Display of information in electronic communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9591086-B2
Application number	US-18049808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2008
Priority date	Jul 25, 2007
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

Among other disclosures, a method may include collecting historical communication data and personal data relating to a portion of a plurality of communications, a sender of one or more of the communications or one or more recipients of the communications. The method may include depositing the collected data into a repository of historical communication data and personal data. The method may include customizing an electronic communication based on one or more items in the repository, in response to user behavior.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method, comprising:
collecting historical communication data relating to senders of a plurality of communications to a user;
depositing the collected data into a repository, the repository comprising a plurality of profiles, each profile for a respective one of the senders, the profiles including a first profile for a first sender;
extracting data from a first communication from the first sender to the user;
searching, over a network, using the extracted data to obtain a search result about the first sender;
updating the first profile using the search result;
in response to receiving a second communication from the first sender to the user, generating, via a computing device, customized content for inclusion in a body of a reply communication to the first sender, wherein the customized content is customized for the first sender based on the historical communication data for prior communications with the first sender, and the customized content includes information from the first profile and a statistic regarding the prior communications with the first sender that is integrated into text for an auto-reply in the body of the reply communication;
inserting the customized content into the body of the reply communication, the reply communication including the auto-reply; and
automatically sending the reply communication to the first sender.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the searching further comprises querying one or more sources of information to obtain the search result.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the sources are selected from the group consisting of web search engines, people search engines, social networks, picture sharing websites, video sharing websites, and customer relationship management systems.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the searching further comprises requesting information from one of the senders.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying auto replies in an additional panel within an e-mail client, web browser, or instant message window.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the panel is a sidebar.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying the auto-reply in a pop-up window.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the auto-reply is integrated with the body of the reply communication using one or more display methods selected from the group consisting of highlighting, underlining, and adding hyper links.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the historical communication data includes information selected from the group consisting of times of communications, lengths of communications, subject matters of communications, titles of communications, participants in communications, sources of communications, response times of communications, types of communications, and volume of communications.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sharing some or all of the customized content among a network of participants.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sharing further comprises sharing different amounts of data with each participant based on preference settings.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the customized content includes one or more items, the method further comprising allowing the user to select one or more of the items prior to the sending of the reply communication.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing thereon computer readable instructions, the instructions for causing a computing device to:
collect historical communication data relating to senders of a plurality of communications to a user;
deposit the collected data into a repository, the repository comprising a plurality of profiles, each profile for a respective one of the senders, the profiles including a first profile for a first sender;
extract data from a first communication from the first sender to the user;
search, over a network, using the extracted data to obtain a search result about the first sender;
update the first profile using the search result;
in response to receiving a second communication from the first sender to the user, generate customized content for inclusion in a body of a reply communication to the first sender, wherein the customized content is customized for the first sender based on the historical communication data for prior communications with the first sender, and the customized content includes information from the first profile and a statistic regarding the prior communications with the first sender that is integrated into text for an auto-reply in the body of the reply communication;
insert the customized content into the body of the reply communication, the reply communication including the auto-reply; and
automatically send the reply communication to the first sender.

14. A system, comprising:
a processor; and
memory storing instructions configured to instruct the processor to:
collect historical communication data relating to senders of a plurality of communications to a user;
deposit the collected data into a repository, the repository comprising a plurality of profiles, each profile for a respective one of the senders, the profiles including a first profile for a first sender;
extract data from a first communication from the first sender to the user;
search, over a network, using the extracted data to obtain a search result about the first sender;
update the first profile using the search result;
in response to receiving a second communication from the first sender to the user, generate customized content for inclusion in a body of a reply communication to the first sender, wherein the customized content is customized for the first sender based on the historical communication data for prior communications with the first sender, and the customized content includes information from the first profile and a statistic regarding the prior communications with the first sender that is integrated into text for an auto-reply in the body of the reply communication;
insert the customized content into the body of the reply electronic communication, the reply communication including the auto-reply; and
automatically send the reply communication to the first sender.

Assignees

• Brezina Matthew
• Smith Adam
• Yahoo Inc

Inventors

• Brezina Matthew
• Smith Adam

Classifications

• G06F16/9577

  Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents · CPC title

• H04M15/745

  Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family · CPC title

• G06F16/38

  Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually · CPC title

• G06F3/0481

  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 title

• G06F16/24575

  using context · CPC title