IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,749,825
Granted Patent B2
US 10,749,825 · App. 14/699,135 · Granted Aug 18, 2020

Email cost analytics

Inventors: Nnaemeka I. Emejulu (Austin, TX); Andrew J. Lavery (Austin, TX); Mario A. Maldari (Longmont, CO); Karthikeyan Ramamoorthy (Austin, TX)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
H04L51/08G06Q10/06313G06Q10/107H04L51/14H04L51/066
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,749,825
App. No.
14/699,135
Granted
Aug 18, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Content of an email message may be analyzed, using natural language processing (NLP), to determine a subject matter of the email message. A cost estimate may be generated for sending the email message based on at least the subject matter of the email message. The cost estimate may be compared to a cost threshold. The cost estimate may be determined to exceed the cost threshold, based on the comparing.

Claims (32)

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

analyzing, using natural language processing (NLP), content of an email message to determine a subject matter of the email message, wherein the subject matter includes a theme;

generating a subject matter cost estimate, based on the subject matter of the email message being within a category of subject matter types;

generating an overall cost estimate for sending the email message based on at least the subject matter cost estimate;

comparing the overall cost estimate to a cost threshold; and

determining, based on the comparing, that the overall cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold,

wherein the generating the overall cost estimate is further based on determining, based on the subject matter, that the email message is likely to be stored above a threshold time period for at least one recipient of the email message.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying, in response to the determining that the overall cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold, at least a first cost mitigation option and a second cost mitigation option, the first and second cost mitigation options for use in mitigating the cost of sending the email message;

determining a first cost savings quantity of the first cost mitigation option and a second cost savings quantity of the second cost mitigation option;

comparing the first savings quantity with the second savings quantity;

selecting the first cost mitigation option, based on the comparing and upon determining that the first cost savings quantity is larger than the second cost savings quantity, to mitigate the cost of sending the email message; and

notifying one or more user computing devices that the first cost mitigation option has been selected to mitigate the cost of sending the email message.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying, in response to the determining that the overall cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold, one or more cost mitigation options based on the subject matter of the email message.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing, in response to the determining that the overall cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold, a plurality of cost mitigation options for display; and

in response to the providing, receiving a user request to perform at least one of the plurality of cost mitigation options.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the overall cost estimate is further based on an occupational role of a sending user and an occupational role of each recipient of the email message.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing is in response to a user performing an action indicating an intent to send the email message, the method further comprising:

generating the overall cost estimate for sending the email message further based on an occupational role of a sending user and an occupational role of each recipient of the email message;

identifying, in response to the determining that the overall cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold, a plurality of cost mitigation options based on the subject matter of the email message;

determining a cost savings quantity for each of the cost mitigation options;

providing the plurality of cost mitigation options for display and providing the cost savings quantity for each of the cost mitigation options for display; and

in response to the providing of the plurality of cost mitigation options, receiving a user request to perform at least one of the plurality of cost mitigation options.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject matter of the email message further includes an email message topic.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject matter of the email message further includes an email message purpose.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the overall cost estimate for sending the email message is further based on opportunity costs.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the opportunity costs include time a recipient of the email will spend waiting for an attached file to download in order to view the file.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the opportunity costs include time a recipient of the email spends managing his or her email account.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cost threshold is a predefined acceptable cost depending on dynamics surrounding the email message.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the overall cost estimate for sending the email message is further based on a time of day the email is to be sent.

14. The method of claim 2 , wherein selecting the first cost mitigation option is performed by a server computing device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 29, 2015
From: EMEJULU, NNAEMEKA I.; LAVERY, ANDREW J.; MALDARI, MARIO A.; RAMAMOORTHY, KARTHIKEYAN
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 035524/0939 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160323220A1 · Nov 3, 2016