System and method for analyzing communications
The invention provides a system and method for analyzing a collection of communication messages. The communication messages may be any one of a collection of electronic mail messages, voicemail messages, instant messaging dialogs and other forms of communications. The collections of communications, such as electronic mail messages, may be selected by a user and then subsequently processed to determine the identity of any of the user's contacts within the communications. The contacts may then be arranged in a relative priority arrangement whereby contacts which have been identified as engaging in prior reciprocal communications with the user are given higher priority. Higher priority may also be given to contacts which engage in more recent communications with the user. Specific contact relationships may be inferred from the communications depending on whether specific contacts are repeatedly mentioned within the communication messages.
1. A method for analyzing a plurality of communication messages that are directed to a user and that contain communications from a plurality of contacts, the method comprising:
assigning a relative priority ranking to each of the plurality of contacts based on an indication of response rapidity between the user and each of the plurality of contacts.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assigning includes:
assigning higher relative priority rankings to contacts that engage in frequent communications with the user; and
assigning lower relative priority rankings to contacts that engage in less frequent communications with the user.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assigning includes:
assigning higher relative priority rankings to contacts that engage in more recent communications with the user; and
assigning lower relative priority rankings to contacts that engage in less recent communications with the user.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication messages are electronic mail messages.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
assigning higher relative priority rankings to contacts that engage in reciprocal communications with the user.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
determining if a contact has engaged in reciprocal communications with the user.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
assigning higher relative priority rankings to contacts that engage in frequent reciprocal communications with the user.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
employing voice recognition techniques to convert voicemail messages to text in order to extract contact information from the communication messages.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication messages are voicemail messages.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication messages are instant messages.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication messages are telephone logs.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication messages are facsimiles.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising inferring relationships between each of the plurality of contacts and the user based on the indication of response rapidity therebetween.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the relationships inferring includes:
inferring relationships between two or more contacts based on a mentioning of the contacts within the communications.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the relationships inferring includes:
inferring the relationships between contacts based on a mentioning of the contacts within one or more communication message headers.
16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
creating a contact network that models the contacts and the inferred relationships, so as to enable a contact network display for output.
17. A method for processing a plurality of communication files directed to a user, the method comprising:
reviewing the plurality of communication files to assign relative priority rankings to contacts, and to infer relationships between the user and the contacts, based on an indication of response rapidity between the user and the contacts; and
outputting identities of the contacts in the communication files, the relative contact priority rankings and the inferred relationships.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein reviewing the plurality of communication files includes:
determining whether the communication files are unsolicited communications or responsive to communications initiated by the user.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein reviewing the plurality of communication files includes:
determining which contacts are co-mentioned within the communication files.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the reviewing includes:
if two or more contacts are co-mentioned with two or more communication files, inferring that the two or more contacts to be related.
21. The method of claim 17 , wherein reviewing the plurality of communication files includes:
parsing the plurality of communication files to determine whether prior reciprocal communications exist between a particular contact and the user.
22. The method of claim 17 , wherein the communication files are electronic mail messages.
23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
receiving from the user, a specification of the electronic mail messages.
24. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
creating a contact network that models the contacts and the inferred relationships, so as to enable a contact network display for output.
25. A method comprising:
identifying potential contacts within stored messages;
assigning relative priority rankings to the respective identified potential contacts based on an indication of response rapidity between the user and the potential contacts; and
receiving from the user, an approval of the potential contacts that have been identified and priority ranked.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein assigning the relative priority rankings includes determining the relative importance of contacts based on one or more of:
a frequency of communications between the contacts and the user,
a recency of the communications between the contacts and the user, and
a reciprocity of the communications between the contacts and the user.
27. The method of claim 25 , further comprising inferring relationships between the potential contacts mentioned in the stored messages based on the indication of response rapidity.
28. The method of claim 27 , further comprising:
creating a contact network that models the contacts and the inferred relationships, so as to enable a contact network display for output.