System and method for increasing email productivity

• US 9,699,129 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hajaj, Nissan, Elliot, Stewart, Swanson, Brian, Nelken, Yoram
• Primary Examiner(s): Swearingen, Jeffrey R
• Application Number:
  US10/610,964
• Time in Patent Office: 5,118 Days
• Field of Search: 709206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

A system and method for increasing email productivity based on an analysis of the content of received email messages. The system includes a content analysis engine that analyzes the content of a received email message using natural language processing techniques. A prioritization module produces a priority score and a priority level for the message using a prioritization knowledge base. A message sorting module produces a set of suggested folders for the message using a sorting knowledge base. A junkmail module produces a junkman score for the message using a junkmail knowledge base. The prioritization knowledge base, the sorting knowledge base, and the junkmail knowledge base are updated with feedback from the user for each received email message, which allows the system to learn in real-time the user'"'"'s preferences.

Claims

1. An electronic mail apparatus, comprising:

a computing device capable of being connected to a network; and

an email productivity module, executed by the computing device, and configured to interact with an existing email application executed by the computing device that sends and receives email messages over the network, wherein the email productivity module includes;

a content analysis engine, executed by the computing device, configured to analyze a received email message to generate content information representative of a content of the received email message;

a prioritization module, executed by the computing device, having at least one prioritization knowledge base implemented on the computing device, the prioritization module being configured to apply the content information to the at least one prioritization knowledge base to determine at least one priority score for the received email message that reflects a relative priority of the received email message as a legitimate email message and to assign at least one priority level to the received email message based on the priority score that reflects a range of priority scores;

a message sorting module, executed by the computing device, having at least one sorting knowledge base implemented on the computing device, the message sorting module being configured to apply the content information to the at least one sorting knowledge base to determine a set of suggested folders for the received email message that represent one or more folders in which are stored other emails having similar content and in which a user would be most likely to store the received email message; and

a junkmail module, executed by the computing device, having at least one junkmail knowledge base implemented on the computing device, the junkmail module being configured to apply the content information to the at least one junkmail knowledge base to determine a junkmail score for the received email message that represents a probability that the received email message is junkmail, and the junkmail module being configured to cause a user interface of the existing email application to modify a presentation of the received email message in accordance with the junkmail score;

the email productivity module being configured to attach fields for the priority score, priority level, set of suggested folders, and junkmail score to the received email message for display by the existing email application;

the email productivity module being configured to receive user feedback to the existing email application indicative of a user action taken with respect to the received email message, and to cause the computing device to adapt the at least one prioritization knowledge base, the at least one sorting database, or the at least one junkmail database, in accordance with the user feedback;

wherein the at least one prioritization knowledge base is adapted by the computing device in accordance with explicit user feedback in an event that the user modifies the at least one priority level or the at least one priority score produced by the prioritization module and attached to the received email message for display; and

wherein the at least one prioritization knowledge base is adapted by the computing device in accordance with implicit user feedback in an event that the user does not modify the at least one priority level or the at least one priority score produced by the prioritization module and attached to the received email message for display.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the email productivity module responsively adapts the at least one prioritization knowledge base immediately upon receipt of the user feedback.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the email application is caused to display both the at least one priority level and the at least one priority score in connection with the received email message.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the message sorting module being configured to cause the user interface of the email application to modify the presentation of the received email message to display the suggested folders.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sorting knowledge base is updated by the explicit user feedback if the user moves the received email message to a folder.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one junkmail knowledge base is updated by the explicit user feedback if the user indicates that the received email message is junkmail.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the content analysis engine analyzes the content of the received email message by analyzing a text of the received email message using natural language processing techniques.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the email productivity module includes an intelligent search function that allows a user to select one or more messages and search stored messages in every folder to find messages with similar content.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the email productivity module includes a folder management function that analyzes the content of previously stored messages in each folder and identifies messages that may not belong in a particular folder according to information in the at least one sorting knowledge base.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the email productivity module is configured to execute a prespecified operation if the priority score exceeds a predefined threshold.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the prespecified operation comprises forwarding the received email message to a wireless device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the prespecified operation comprises tagging the received email message with a relevant tag.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the email productivity module is further configured to forward the received email message to a wireless device if a highest scoring folder matches a predetermined folder.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message sorting module is further configured to automatically move the received email message to a folder if a score for the folder exceeds a predetermined or dynamic threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the junkmail module is further configured to automatically move the received email message to a junkmail folder if the junkmail score for the received email message exceeds a predetermined or dynamic threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the junkmail module is further configured to automatically delete the received email message if the junkmail score for the received email message exceeds a predetermined or dynamic threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message sorting module is configured to assign a folder to the received email message if a folder score exceeds a category threshold.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the email productivity module is further configured to organize or tag received email messages according to folder.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one prioritization knowledge base is structured as a set of models, each model uniquely corresponding to one of a plurality of priority levels.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sorting knowledge base is structured as a set of models, each model uniquely corresponding to one of a set of folders.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one junkmail knowledge base is structured as a set of two models, consisting of a junk model and a nonjunk model.

22. A method for providing increased email productivity, comprising:

receiving an email message at an email productivity module, executed by a computing device capable of being connected to a network, and configured to interact with an existing email application, executed by the computing device, that sends and receives email messages over the network, wherein the email productivity module performs the steps of;

analyzing the email message, in a content analysis engine executed by the computing device, to generate content information representative of a content of the email message;

applying the content information, in a prioritization module executed by the computing device, to at least one prioritization knowledge base implemented on the computing device to determine at least one priority score for the email message that reflects a relative priority of the email message as a legitimate email message and to assign at least one priority level to the email message based on the priority score that reflects a range of priority scores;

applying the content information, in a message sorting module executed by the computing device, to at least one sorting knowledge base implemented on the computing device to determine a set of suggested folders for the email message that represent one or more folders in which are stored other emails having similar content and in which a user would be most likely to store the email message; and

applying the content information, in a junkmail module executed by the computing device, to at least one junkmail knowledge base implemented on the computing device to determine a junkmail score for the email message that represents a probability that the email message is junkmail, and to cause a user interface of the existing email application to modify a presentation of the email message in accordance with the junkmail score;

the email productivity module being configured to attach fields for the priority score, priority level, set of suggested folders, and junkmail score to the email message for display by the existing email application;

the email productivity module being configured to receive user feedback to the existing email application indicative of a user action taken with respect to the email message and to cause the computing device to adapt the at least one prioritization knowledge base, the at least one sorting database, or the at least one junkmail database, in accordance with the user feedback;

wherein the at least one prioritization knowledge base is adapted by the computing device in accordance with explicit user feedback in an event that the user modifies the at least one priority level or the at least one priority score produced by the prioritization module and attached to the email message for display; and

wherein the at least one prioritization knowledge base is adapted by the computing device in accordance with implicit user feedback in an event that the user does not modify the at least one priority level or the at least one priority score produced by the prioritization module and attached to the email message for display.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein analyzing the email message to determine content includes using natural language processing techniques.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising updating the sorting knowledge base using the user feedback.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising automatically moving the email message to a folder if a score for that folder exceeds a predetermined or dynamic threshold.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising updating the at least one junkmail knowledge base using the user feedback.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising automatically moving the email message to a junkmail folder if the junkmail score exceeds a predetermined or dynamic threshold.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising deleting the email message if the junkmail score exceeds a predetermined or dynamic threshold.

29. The method of claim 22, further comprising forwarding the email message to a wireless device if the priority score exceeds a predetermined or dynamic threshold.

30. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

selecting at least one stored email message;

analyzing the selected at least one stored email message to generate content information; and

searching among other stored email messages to identify email messages with content information similar to the content information of the selected stored email message.

31. The method of claim 22, further comprising reorganizing stored email messages based on the content information.

32. The method of claim 22, wherein categories or tags characterizing the content of the email message are displayed to the user interface.