Electronic message organization via social groups

• US 9,866,514 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2016
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Turski, Andrzej, Cheng, Lili, Affronti, Michael Anthony, Williams, Shane
• Primary Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US15/181,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20160301652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 709206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

A mechanism for automatically organizing electronic messages is described herein. Social groups of a particular user that may be representative of topics, people, projects, and the like can be automatically learned based at least in part upon historical correspondence of the user. Moreover, messages can be automatically prioritized based at least in part upon historical correspondence patterns. Electronic messages may be presented to the user in accordance with group information and how important the messages are to the user.

Claims

1. A computing system comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform acts comprising;

receiving an indication that a user of a computing device has selected a social group in an electronic communications application, the social group comprises a plurality of members, the plurality of members include the user; and

responsive to receiving the indication, and in a graphical user interface of the electronic communications application;

causing a portion of a message transmitted from a member of the social group to the user to be displayed on a display of the computing device, the message transmitted by way of the electronic communications application; and

causing a portion of a feed of the member of the social group to be simultaneously displayed on the display with the message, the feed being from a social networking application.

2. The computing system of claim 1, the electronic communications application being an email application.

3. The computing system of claim 1, the acts further comprising:

responsive to receiving the indication, and in the graphical user interface of the electronic communications application, causing a plurality of attachments to messages previously transmitted amongst the plurality of members of the social group to be displayed on the display.

4. The computing system of claim 1, the acts further comprising:

receiving an indication that the feed of the member has been updated; and

responsive to receiving the indication that the feed of the member has been updated, updating the portion of the feed displayed on the display.

5. The computing system of claim 1, the acts further comprising:

identifying a news item that is relevant to the social group; and

responsive to receiving the indication, and in the graphical user interface of the electronic communications application, causing the news item to be simultaneously displayed on the display with the message.

6. The computing system of claim 1, further comprising:

learning the social group based upon recipients of messages transmitted by way of the electronic communications application.

7. The computing system of claim 1, the electronic communications application being a social networking application.

8. The computing system of claim 1, the acts further comprising:

causing graphical items to be displayed on the display, the graphical items representative of respective social groups, wherein receiving the indication comprises receiving a selection of a graphical item from the graphical items that represents the social group.

9. The computing system of claim 1, the acts further comprising:

in response to receipt of an indication from the user that the member is to be removed from the social group, removing the member from the social group.

10. The computing system of claim 1, the acts further comprising:

assigning a value to the message that is indicative of an estimated importance of the message to the user, wherein a size of the portion of the message is based upon the value.

11. A method comprising:

receiving an indication that a user of a computing device has selected, in a graphical user interface of an electronic communications application, a social group, the social group comprises a plurality of members, the plurality of members include the user of the computing device; and

responsive to receiving the indication, causing at least the following items to be displayed on a display of the computing device;

a portion of a message transmitted by a member of the social group to the user of the computing device; and

a portion of a feed of the member of the social group, the feed being from a social networking application.

12. The method of claim 11, the electronic communications application being an email application.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising learning the social group based upon electronic messages transmitted amongst the plurality of members of the social group.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the feed of the member of the social group has been updated; and

updating the portion of the feed of the member of the social group displayed on the display based upon the indication.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the indication, and in the graphical user interface of the electronic communications application, causing a plurality of attachments to messages previously transmitted amongst the plurality of members of the social group to be displayed on the display.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the items caused to be displayed on the display further comprises a summary of communications, the summary of communications indicates an amount of time that the user of the computing device spends communicating with the social group by way of the electronic communications application.

17. The method of claim 11, in response to receipt of an indication from the user that the member is to be removed from the social group, removing the member from the social group.

18. Computer-readable memory comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform acts comprising:

receiving an indication that a user of a computing device has selected a social group from amongst a plurality of social groups displayed in a graphical user interface of an electronic communications application, the social group comprises a plurality of members, the plurality of members include the user;

responsive to receiving the indication, causing a portion of a message and a portion of a social feed to be displayed on a display of the computing device in the graphical user interface of the electronic communications application, the message from a member of the social group, the feed being for the member and from a social networking application.

19. The computer-readable memory of claim 18, the electronic communications application being the social networking application.

20. The computer-readable memory of claim 18, the acts further comprising:

identifying a news item based upon content in messages transmitted amongst members of the social group; and

responsive to receiving the indication, causing the news item to be displayed on the display in the graphical user interface of the electronic communications application.