface to present the first list or to cause the user interface to present the second list.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the functions further comprise:

after determining whether the communication is of the first communication type or of the second communication type, sorting at least the plurality of communication addresses accordingly for presentation on the user interface.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the functions further comprise:

in advance of the detecting the request, (a) sorting at least the plurality of communication addresses based at least in part on the source persona and the first plurality of counts, so as to establish the first list, and (b) sorting at least the plurality of communication addresses based at least in part on the source persona and the second plurality of counts, to establish the second list.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein:

causing the user interface to present the first list comprising the plurality communication addresses sorted based at least in part on the source persona and the first plurality of counts and not based on the second plurality of counts comprises causing the user interface to present the first list comprising the plurality of communication addresses sorted based on the source persona and the first plurality of counts and further based at least in part on communication recency; and

causing the user interface to present the second list comprising the plurality of communication addresses sorted based at least in part on the source persona and the second plurality of counts and not based on the first plurality of counts comprises causing the user interface to present the second list comprising the plurality of communication addresses sorted based on the source persona and the second plurality of counts and further based at least in part on communication recency.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11,

wherein, for at least a first of the communication addresses in the plurality of communication addresses, the first plurality of counts includes a count based at least in part communications placed to that first communication address by a plurality of communication applications.

19. A method comprising:

a communication device determining a first plurality of counts of communications of a first communication type, wherein each count in the first plurality of counts is based on a respective quantity of communications of the first communication type placed to a respective communication address in a plurality of communication addresses;

the communication device determining a second plurality of counts of communications of a second communication type, wherein each count in the second plurality of counts is based on a respective quantity of communications of the second communication type placed to a respective communication address in the plurality of communication addresses, the first communication type and the second communication type being mutually exclusive;

the communication device detecting a request for destination-address suggestions for a new communication, the new communication being associated with a source persona; and

responsive to the request, (i) if the new communication is of the first communication type, then the communication device presenting on a user interface a first list comprising the plurality of communication addresses sorted based at least in part on the source persona and the first plurality of counts determined for the plurality of communication addresses and not based on the second plurality of counts determined for the plurality of communication addresses, and (ii) if the new communication is of the second communication type, then the communication device presenting on the user interface a second list comprising the plurality of communication addresses sorted based at least in part on the source persona and the second plurality of counts determined for the plurality of communication addresses and not based on the first plurality of counts determined for the plurality of communication addresses.

20. A method comprising:

a computer processor determining a first plurality of counts of communications placed by one or more applications of a first application class, wherein each count in the first plurality of counts is based on a respective quantity of communications placed by the one or more applications of the first application class to a respective communication address in a plurality of communication addresses;

the computer processor determining a second plurality of counts of communications placed by one or more applications of a second application class, wherein each count in the second plurality of counts is based on a respective quantity of communications placed by the one or more applications of the second application class to a respective communication address in the plurality of communication addresses;

the computer processor detecting a request for a plurality of destination-address suggestions, the request being received from a first application and being associated with a new communication, the first application being a member of the first application class, and the new communication being associated with a source persona; and

in response to the request, the computer processor causing a user interface to present a list comprising the plurality of the communication addresses, wherein, in response to the first application being a member of the first application class, the plurality of communication addresses in the list are ordered according to a rank-ordering that is based at least in part on the first plurality of counts of communications placed by the one or more applications of the first application class, and in response to the new communication being associated with the source persona, the rank-ordering is further based at least in part on the source persona.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the request is a first request, the new communication is a first new communication, the list is a first list, and the rank-ordering is a first rank-ordering, and wherein the functions further comprise:

the computer processor detecting a second request for a plurality of destination-address suggestions, the second request being received from a second application and being associated with a second new communication, the second application being a member of the second application class; and

in response to the second request, the computer processor causing a user interface to present a second list comprising the plurality of the communication addresses, wherein, in response to the second application being a member of the second application class, the plurality of communication addresses in the second list are ordered according to a second rank-ordering that is based at least in part on the second plurality of counts of communications placed by the one or more applications of the second application class, the second rank-ordering being different than the first rank-ordering.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first application class and the second application class are mutually exclusive.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

the computer processor sorting at least the plurality of communication addresses based at least in part on the first plurality of counts of communications placed to the plurality of communication addresses by the one or more applications of the first application class and without regard to the second plurality of counts of communications placed to the plurality of communication addresses by the one or more applications of the second application class, so as to establish the list comprising the plurality of communication addresses ordered according to the rank-ordering.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

upon detecting the request, the computer processor determining that the first application is a member of the first application class; and

responsive to the determining, the computer processor sorting at least the plurality of communication addresses based at least on the first plurality of counts of communications placed to the plurality of communication addresses by the one or more applications of the first application class, so as to establish the list comprising the plurality of communication addresses ordered according to the rank-ordering.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

in advance of the detecting the request, the computer processor sorting at least the plurality of communication addresses based at least on the first plurality of counts of communications placed to the plurality of communication addresses by the one or more applications of the first application class, so as to establish the list comprising the plurality of communication addresses ordered according to the rank-ordering.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising the computer processor sorting at least the plurality of communication addresses based at least on the first plurality of counts of communications placed to the plurality of communication addresses by the one or more applications of the first application class, so as to establish the list comprising the plurality of communication addresses ordered according to the rank-ordering.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the rank-ordering is further based on communication recency.