IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,189,508
Granted Patent B2
US 9,189,508 · App. 13/946,801 · Granted Nov 17, 2015

Inferring relevance based on user interactions with email

Inventors: Nathaniel Harper Ballou (Kirkland, WA); Gordon John Mangione (Kirkland, WA); Ewan Ellis Mellor (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Tipbit Inc.
G06F17/30321
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,189,508
App. No.
13/946,801
Granted
Nov 17, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments are directed towards employing an index of relevant items to determine and provide items that are relevant to a query. A data store that includes a plurality of items may be generated for each user. The user data store may be employed to generate an index of relevant items for each user. Relevant items may be pre-ranked in the index based on a degree of relevancy to a corresponding item. The index of relevant items may be employed to determine ranked relevant items associated with at least one item associated with a query. In response to the query, the relevant items may be further ranked or re-ranked based on at least a current time of the query and a time decay function associated the relevant items. A subset of the determined ranked relevant items may be provided to a client device for display to the user.

Claims (84)

1. A method for managing items over a network, wherein at least one network device enables actions to be performed, comprising:

generating a data store for a user that includes at least a plurality of items associated with the user;

determining at least one separate role of the user for each individual item in the plurality of items;

determining a relevancy between each item of the plurality of items and each other item of the plurality of items;

generating an index for the plurality of items based on at least the determined relevancies, wherein each indexed item includes an identifier to other indexed items that are relevant to a corresponding indexed item;

for at least one indexed item, determining a ranking of the other indexed items that are relevant to the corresponding indexed item, wherein the at least one separate role of the user is employed to determine the ranking;

in response to a selection of an indexed item, providing at least a subset of the ranked indexed items for the selected indexed item for display to the user, wherein the subset of ranked indexed items is determined based on the at least one role of the user for the selected indexed item; and

displaying the selected index item in a preview pane to the user, wherein the preview pane includes one or more gleams that correspond to one of a plurality of categories for the plurality of items and also indicate a number of other ranked index items that are relevant to the selected indexed item.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating separate data stores and separate indexes of relevant indexed items for each of a plurality of users.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ranking of the other indexed items is based on at least a degree of relevancy that the other indexed items have to the corresponding indexed item.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the ranking further comprises at least one of the following actions:

for each indexed item, determining a ranked order of the other indexed items that are relevant to the corresponding indexed item independent of the selection of the indexed item; or

employing the selection of the indexed item to determine the at least one indexed item, and determining another ranked order of the other indexed items that are relevant to the determined at least one indexed item.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ranking of the other indexed item, further comprises employing a comparison of a current time of the selection of the indexed item and a time decay function associated with the other indexed items.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the data store for the user, further comprises:

examining at least one of a client device or a third-party service for the plurality of items, wherein the user is associated with the at least one client device and the at least one third-party service.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relevancy between each of the plurality of items is based on at least one user behavior associated with the plurality of items.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

updating the data store based on at least one of a new item or a modified item; and

updating the index based on at least the updated data store.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

enabling the user to provide feedback regarding at least one of the subset of the ranked indexed items; and

employing the feedback to update the data store and the index.

10. A system for managing items over a network, comprising:

a client device that is configured to perform actions, including:

receiving a selection of an indexed item that is associated with a user; and

displaying a subset of ranked indexed items to the user;

a server device that is configured to perform actions, including:

generating a data store for the user that includes at least a plurality of items associated with the user;

determining at least one separate role of the user for each individual item in the plurality of items;

determining a relevancy between each item of the plurality of items and each other item of the plurality of items;

generating an index for the plurality of items based on at least the determined relevancies, wherein each indexed item includes an identifier to other indexed items that are relevant to a corresponding indexed item;

for at least one indexed item, determining a ranking of the other indexed items that are relevant to the corresponding indexed item, wherein the at least one separate role of the user is employed to determine the ranking;

in response to a selection of an indexed item, providing at least a subset of the ranked indexed items for the selected indexed item for display to the user, wherein the subset of ranked indexed items is determined based on the at least one role of the user for the selected indexed item; and

displaying the selected index item in a preview pane to the user, wherein the preview pane includes one or more gleams that correspond to one of a plurality of categories for the plurality of items and also indicate a number of other ranked index items that are relevant to the selected indexed item.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:

generating separate data stores and separate indexes of relevant indexed items for each of a plurality of users.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the ranking of the other indexed items is based on at least a degree of relevancy that the other indexed items have to the corresponding indexed item.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein determining the ranking further comprises at least one of the following actions:

for each indexed item, determining a ranked order of the other indexed items that are relevant to the corresponding indexed item independent of the selection of the indexed item; or

employing the selection of the indexed item to determine the at least one indexed item, and determining another ranked order of the other indexed items that are relevant to the determined at least one indexed item.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the ranking of the other indexed item, further comprises employing a comparison of a current time of the selection of the indexed item and a time decay function associated with the other indexed items.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein generating the data store for the user, further comprises:

examining at least one of a client device or a third-party service for the plurality of items, wherein the user is associated with the at least one client device and the at least one third-party service.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the relevancy between each of the plurality of items is based on at least one user behavior associated with the plurality of items.

17. A network device for managing items over a network, comprising:

a memory for storing instructions and a data store for a user; and

a processor that executes the instructions to enable actions, including:

generating the data store for a user that includes at least a plurality of items associated with the user;

determining at least one separate role of the user for each individual item in the plurality of items;

determining a relevancy between each item of the plurality of items and each other item of the plurality of items;

generating an index for the plurality of items based on at least the determined relevancies, wherein each indexed item includes an identifier to other indexed items that are relevant to a corresponding indexed item;

for at least one indexed item, determining a ranking of the other indexed items that are relevant to the corresponding indexed item, wherein the at least one separate role of the user is employed to determine the ranking;

in response to a selection of an indexed item, providing at least a subset of the ranked indexed items for the selected indexed item for display to the user, wherein the subset of ranked indexed items is determined based on the at least one role of the user for the selected indexed item; and

displaying the selected index item in a preview pane to the user, wherein the review s ane includes one or more leams that corres s and to one of a s luralit of cate ories for the plurality of items and also indicate a number of other ranked index items that are relevant to the selected indexed item.

18. The network device of claim 17 , further comprising:

generating separate data stores and separate indexes of relevant indexed items for each of a plurality of users.

19. The network device of claim 17 , wherein the ranking of the other indexed items is based on at least a degree of relevancy that the other indexed items have to the corresponding indexed item.

20. The network device of claim 17 , wherein determining the ranking further comprises at least one of the following actions:

for each indexed item, determining a ranked order of the other indexed items that are relevant to the corresponding indexed item independent of the selection of the indexed item; or

employing the selection of the indexed item to determine the at least one indexed item, and determining another ranked order of the other indexed items that are relevant to the determined at least one indexed item.

21. The network device of claim 17 , wherein the ranking of the other indexed item, further comprises employing a comparison of a current time of the selection of the indexed item and a time decay function associated with the other indexed items.

22. The network device of claim 17 , wherein generating the data store for the user, further comprises:

examining at least one of a client device or a third-party service for the plurality of items, wherein the user is associated with the at least one client device and the at least one third-party service.

23. The network device of claim 17 , wherein the relevancy between each of the plurality of items is based on at least one user behavior associated with the plurality of items.

24. A processor readable non-transitory storage media that includes instructions for managing items over a network, wherein the execution of the instructions by a processor enables actions, comprising:

generating a data store for a user that includes at least a plurality of items associated with the user;

determining at least one separate role of the user for each individual item in the plurality of items;

determining a relevancy between each item of the plurality of items and each other item of the plurality of items;

generating an index for the plurality of items based on at least the determined relevancies, wherein each indexed item includes an identifier to other indexed items that are relevant to a corresponding indexed item;

for at least one indexed item, determining a ranking of the other indexed items that are relevant to the corresponding indexed item, wherein the at least one separate role of the user is employed to determine the ranking;

in response to a selection of an indexed item, providing at least a subset of the ranked indexed items for the selected indexed item for display to the user, wherein the subset of ranked indexed items is determined based on the at least one role of the user for the selected indexed item; and

displaying the selected index item in a preview pane to the user, wherein the preview pane includes one or more gleams that correspond to one of a plurality of categories for the plurality of items and also indicate a number of other ranked index items that are relevant to the selected indexed item.

25. The media of claim 24 , further comprising:

generating separate data stores and separate indexes of relevant indexed items for each of a plurality of users.

26. The media of claim 24 , wherein the ranking of the other indexed items is based on at least a degree of relevancy that the other indexed items have to the corresponding indexed item.

27. The media of claim 24 , wherein determining the ranking further comprises at least one of the following actions:

for each indexed item, determining a ranked order of the other indexed items that are relevant to the corresponding indexed item independent of the selection of the indexed item; or

employing the selection of the indexed item to determine the at least one indexed item, and determining another ranked order of the other indexed items that are relevant to the determined at least one indexed item.

28. The media of claim 24 , wherein the ranking of the other indexed item, further comprises employing a comparison of a current time of the selection of the indexed item and a time decay function associated with the other indexed items.

29. The media of claim 24 , wherein generating the data store for the user, further comprises:

examining at least one of a client device or a third-party service for the plurality of items, wherein the user is associated with the at least one client device and the at least one third-party service.

30. The media of claim 24 , wherein the relevancy between each of the plurality of items is based on at least one user behavior associated with the plurality of items.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 19, 2013
From: BALLOU, NATHANIEL HARPER; MANGIONE, GORDON JOHN; MELLOR, EWAN ELLIS
To: TIPBIT INC.
Reel/Frame 030841/0938 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150026187A1 · Jan 22, 2015