Indexing and searching content behind links presented in a communication

• US 8,745,060 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brezina, Matthew, Smith, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Baoquoc N
• Application Number:
  US12/180,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20090030919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,139 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705, 707/706, 707/709, 707/721
• US Class Current: 707/741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/14 Tree-structured documents parsing G06F40/205; validation G06F40/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 : based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 : Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 : Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 : Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 : Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

Among other disclosures, a method may include identifying content in an electronic communication, the content including a link. The method may include characterizing content associated with the link and storing the characterization. Upon detecting a match of a characterization, presenting one or more of the communication or portion thereof, the link or content associated with the link.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

identifying content in a communication to a user, the content including a link to a web page;

characterizing, via a computer, content associated with the link to provide a characterization;

storing the characterization;

creating a plurality of profiles including a first profile, each profile containing information relating to a respective sender of one or more prior communications to the user;

gathering a list of web page links from the prior communications; and

responsive to a request made by the user in a communication client, presenting the link to the user as one of the list of web page links, wherein the list of web page links is displayed to the user in the first profile.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request is a selecting by the user of a communication in an inbox viewing panel of the communication client.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the communication is selected from the group consisting of search engine input, social network communications, e-mail, instant messages, text messages, content sharing communications, and telephone communications.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the content is a web page.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the storing further includes storing an index to content.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the characterizing includes characterizing content of the communication.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the characterizing further includes indexing content behind the link.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the characterizing includes updating the characterization either periodically or upon a predetermined event.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the characterizing comprises extracting keywords from the content of the web page.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the web page is a first web page, the first web page includes a link to a second web page, the characterizing comprises extracting keywords from the first web page and the second web page, and the characterization comprises the keywords.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising indexing the list of web page links using a data structure that relates each of the web page links to one of the prior communications.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving an electronic communication addressed to a user that includes a link to a web page;

characterizing, via a computing device, the link to provide a characterization;

storing, via a memory, the characterization;

creating a plurality of profiles including a first profile, each profile containing information relating to a respective sender of one or more prior communications to the user;

gathering a list of web page links from the prior communications; and

evaluating user input received from the user in a communication client, the evaluating including determining if the user input matches the characterization and if so, presenting, via a display, the first profile to the user wherein the first profile includes the link, and the link is presented in the first profile as one of the list of web page links.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the characterizing comprises extracting keywords from the language of the link.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the characterizing comprises characterizing content of the communication.

15. A system, comprising:

a display;

memory storing software instructions; and

a computer coupled to the memory, the computer configured via the software instructions to;

identify content in a communication to a user, the content including a link to a web page;

characterize content associated with the link to provide a characterization;

store the characterization;

create a plurality of profiles, each profile containing information relating to a respective sender included in one or more prior communications to the user;

gather a list of web page links from the prior communications, the list of web page links associated with a first profile of the profiles;

detect a request from the user;

make a determination that the request relates to the characterization; and

in response to the determination, present to the user the link as one of the list of web page links, wherein the list of web page links is displayed, via the display, to the user as part of the first profile.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the detecting the request comprises tracking mouse, keyboard, or other user input activities of the user.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions, which when executed, cause a system to:

receive a plurality of communications to a user;

create, via a computer, a plurality of profiles including a first profile, each profile containing information relating to a respective sender of one of the communications, and each profile including a plurality of web page links, each of the web page links extracted from one of the communications, wherein the first profile includes a first plurality of web page links; and

present to the user the first profile, the first profile including a display of the first plurality of web page links.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of communications is selected from the group consisting of:

an e-mail, an instant message, and a text message.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the system to:

receive an electronic communication addressed to the user that includes a first link to a web page; and

characterize the first link to provide a characterization.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the system to:

detect a request from the user; and

make a determination that the request relates to the characterization.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the system to determine if user input from the user matches the characterization, and wherein the presenting the first profile is responsive to a determination that the user input matches the characterization.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the plurality of communications comprises a first communication that includes a first link to a first web page, and wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the system to present the first web page to the user when the user activates the first link.