Email assistant options bar for email applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11775138-B2
Application number	US-202117374938-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2021
Priority date	Jul 13, 2021
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for providing an email assistant options bar. An assistant engine of an email application can identify contacts of a user profile that the user interacts with the most frequently based on a set of rules. When a user interacts with an email in the email application using a predetermined input type, the assistant engine can display the email assistant options bar. The email assistant options bar can include icons representing the identified contacts that the user interacts with the most frequently and a set of actions that can be performed to interact with the contacts. Some examples of actions can include forwarding the selected email, calling a contact, and setting up a meeting. The user can select one or more of the contacts and one of the actions. The assistant engine can perform the selected action with the selected contact as the recipient.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing an email assistant options bar, comprising:
identifying, based on a set of rules, a set of contacts from a plurality of contacts associated with a user profile;
receiving a selection of an email;
determining that the email includes an invitation for a meeting;
displaying, on a single screen in a graphical user interface (“GUI”), the email assistant options bar, the email assistant options bar including the set of contacts and a set of actions displayed within a same view of the email assistant options bar, wherein the set of actions includes an action for adding contacts to an invitee list for the meeting;
receiving a selection of a plurality of contacts at least one contact from the set of contacts;
receiving a selection of the action for adding contacts to the invitee list for the meeting; and
performing the selected action by adding the selected plurality of contacts to the invitee list.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of actions includes at least two of forwarding the email, scheduling a video conference meeting, initiating a video conference call, scheduling a conference call, calling the selected contacts, and sending a new email to the selected contacts.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the email assistant options bar is displayed in the GUI in response to the selection of the email being longer than one second.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of rules includes determining a number of emails sent from an email address associated with the user profile to each of the plurality of contacts associated with the user profile, and wherein the identified set of contacts are selected based on the email address sending those contacts a relative highest number of emails over a predetermined time.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of actions includes multiple icons for sending emails, each corresponding to a different email template.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of rules includes at least one of determining a number of emails received by an email address associated with the user profile from each of the plurality of contacts associated with the user profile and determining a number of phone calls between the user profile and each of the plurality of contacts associated with the user profile of a period of time.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the set of actions allows additional emails to be selected and attached to a meeting invitation for a meeting.

8. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a hardware-based processor, performs stages for providing an email assistant options bar, the stages comprising:
identifying, based on a set of rules, a set of contacts from a plurality of contacts associated with a user profile;
receiving a selection of an email;
determining that the email includes an invitation for a meeting;
displaying, on a single screen in a graphical user interface (“GUI”), the email assistant options bar, the email assistant options bar including the set of contacts and a set of actions displayed within a same view of the email assistant options bar, wherein the set of actions includes an action for adding contacts to an invitee list for the meeting determined to be included in the email;
receiving a selection of a plurality of contacts from the set of contacts;
receiving a selection of the action for adding contacts to the invitee list for the meeting; and
performing the selected action by adding the selected plurality of contacts to the invitee list.

9. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the set of actions includes at least two of forwarding the email, scheduling a video conference meeting, initiating a video conference call, scheduling a conference call, calling the selected contacts, and sending a new email to the selected contacts.

10. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the email assistant options bar is displayed in the GUI in response to the selection of the email being longer than one second.

11. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the set of rules includes determining a number of emails sent from an email address associated with the user profile to each of the plurality of contacts associated with the user profile, and wherein the identified set of contacts are selected based on the email address sending those contacts a relative highest number of emails over a predetermined time.

12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the set of actions includes multiple icons for sending emails, each corresponding to a different email template.

13. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the set of rules includes at least one of determining a number of emails received by an email address associated with the user profile from each of the plurality of contacts associated with the user profile and determining a number of phone calls between the user profile and each of the plurality of contacts associated with the user profile of a period of time.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the set of actions allows additional emails to be selected and attached to a meeting invitation for a meeting.

15. A system for providing an email assistant options bar, comprising:
a memory storage including a non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions; and
a computing device including a hardware-based processor that executes the instructions to carry out stages comprising:
identifying, based on a set of rules, a set of contacts from a plurality of contacts associated with a user profile;
receiving a selection of an email;
determining that the email includes an invitation for a meeting;
displaying, on a single screen in a graphical user interface (“GUI”), the email assistant options bar, the email assistant options bar including the set of contacts and a set of actions displayed within a same view of the email assistant options bar, wherein the set of actions includes an action for adding contacts to an invitee list for the meeting;
receiving a selection of a plurality of contacts from the set of contacts;
receiving a selection of the action for adding contacts to the invitee list for the meeting; and
performing the selected action by adding the selected plurality of contacts to the invitee list.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the set of actions includes at least two of forwarding the email, scheduling a video conference meeting, initiating a video conference call, scheduling a conference call, calling the selected contacts, and sending a new email to the selected contacts.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the email assistant options bar is displayed in the GUI in response to the selection of the email being longer than one second.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the set of rules includes determining a number of emails sent from an email address associated with the user profile to each of the plurality of contacts associated with the user profile, and wherein the identified set of contacts are selected based on the email address sending those contacts a relative highest number of emails over a predetermined time.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the set of actions includes multiple icons for sending emails, each corresponding to a different email template.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the set of rules includes at l

Assignees

• Vmware Inc

Inventors

• Saka Ratna Paul
• Munoz Eric

Classifications

• G06Q10/1093

  Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups · CPC title

• H04L51/00

  User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail · CPC title

• G06F3/0482 Primary

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F3/0484

  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 title

• G06F3/04817 Primary

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title