Dynamic filter generation for message management systems

• US 9,197,590 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2014
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Beausoleil, Sean, Dubie, Jack, Underwood, George Milton IV, Cue, Adam, DeVincenzi, Anthony, Roeder, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): DAILEY, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US14/228,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20150281156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

Filtering rules for incoming messages can be dynamically generated by a message management service based on patterns in the user'"'"'s behavior. The message management service can analyze event records associating user actions with features of messages to detect correlations between message features and resulting actions, including correlations across multiple messaging accounts belonging to the same user. Based on correlations, the message management service can provide a suggested rule to the user'"'"'s client device, and the user can accept or decline the suggestion.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a message management service, a plurality of messages for a user, the plurality of messages including messages received for the user at a respective user account maintained by each of a plurality of message service providers;

analyzing, by the message management service, a plurality of event records for the user, each event record including a set of message features of a different one of the plurality of messages and event information indicating an action taken by the user on the message, to detect a correlation between a first triggering condition based at least in part on one of the message features and a first resulting action that is taken by the user on at least a minimum fraction of messages satisfying the first triggering condition, wherein the first resulting action includes deferring messages satisfying the first triggering condition until the user is at a particular location;

generating, by the message management service, based on the analysis, a first suggested rule to automatically perform the first resulting action on future messages satisfying the first triggering condition;

obtaining from a client device associated with the user, by the message management service, a user confirmation that the first suggested rule should be accepted; and

in response to the user confirmation, adding, by the message management service, the first suggested rule to a set of established rules to be automatically applied to messages received for the user.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein obtaining the user confirmation includes:

after generating the first suggested rule, receiving, from one of the plurality of messaging services, a candidate message for the user to which the first suggested rule applies;

delivering the candidate message to the client device together with suggestion metadata descriptive of the first suggested rule; and

receiving the user confirmation from the client device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a new message for the user from a first one of the plurality of messaging services;

determining, based on respective triggering conditions of the rules in the set of established rules, whether the set of established rules includes an applicable rule that applies to the new message; and

in the event that the set of established rules includes an applicable rule, automatically performing, on the new message, a resulting action defined by the applicable rule.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein automatically performing the resulting action includes sending an update instruction to the first one of the messaging services.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a new message;

determining, based on respective triggering conditions of the rules in the set of established rules, whether the set of established rules includes an applicable rule that applies to the new message; and

in the event that the set of established rules includes an applicable rule;

adding action metadata to the new message, the action metadata indicating that a client device is to perform a resulting action defined by the applicable rule; and

delivering the new message including the action metadata to the client device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein the resulting action includes creating a forwarded message from the new message and presenting the forwarded message to the user to be sent.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a second suggested rule to automatically perform a second resulting action on future messages satisfying a second triggering condition;

obtaining a user instruction to decline the second suggested rule; and

in response to the user instruction, suppressing the second suggested rule.

8. A system comprising:

a client interface configured to communicate with a client device operable by a user;

a messaging service interface configured to receive messages for the user, the plurality of messages including messages received for the user at a respective user account maintained by each of a plurality of messaging services;

a plurality of message management modules coupled to the client interface and the messaging service interface, the message management modules including;

a filter module configured to apply a set of established rules to messages for the user received via the messaging service interface;

an event recorder configured to generate event records based on messages for the user received via the messaging service interface and on event information received via the client interface, each event record including a set of message features of a message and event information indicating an action taken by the user on the message;

a pattern detector configured to analyze the event records to detect a correlation between a triggering condition based at least in part on one of the message features and a resulting action that is taken by the user on at least a minimum fraction of messages satisfying the triggering condition, and to generate, based on the correlation, a suggested rule to automatically perform the resulting action on future messages satisfying the triggering condition, wherein for at least one suggested rule, the resulting action includes deferring messages satisfying the triggering condition until the user is using a particular one of a plurality of client devices;

wherein the filter module is further configured to communicate the suggested rule to the client device via the client interface and to add the suggested rule to the set of established rules based on a response received from the client device via the client interface.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the set of message features for each message includes a messaging service identifier identifying the one of the messaging services from which the message was received.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the triggering condition is based at least in part on the messaging service identifier.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the event information received via the client interface further includes client context information pertaining to the action taken by the user.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the client context information includes information identifying at least one of a client device type, a time when the action was taken, or a location of the client device when the action was taken.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the triggering condition is based at least in part on one of the message features and an element of the client context information.

14. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving from a message management service, at a client device, a new message and suggestion metadata for the new message, the suggestion metadata including a triggering condition and a resulting action for a suggested rule to be applied to the message, wherein the resulting action includes deferring the message until the user is at a particular location;

presenting the new message at a user interface of the client device;

receiving, via the user interface, user input indicating a user interaction with the new message;

presenting, at the user interface, a prompt to the user to accept the suggested rule;

receiving, via the user interface, a response to the prompt; and

sending, to the message management service, event information including the response to the prompt;

wherein, in response to the user accepting the suggested rule, the message management service thereafter applies the suggested rule to messages received for the user at a respective user account maintained by each of a plurality of messaging services.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 wherein the event information further includes an identifier of the indicated action.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 wherein presenting the new message includes displaying a representation of the new message and a visual indicator that a suggested rule applies to the message.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 wherein the visual indicator includes a visual element to identify the triggering condition of the suggested rule.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 wherein the visual indicator includes a visual element to identify the resulting action of the suggested rule.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 wherein the user input indicates an action to be taken on the new message and wherein the prompt is presented in response to determining, by the client device, that the indicated action matches the resulting action of the suggested rule.