MESSAGES

This application claims priority from provisional application number 60/301,255 filed on February 4, 2010.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter relates generally to handling communication messages, and more specifically to a method and apparatus for handling various types of messages in a single electronic device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

High volumes of incoming communication is proven to be one of the most frustrating phenomena in these times. Incoming communication can be provided in various types of messages, such as SMS, email messages, instant messaging, social networks, twitter and the like. However, communication based applications such as email applications and online applications such as social networks are currently unable to analyze and manage the incoming communication.

The currently used techniques were designed for a specific type of communication (mail only, text messages only, calls) and was not pre-considered to deal with hundreds of incoming communication requests with variety of different types per day. Additionally, mobile devices have physical limitations when dealing with a mass and a variety of incoming communication request in different interfaces using various applications for handling incoming messages. SUMMARY

The disclosed subject matter facilitates a user of an electrical device receiving incoming messages of two or more types or interfaces in viewing the messages in a single application and format. The disclosed subject matter further enables handling incoming messages according to their priority.

It is one object of the subject matter to disclose a method for handling incoming messages of two or more types, the method comprising receiving incoming messages of two or more types, converting the incoming messages of two or more types into a single type of messages and providing a user of an electronic device in which the messages of two or more types are received with one list including the received messages of two or more types in the single type of messages.

In some cases, the single type of messages is email.

In some cases, the method further comprises a step of displaying the received messages of two or more types in a single type of messages on the electronic device.

In some cases, the method further comprises a step of determining a priority of at least a portion of the messages provided in the single type of messages. In some cases, displaying the received messages of two or more types in a single type of messages on the electronic device according to the determined priority.

In some cases, the method further comprises a step of modifying a task list in the electronic device according to data included in a message of the received incoming messages.

In some cases, the method further comprises a step of adding a message to a call back list in the electronic device.

In some cases, the method further comprises a step of receiving data related to one or more rules from a server connected to several electronic devices receiving incoming messages.

In some cases, the method further comprises a step of performing an action concerning organizing the user's inbox according to detected actions performed by the user.

It is another object of the subject matter to disclose a system for handling incoming messages of two or more types, the system comprising a receiving unit for receiving incoming messages of two or more types, a conversion unit for converting the incoming messages of two or more types into single type of messages and a display for providing a user of an electronic device in which the messages of two or more types are received with one list including the received messages of two or more types in a single type of messages.

In some cases, the system further comprises a priority module for determining a priority value of an incoming message of the incoming messages of two or more types.

In some cases, the system further comprises a feedback storage unit for storing user's actions concerning the incoming messages.

In some cases, the system further comprises a feedback communication module for exchanging data with an external server, wherein said data is used to determine the priority value.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary non-limited embodiments of the disclosed subject matter will be described, with reference to the following description of the embodiments, in conjunction with the figures. The figures are generally not shown to scale and any sizes are only meant to be exemplary and not necessarily limiting. Corresponding or like elements are optionally designated by the same numerals or letters.

Figure 1 shows a communication environment in which incoming messages of various types are transmitted, according to some exemplary embodiments of the subject matter;

Figure 2 shows a system for handling incoming messages of various types, according to some exemplary embodiments of the subject matter;

Figure 3 shows a method of handling incoming messages of two or more types, according to exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosed subject matter is described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the subject matter. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer- readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

One technical challenge disclosed in the subject matter is the burden on a user of an electronic device receiving incoming messages of different types in different incoming message applications, for example email, SMS, MMS, voice messages, instant messages, messages in a social network and the like. The user of the electronic device is required to check for incoming messages in different applications in order to be available and responsive. Different applications, such as SMS inbox, email application and a browser for checking statuses in social networks create a burden on the user. Another technical challenge is to improve efficiency of a user receiving a mass of incoming messages and needs to determine the order of reading of incoming messages on her own.

One technical solution of the disclosed subject matter is a method for converting incoming messages of two or more types into a list of incoming messages of a single type. The single type may be email messages. This enables the user to review all incoming messages of various types and from various applications in a single application. The user can see "the whole picture" in a single computerized application. The method comprises a step of receiving incoming messages of two or more types in an electronic device used by a user. Then, at least a portion of the incoming messages are converted into a predefined message type. Then, the user is provided with all the incoming messages in a single message type. The user may also be provided with all the incoming messages in a single interface, for example email client application.

Figure 1 shows a communication environment in which incoming messages of various types are transmitted, according to some exemplary embodiments of the subject matter. The communication environment 100 comprises a user's device 120. The user's device 120 is an electronic device connected to a communication network for receiving messages. The user's device 120 may be a Personal Computer (PC), a wireless phone, a tablet computer, a Smartphone and the like. The user's device 120 may comprise an email client for receiving email messages from an email server 140. The user's device 120 may also comprise a computerized application for receiving incoming messages from a cellular antenna 110. Such messages from the cellular antenna 110 may be SMS messages, voice mail messages and the like. The user's device 120 may also be connected to the internet 130. The user of the user's device 120 may receive various types of messages via the internet 130, such as messages via an instant message application, messages from a social network, messages in an internet forum and the like.

Figure 2 shows a system for handling incoming messages of various types, according to some exemplary embodiments of the subject matter. In some exemplary cases, the system 200 may reside in the user's device 120 and detect all incoming messages of different types received at the user's device 120. In some other cases, the system 200 may reside in different message servers communicating with the user's device 120, for example an email server, SMS server and the like. In such case, conversion of messages into a single type will be performed in the message servers and the messages will be transmitted to the user's device 120 in a single type.

The system 200 comprises a receiving unit 202 for receiving messages in the user's device 120. The receiving unit 202 may receive incoming messages of two or more types. A type of message may be email, SMS, a voice mail, message in a social network, message in an internet forum, message in an instant messaging application and the like. The receiving unit 202 may be connected to several clients, such as an email client that detects email messages, an SMS client that detects SMS messages, a social network client for receiving messages in an internet social network, instant messaging client and the like.

The system 200 further comprises a conversion unit 204. The conversion unit 204 may be connected to the receiving unit 202 from which incoming messages of two or more types are received to the conversion unit 204. The conversion unit 204 is configured to convert messages from single type to another. For example, the conversion unit 204 is configured to convert a message from an instant message to an email message. Such conversion may fill the sender of the instant message in the "from" field of the email message converted from the instant message. The "title" field may be void or determined according to the context or content of the instant message converted into email message. The type of message to which the incoming message is to be converted may be determined by settings in the user's device 120. The user may determine the type of message in which all incoming messages are to be provided. The conversion unit 204 may use a predefined format for converting each type of message into the single type of message provided to the user of the user's device 120. In some cases, each message type may required a different conversion format. A voice message may also be converted by the conversion unit 204 into text by a voice to text application, or attached to an email message as an email attachment.

The system 200 further comprises a priority module 206. The priority module 206 determines a priority value of the incoming message. The priority value may be a function of the message type, for example assigning different values for SMS or instant messages. The priority value may also be a function of a value associated with a sender identifier of the incoming message. The priority value may also be a function of whether the user receiving the incoming message is in the "To" field of the message or in another field, such as "CC" field. In case of a social network or internet forum, the priority value may be a function of whether the user of the electronic device in which the system resides is part of a discussion associated with the message and the time elapsed between a message sent by the user and the incoming message. The priority value may be a function of parameters such as whether the sender is a user's reporter or manager, a member in a high priority distribution list, whether the incoming message is a meeting request/cancellation message. The priority value of an incoming message may be updated frequently or in view of an event, such as a user's response or ignorance of a message or according to update of values or rules concerning priority.

The priority value may also be a function of previous traffic statistics, for example, whether recurrent trials to reach the user have been received, whether a thread is active and issuing many responses, whether the incoming message is from a new contact. The priority value may be determined according to a contact priority value that refers to a value associated with the contact that sent the incoming message and a priority factor weight that takes into account at least a portion of the parameters disclosed below.

The priority may also be a function of analysis of user's actions on messages. Such actions on messages may be reply on a user's sent message, previous message thread marked as important/not important message, delete a message with a specific subject to a specific distribution list, reading order of messages, unchanged contact priority, rate of read messages per sender contact, rate of time spent on reading message with relation to its length, rate of time spent on replying to a message with relation to the user's average reply time.

Other parameters affecting the priority value may be the duration between the message sent date and the read date, rate of user's number of reply messages per number of sent messages from sender, rate of message deleted of a specific sender, rate of the user's read message in a current thread, rate of number of sender reply messages to user per number of total reply message.

The system 200 may further comprise a storage unit 208. The storage unit 208 stores data related to converting incoming messages to a single type of messages, for example rules for converting several message types into the single type. The storage unit 208 may also store the message type into which other messages are converted. The storage unit 208 may further store user's preferences concerning determination of the single type of messages, for example determining the single type of messages according to the highest number of messages in a single type of the two or more types of incoming messages. The storage unit 208 may receive rules from a central unit communicating with multiple electronic devices. Such central unit stores data related to operation and message handling in the multiple electronic devices and sends rules to the multiple electronic devices using a vast amount of information gathered. The storage unit 208 may further store data related to priority of an incoming message of contact person.

The system 200 may further comprise a display 210. The display 210 provides the user with unified display of incoming messages in a single type of messages, for example displaying all messages as email messages. The display 210 may display the incoming messages in a single type but multiple formats. For example, display email messages in different colors, sizes or shapes according to the original type of messages or priority of an incoming message. In such exemplary case, incoming messages that were originally sent as SMS will be displayed in Bold letters while messages from a social network will be displayed using a larger font size than other messages.

The system 200 further comprises a feedback unit 220. The feedback unit 220 is configured to detect and store user's actions concerning incoming messages of two or more types. For example, the feedback unit detects how the user react to the incoming messages, which messages are handled earlier and how the incoming messages are handled. Such data may be stored in a feedback storage unit 228. The feedback storage unit 228 is also configured to store rules and parameters associated with how the user handles incoming messages in terms of priority. For example, after detecting an action performed by a user, such as replying to an incoming message or ignoring an incoming message, or the time elapsing between receipt and handle of an incoming message, the feedback storage unit 228 stores the action performed by the user. Such action may later be used to update a priority factor such as a contact priority value and the like. The feedback unit 220 may create or update rules concerning handling or incoming messages according to detected user's behavior.

The feedback unit 220 may comprise a communication module 224 configured to enable communication between the feedback unit and a server managing priorities of incoming messages (not shown). The communication module 224 may transmit data related to the client inbox, data related to actions, data related to messages properties and the like. The communication module 224 may also transmit user's feedback processing and rules to the server. The communication module 224 may also receive data from the server. Such data may include rules and statistics gathered from a vast amount of users.

Figure 3 shows a method of handling incoming messages of two or more types, according to exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. Step 310 discloses receiving incoming messages of two or more types. In some exemplary cases, the messages are received at the user's device 120. In some other cases, the messages are received at a message server such as the email server 140. Step 315 discloses sending data concerning various types of incoming messages to the feedback unit 220.

Step 320 discloses determining the single type into which messages are converted. The single type may be determined by a computerized application. The single type may be determined by a user using a settings interface in the user's device 120. The single type of messages may be determined automatically according to predefined parameters, such as user's preferences, number of messages of each type, type of last incoming message and the like. The single type of messages may be email messages, messages in a social network, messages in an instant messaging application and the like.

Step 330 discloses converting the incoming messages of two or more types into single type of messages. Conversion of incoming messages may be performed in the user's device 120 where incoming messages are received in two or more message types. Alternatively, conversion of messages may be performed in a message server or a computerized entity from which the incoming messages are transmitted to the user's device, such as SMS server, the internet server and the like. Conversion of incoming messages may be performed using a predefined set of rules. Such set of rules may be stored in the computerized entity where conversion is performed. Such set of rules may comprise converting an incoming message by assigning a "from" field according to an identifier provided from the message server, such as a username in a social network or a phone number in case of an SMS. The set of rules may also define other fields in the converted message, such as "title" field. The set of rules may define which fields are included in each message, for example according to the original message type and the message type to which incoming messages are converted for providing the user with messages of single type only. Step 335 discloses detecting user's actions concerning incoming messages. Such user's actions may be detected in the feedback unit 220 in the user's device 120 or in a server communicating with the user's device 120. Such user's actions may be replying to the incoming message, filing the message in a predefined folder, deleting or ignoring the message, the average time elapsing before handling an incoming message from a specific sender and the like. The detected user's actions may later be used to update rules or values concerning priority value of an incoming message.

The detected user's actions may also be used to perform actions in an automatic manner. For example. Updating a task list in the user's electronic device, periodically organizing a user's inbox or folders, adding an incoming message to a call back list in the electronic device and the like.

Step 340 discloses determining a priority value of at least a portion of the messages provided in the single type of messages. The priority value may be determined in the user's device 120. The priority value may be determined after an incoming message is received at the user's device 120. The priority value may be a function of a priority factor weight and a contact priority weight. Determination of the priority value of the incoming message may be performed after updating priority factor weight and a contact priority weight related to the incoming message. Such update may be performed using the feedback unit 228. The priority value may be a function of the type of the original message, the sender of the incoming message, and other parameters disclosed above. The function used in determining the priority value may be dynamic and change between times in a day, events, different users of different electronic devices such as user's device 120, different users of the same electronic device and the like.

Step 350 discloses providing a user of an electronic device in which the messages of two or more types are received with one list including the received messages of two or more types in a single type of messages.

Step 360 discloses displaying the received messages of two or more types in a single type of messages on the electronic device.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present subject matter. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of program code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some embodiments implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the subject matter. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the disclosed subject matter may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, the disclosed subject matter may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a "circuit," "module" or "system." Furthermore, the present subject matter may take the form of a computer program product embodied in any tangible medium of expression having computer-usable program code embodied in the medium.

Any combination of one or more computer usable or computer readable medium(s) may be utilized. The computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer-readable medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM), an optical storage device, a transmission media such as those supporting the Internet or an intranet, or a magnetic storage device. Note that the computer-usable or computer-readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program can be electronically captured, via, for instance, optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted, or otherwise processed in a suitable manner, if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory. In the context of this document, a computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The computer-usable medium may include a propagated data signal with the computer-usable program code embodied therewith, either in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. The computer usable program code may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, and the like.

Computer program code for carrying out operations of the present subject matter may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present subject matter has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the subject matter in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the subject matter. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the subject matter and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the subject matter for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

While the disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the subject matter. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosed subject matter not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this subject matter, but only by the claims that follow.