IP Library Granted Patent US 11,140,113
Granted Patent B2
US 11,140,113 · App. 16/561,072 · Granted Oct 5, 2021

Computerized system and method for controlling electronic messages and their responses after delivery

Inventors: Natalia Silberstein (Haifa, IL); Irena Grabovitch-Zuyev (Haifa, IL); Iftah Gamzu (Haifa, IL); Noa Avigdor-Elgrabli (Haifa, IL); Yoelle Maarek (Haifa, IL); Liane Lewin-Eytan (Haifa, IL)
Assignee: VERIZON MEDIA INC.
H04L51/18G06F16/951G06F40/216G06F40/30G06N20/00G06Q10/107G06Q10/109G06Q50/01H04W4/12G06N3/08G06N7/005G06N20/10H04L51/22H04W88/184
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,140,113
App. No.
16/561,072
Granted
Oct 5, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for improving interactions with and between computers in content searching, hosting and/or providing systems supported by or configured with devices, servers and/or platforms. The disclosed systems and methods for efficiently monitoring and following up on delivered messages for which a user expects and/or requires a reply. The disclosed functionality provides a fully automated, personalized, easy and efficient way to identify and manage outgoing mail messages that require reply by marking outbound messages as RSVP messages, which are those messages determined to require a reply. Such functionality is based on the ability of the disclosed framework to distinguish between a “satisfactory response” (i.e., a response that includes the required information) and a response that is not.

Claims (56)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, a message from a sender addressed to a recipient, said message comprising first content;

analyzing, via the computing device, prior to delivering the message to the recipient, the message, and determining a context of the first content of the message;

determining, via the computing device, based on the determined context, that said message requires a response;

tagging, via the computing device, said message based on said determination;

delivering, via the computing device, said tagged message to an inbox of said recipient, the delivery causing the message to be saved as an RSVP message in an inbox of the sender;

receiving, at the computing device, a message from said recipient in response to said delivered message, said recipient message comprising second content;

analyzing, via the computing device, said second content in view of said first content, and determining, based on said analysis, that a context of said second content is different than the context of said first content; and

automatically communicating, via the computing device, without input from said sender, a request to said recipient for a response to said delivered message based on the determination that the context of the second content is different than the content of the first content, said request requesting another response message to said delivered message from said recipient according to the context of said first content.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

analyzing said second content and first content, and determining, based on said analysis, that said second content comprises a similar context within a threshold value to said first content, such that said automatic communication does not occur based on said determination.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

storing, in an inbox of said, said message, said storage comprising tagging said stored message as an RSVP messaging indicating a response is required.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

communicating an indication to said inbox of said based on said similar context determination, said indication causing said RSVP message to be removed from said inbox.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

periodically monitoring an inbox of said for a response message.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

determining, based on said monitoring, that a response message to said sent message has not yet been received from said recipient; and

communicating a reminder message to said recipient indicating a response is required.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein said monitoring is based at least in part on information included in said message, said information indicating a target date associated with content of said message.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein said monitoring is based on a threshold time period for an expected reply, said threshold time period based on past activity between the sender and recipient.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly encoded with computer-executable instructions, that when executed by a processor associated with a computing device, performs a method comprising:

receiving, at the computing device, a message from a sender addressed to a recipient, said message comprising first content;

analyzing, via the computing device, prior to delivering the message to the recipient, the message, and determining a context of the first content of the message;

determining, via the computing device, based on the determined context, that said message requires a response;

tagging, via the computing device, said message based on said determination;

delivering, via the computing device, said tagged message to an inbox of said recipient, the delivery causing the message to be saved as an RSVP message in an inbox of the sender;

receiving, at the computing device, a message from said recipient in response to said delivered message, said recipient message comprising second content;

analyzing, via the computing device, said second content in view of said first content, and determining, based on said analysis, that a context of said second content is different than the context of said first content; and

automatically communicating, via the computing device, without input from said sender, a request to said recipient for a response to said delivered message based on the determination that the context of the second content is different than the content of the first content, said request requesting another response message to said delivered message from said recipient according to the context of said first content.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , further comprising:

analyzing said second content and first content, and determining, based on said analysis, that said second content similar context within a threshold value to said first content, such that said automatic communication does not occur based on said determination.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , further comprising:

storing, in an inbox of said, said message, said storage comprising tagging said stored message as an RSVP messaging indicating a response is required.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising:

communicating an indication to said inbox of said based on said similar context determination, said indication causing said RSVP message to be removed from said inbox.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , further comprising:

periodically monitoring an inbox of said for a response message;

determining, based on said monitoring, that a response message to said sent message has not yet been received from said recipient; and

communicating a reminder message to said recipient indicating a response is required.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein said monitoring is based at least in part on information included in said message, said information indicating a target date associated with content of said message.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein said monitoring is based on a threshold time period for an expected reply, said threshold time period based on past activity between the sender and recipient.

16. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising:

logic executed by the processor for receiving, at the computing device, a message from a sender addressed to a recipient, said message comprising first content;

logic executed by the processor for analyzing, via the computing device, prior to delivering the message to the recipient, the message, and determining a context of the first content of the message;

logic executed by the processor for determining, via the computing device, based on the determined context, that said message requires a response;

logic executed by the processor for tagging, via the computing device, said message based on said determination;

logic executed by the processor for delivering, via the computing device, said tagged message to an inbox of said recipient, the delivery causing the message to be saved as an RSVP message in an inbox of the sender;

logic executed by the processor for receiving, at the computing device, a message from said recipient in response to said delivered message, said recipient message comprising second content;

logic executed by the processor for analyzing, via the computing device, said second content in view of said first content, and determining, based on said analysis, that a context of said second content is different than the context of said first content; and

logic executed by the processor for automatically communicating, via the computing device, without input from said, a request to said recipient for a response to said delivered message based on the determination that the context of the second content is different than the content of the first content, said request requesting another response message to said delivered message from said recipient according to the context of said first content.

17. The computing device of claim 16 , further comprising:

logic executed by the processor for analyzing said second content and first content, and determining, based on said analysis, that said second content similar context within a threshold value to said first content, such that said automatic communication does not occur based on said determination.

Assignments (5)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (FIRST LIEN) Recorded Sep 29, 2022
From: YAHOO ASSETS LLC
To: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 061571/0773 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2021
From: YAHOO AD TECH LLC (FORMERLY VERIZON MEDIA INC.)
To: YAHOO ASSETS LLC
Reel/Frame 058982/0282 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2020
From: OATH INC.
To: VERIZON MEDIA INC.
Reel/Frame 054258/0635 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 26, 2019
From: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
To: OATH INC.
Reel/Frame 050497/0061 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 26, 2019
From: SILBERSTEIN, NATALIA; GRABOVITCH-ZUYEV, IRENA; GAMZU, IFTAH; AVIGDOR-ELGRABLI, NOA; MAAREK, YOELLE; LEWIN-EYTAN, LIANE
To: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 050497/0491 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15805369 · Nov 7, 2017
Related Publication 20190394155A1 · Dec 26, 2019