WO2011144384A1

WO2011144384A1 - Indicating relative changes in recipients between messages in a message thread

Info

Publication number: WO2011144384A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/055311
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christopher Phillips; Joseph Robert Winchester
Original assignee: International Business Machines Corp
Current assignee: International Business Machines Corp
Priority date: 2010-05-17
Filing date: 2011-04-06
Publication date: 2011-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 2012-11-17
Also published as: TW201214313A

Abstract

A method, apparatus and software are disclosed for indicating relative changes in recipients between messages in a message thread.

Description

INDICATING RELATIVE CHANGES IN RECIPIENTS

BETWEEN MESSAGES IN A MESSAGE THREAD

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a method, apparatus or software for indicating relative changes in recipients between messages in a message thread.

Background of the Invention

Computerised messaging systems, such as email, instant messaging (IM) or blog application programs, enable users to create new messages and to reply to received messages. Reply messages commonly comprise additional or updated content. Messages may be sent to more than one recipient. Recipients may be direct addressees or may be included by being copied (cc) the message. Over time different recipients may reply to the same original message. Each such recipient may add their own content or modify the list of recipients. Thus successive emails form a thread of information or conversation. A thread has a single start point or origin but its list of recipients or content will commonly vary as the thread develops. Thus, a thread will commonly comprises one or more branches where the set of recipients or content diverge.

Messaging systems generally enable a user to view the content of messages and to analyse attributes driven by content or sender to prioritize or filter the message into folders. Such attributes may be used to sort an inbox so as to enable the receiver to prioritise received messages.

Summary of the Invention

An embodiment of the invention provides a method for indicating relative changes in recipients between messages in a message thread, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a first message from a message originator; identifying a message thread for the first message; selecting a second message prior to the first message in the message thread; comparing the recipients for the first message with the recipients for the second message; identifying any changes between the recipients for the first message and the recipients for the second message; and providing an indication of the changes associated with the first message.

The method may comprise the further steps of: identifying additional recipients comprising the recipients of the first message not being recipients of the second message; identifying omitted recipients comprising the recipients of the second message not being recipients of the first message; and providing the indication associated with the first message based on the additional and omitted recipients.

The indication may comprise identification of the additional and omitted recipients. One or more of the recipients of the first message or the originator may be displayed augmented with metadata. The metadata may comprise an organisational relationship, for the or each recipient or the originator, in an organisational hierarchy. The organisational relationship may be stated relative to one or more other recipients or the originator. The organisational relationship may be stated relative to a selected recipient or the originator. The

organisational relationship may be determined from a selected organisation member database. The indication may be further arranged to identify the magnitude of change between the recipients for the first message the recipients of the second message. The indication may be the difference between the number recipients added to the first message when compared to the second message and the number recipients from the second message omitted as recipients of the first message.

The contribution of a recipient to the indication may be weighted in accordance with the seniority of the recipient in an organisational hierarchy. The seniority may be determined relative to a selected recipient or the originator. The contribution of a recipient to the indication may be further weighted where a managerial relationship is identified between the recipient and the selected recipient or the originator. The indication may positive so as to communicate an escalation of the first message relative to the second message and the indication may be negative so as to communicate a de-escalation of the first message relative to the second message.

Another embodiment provides apparatus for indicating relative changes in recipients between messages in a message thread, the apparatus being operable to: receive a first message from a message originator; identify a message thread for the first message; select a second message prior to the first message in the message thread; compare the recipients for the first message with the recipients for the second message; identify any changes between the recipients for the first message and the recipients for the second message; and provide an indication of the changes associated with the first message. A further embodiment provides a computer program product comprising program code means adapted when the program code means is run on a computer to perform a method for indicating relative changes in recipients between messages in a message thread, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a first message from a message originator; identifying a message thread for the first message; selecting a second message prior to the first message in the message thread; comparing the recipients for the first message with the recipients for the second message; identifying any changes between the recipients for the first message and the recipients for the second message; and providing an indication of the changes associated with the first message.

Another embodiment provides a computer program product comprising program code means adapted when the program code means is run on a computer to provide apparatus for indicating relative changes in recipients between messages in a message thread, the apparatus being operable to: receive a first message from a message originator; identify a message thread for the first message; select a second message prior to the first message in the message thread; compare the recipients for the first message with the recipients for the second message; identify any changes between the recipients for the first message and the recipients for the second message; and provide an indication of the changes associated with the first message.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a computer based messaging system comprising a plurality of messaging client application programs;

Figures 2 & 3 are examples of messages in the messaging system of figure 1 each comprising an escalation measure for indicating relative changes in recipients between messages in a message thread;

Figure 4 is a representation of an organisational hierarchy accessed by a messaging client application program of figure 1 when determining the escalation measure of figure 2;

Figure 5 is a table comprising weighting data used by a messaging client application program of figure 1 when determining the escalation measure of figure 2;

Figures 6 & 7 are flow charts illustrating processing performed by a messaging client application program of figure 1 when determining the escalation measure of figure 2; and

Figure 8 is an example of a message in accordance with another embodiment comprising an indication of relative changes in recipients between messages in a message thread.

Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention With reference to figure 1, a computer system 101 comprises two first computers 102 and a second computer 103 interconnected via a network 104. A storage device 105 is also connected to the network 104 for access by the computers 102, 103. Each of the computers 102, 103 is provided with an operating system 106 providing a processing platform for one or more application programs. In the present embodiment, the first computers 102 are each loaded with a messaging application program in the form of an email client application program 107. The second computer 103 is loaded with a further messaging application program in the form of an email server application program 108. The email client and server application programs 107, 108 cooperate to enable users of the first computers 102 to send email messages to recipients and receive email messages from senders, in the form of other email client application programs 107. In the present embodiment, an organisation member database 110 is stored on the storage device 105. The organisation member database 110 comprises data representing each member of an organisation and their respective roles within the organisation. In the present embodiment, the data is arranged within a data structure in a manner that models the interrelation of the members of the organisation. Thus, the organisation member database 110 is arranged to provide data representing the role of a given member in the organisation or data representing the relation of a member to one or more other members. In the present embodiment, the relation data may comprise relative seniority or reporting or management lines as described further below.

In the present embodiment, each of the email client application programs 107 are arranged to identify message or conversation threads, that is, to identify sent and received messages relating to the same topic or subject matter. In the present embodiment, such messages for a given thread are identified by common subject fields and ordered by time in accordance with the internal time stamps of the identified messages. In the present embodiment, each of the email client application programs 107 is provided with additional functionality in the form of an escalation measure (EM) plug-in 109. The EM plug-in 109 is arranged, on receipt of a new message, to identify any changes between the recipients of the immediately prior message in the message thread and the new message. If such changes are identified, the EM plug-in 109 is arranged to provide an indication of the changes to the user in association with the new message. With reference to figure 2, an email 201 is displayed to a user by the email client application program 107 in an email window 202. The email 201 comprises four buttons in the form of send, attach, address and close buttons 203, 204, 205, 206. The send button 203 sends the relevant email 201 once suitably composed. The attach button 204 enables a user to select a file for attachment to the email 201. The address button 205 enables a user to select addressees from an associated email address book or database. The close button 206 enables a user to close the email 201. The email 201 further comprises four address fields in the form of an addressee (To) field 207, a copy (Cc) field 208, a sender (From) field 209 and a subject (Subject) field 210. In the present embodiment, the subject field 201 contents are duplicated in a message title 211 positioned in the upper part of the email window 202 so as to provide a header or title for the email 201. The email also comprises a message field 212 for entry and display of the body of the email 201.

In the present embodiment, the email message, under the control of the EM plug- in 109, is augmented with the following three distinct means 213, 214, 215 each arranged for independently indicating relative changes in recipients between messages in a message thread:

Relative recipient change indications 213;

Role-based metadata (relative or absolute) 214; and An escalation measure (EM) 215. The relative recipient change indications 213 comprise a marking up of the addressees in the email 201 that have changed relative to a prior message in the relevant message thread. In the present embodiment, the prior message is selected as the immediately prior message to the current message 201 in the message thread. In the present embodiment, the message thread is identified by messages having common subject fields 210. The message thread is ordered by time stamps (not shown) comprised in each relevant message. With reference to figure 3, the prior email 301 in the message thread to the current email 201 is shown which comprises the first email in the "Re: Meeting" message thread of the current example. With reference to figure 2, the EM plug-in 109 is arranged to identify the addressees in the current message 201 that have changed relative to the prior message 301 and to indicate these changes to the user. In other words, the EM plug-in 109 is arranged to identify the additional addressees in the current message 201 compared to the prior message 301 and to identify the addressees in the prior message 301 that have been omitted from the current message 201. In the present embodiment, any such additional addresses 216 in the current message 201 are underlined and any omitted addresses 217 are replaced in the current message 201 in struck through form. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the omitted addresses 217 that are replaced in the current message are purely a visual indication and are not treated as valid addresses included in any reply, reply to all or forward of the relevant message. Thus, in the example of figure 2, the addressees "E" and "F" were not included in the distribution of the prior message 301 but have been added as recipients to the Cc field 208 of the current message 201 and are thus represented underlined. Also, the addressee "C" was included in the distribution of the prior message 301 but has been removed from the current message 201 and is thus reinserted in a struck-through nonfunctional form.

In the present embodiment, in addition to the relative recipient change indications 213, the email 201 is further augmented with role-based metadata 214. The EM plug-in 109 is arranged to extract such role-based metadata 214 from the organisation member database

110 for each recipient of the current message 201, including any omitted addresses 217. The identification of each recipient in the current message is then appended with the extracted metadata 214 as shown in figure 2. With reference to figure 4, as described above, in the present embodiment, the organisation member database 110 is arranged to provide data representing the relation of a member to one or more other members. In the present embodiment, the relation data comprises a hierarchy stored in a tree structure 401. Each node 402 of the tree represents a member of the organisation. The shortest unidirectional, that is vertical, path between two nodes represents the difference in seniority between the relevant members. Furthermore, vertices may be qualified so as to indicate lines of management (M). Members at the same level of the hierarchy under the same manager may be members of the same team. Generally, members not linked via a common manager or connected via a vertical path are unrelated, in terms of the organisational structure. For example, with reference to the example of figure 4, members D and F manage members A and B respectively. Members D and F are respectively A and B's first superiors. Member E is the third superior of members A, B and C. Members Y, Z and C are likely to be organisationally unrelated to members X, A, B, D and F.

In the present embodiment, the EM plug-in 109 is arranged to utilise the data in the organisation member database 110 to generate the escalation measure (EM) 215. The EM 215 is arranged to provide a measure of the degree to which a given message has been escalated or de-escalated in the organisation structure by the addition or omission of recipients when compared to a prior message in the message thread. Each change in the recipients contributes to the overall value of the EM 215. For example, the addition of recipients contributes a positive amount to the value of the EM 215. Conversely, the omission of recipients contributes a negative amount to the value of the EM 215. The final value of the EM 215 is calculated from the sum of the relevant contributions. The EM 215 has a value of zero for the first message of a given message thread. Subsequent messages in a given message thread may have positive or negative EMs 215 in dependence on the relative change in recipients.

In the present embodiment, the contributions for a given changed recipient to the overall EM 215 for a message are weighted in dependence on the seniority of the changed recipient relative to the receiver of the message on a given email client application program 107. A further weighting is applied if a management relationship exists between the given receiver and the relevant changed recipient. With reference to figure 5, the relative seniority weightings are stored in a table 501 accessed by the EM plug-in 109. In the present embodiment, an unrelated changed recipient results in an EM contribution of ±1. A changed recipient who is the first or direct superior to the given receiver is given an initial EM contribution of ±5. Higher superiors result in multiples of the first superior initial EM contribution being applied. For example, the third superior would have an initial EM contribution of ±5*3 = ±15. Where the changed recipient is the manager of the sender or any recipient including the receiver, the initial EM contribution is doubled. As noted above, the final value of the EM 215 is the sum of the initial EM contributions for the changed recipients of a given message.

Returning to the example message 201 of figure 2, and taking each changed recipient in turn, the following organisational data can be extracted from the organisation structure 401 of figure 4:

C@example.com (Unrelated) - EM contribution is -1;

E(¾example.com (3rd Superior) - EM contribution 3*5 = 15; and

F(¾example.com (B's Manager) - EM contribution is 2*5 = 10.

Thus the EM 215 for the current message 201 as shown in figure 2 is calculated as:

-1 + 15 + 10 = 24

The processing performed by the EM plug-in 109 when identifying relative changes in recipients between messages in a message thread will now be described in further detail with reference to the flow chart of figure 6. Processing is initiated at step 601 in response to the receipt of a new message by the email client application program 107 and processing moves to step 602. At step 602, the relevant message thread is identified, using the subject field 210, and processing moves to step 603. At step 603, the immediately prior message in the message thread is identified using the internal time stamp for the relevant messages and processing moves to step 604. At step 604, the list of recipients for the new message is compared to that of the prior message and processing moves to step 605. At step 605, any additional recipients in the new message are identified and processing moves to step 606. At step 606, any omitted recipients in the new message are identified and processing moves to step 607. At step 607, the identified changed recipients are marked up in the new message so as to provide an indication of relative changes in recipients between the new message and the immediately prior message in the message thread. Processing then moves to step 608 and ends. If at step 602 no applicable message thread is identified then processing moves directly to step 608 and ends. The processing performed by the EM plug-in 109 when calculating the EM 215 will now be described in further detail with reference to the flow chart of figure 7. Processing is initiated at step 701 in response to the completion of the identification of the set of changed recipients as described above with reference to figure 6 and processing moves to step 702. From step 702, a processing loop is initiated to apply processing steps 703 to 708 to each recipient in turn. Thus, at step 703, the organisation member database 110 is interrogated to determine whether the given recipient is a superior of the receiver of the message and if so processing moves to step 704. At step 704, the level of superiority is determined and processing moves to step 705. At step 705, the superiority level multiplier is applied to the current EM contribution and process moves to step 706. At step 706, the organisation member database 110 is interrogated to determine whether the given recipient is a manager of the sender or any of the recipients message including the receiver and if so processing moves to step 707. At step 707, the manager EM multiplier is applied to the current EM contribution and process returns to step 702.

If at step 703 the given recipient is not identified as a superior of the sender or any of the recipients message including the receiver, then processing moves directly to step 708 where the unrelated EM contribution is assigned and processing returns to step 702. If at step 706, the given recipient is not identified as the manager of the sender or any of the recipients of the message, including the receiver, then processing moves directly to step 702. If at step 702 all recipients have been processed via steps 703 to 708 the processing moves to step 709. At step 709, the role metadata for each recipient of the message is identified from the organisation member database 110 and displayed for each recipient and processing moves to step 710. At step 710, the EM 215 calculated is displayed for the new message and processing moves to step 711 and ends.

In another embodiment, with reference to figure 8, the function of EM 215 and its calculation are omitted from the EM plug-in 109 along with the display of role metadata 214. Instead, the message 801 is augmented solely with an indication of those recipients that have been added or omitted from the current message 801 relative to a selected prior message in the relevant message thread. In a further embodiment, the function of the EM 215 and its calculation are omitted from the EM plug-in 109. Instead, the message is augmented with an indication of those recipients that have been added or omitted from the current message relative to a selected prior message in the relevant message thread along with the display of role metadata 214.

Thus embodiments of the invention are arranged to provide for analysis of the difference the recipients in a message thread and to assign a value as to whether a given message has been escalated or de-escalated. In another embodiment the EM or role metadata may be calculated relative to a given recipient or sender. The relativity may be selectable. The EM or roles may be based on absolute or relative measures within a given organisation. The EM may be calculated using any suitable schema applicable to a given application and may be simpler or more complex than described above. For example, a simplified mechanism may be provided in which no weighting of scores is performed for seniority. In other words, the seniority scale is flat. One or more elements of metadata may be provided for a given recipient. For example, absolute metadata, such as job title might be combined with relative metadata, such as the

relationship of the recipient to the sender or receiver of a given message. In a further embodiment, an individual user may provide the organisation structure, relationships or hierarchy. In other words, such data may be user determined for use either exclusively by the given user or shared with selected other such users.

In another embodiment, the organisation data and the recipients address data are stored in a common data structure. For example, the organisation data may be stored in a user's email or other message system address book. Such data may be imported or refreshed periodically or manually created or maintained by a user. The organisation relationship data used by the EM plug-in may be static or dynamically updated within given messages. In a further embodiment, the metadata is displayed only for those recipients that have changed. In another embodiment, the perspectives or reference point within a given thread is user selectable. For example any prior message may be compared with the current message or any other message in the message thread to determine the change in recipients and its significance. Such an alternative selection of message may be set as the default action. The selection may be performed manually for a given message. In other embodiments, the recipient change indications, metadata or EM may be used for sorting or ranking messages in a given message folder such as a message in-box.

In a further embodiment, the escalation measure (EM) for a message thread is arrange to be viewed historically for the thread. In other words, a user is provided with functionality for viewing the EM for one or more messages in a given message thread. Such EM history functionality may be used for identifying the points at which significant changes in escalation or de-escalation occurred, as indicated by the EM. The EM history may be presented visually such as in a graph. As noted above the perspective of the history may be modified for one or more messages in the history.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, embodiments of the invention may be applicable to any message based communication system such as email, instant messaging (IM) or blog systems. Furthermore, the organisational metadata and relationship may comprise any suitable data such as business, social or technical roles or relationships.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the apparatus that embodies a part or all of the present invention may be a general purpose device having software arranged to provide a part or all of an embodiment of the invention. The device could be a single device or a group of devices and the software could be a single program or a set of programs. Furthermore, any or all of the software used to implement the invention can be

communicated via any suitable transmission or storage means so that the software can be loaded onto one or more devices.

While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of the embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details representative apparatus and method, and illustrative examples shown and described.

Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departure from the scope of applicant's general inventive concept.

Claims

1. A method for indicating relative changes in recipients between messages in a message thread, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first message from a message originator;

identifying a message thread for said first message;

selecting a second message prior to said first message in said message thread;

comparing the recipients for said first message with the recipients for said second message;

identifying any changes between the recipients for said first message and the recipients for said second message; and

providing an indication of said changes associated with said first message.

2. A method according to claim 1 comprising the further steps of:

identifying additional recipients comprising said recipients of said first message not being recipients of said second message;

identifying omitted recipients comprising said recipients of said second message not being recipients of said first message; and

providing said indication associated with said first message based on said additional and omitted recipients.

3. A method according to any preceding claim in which said indication comprises identification of said additional and omitted recipients.

4. A method according to any preceding claim in which one or more of said recipients of said first message or said originator is displayed augmented with metadata.

5. A method according to claim 4 in which said metadata comprises an organisational relationship, for the or each said recipient or said originator, in an organisational hierarchy.

6. A method according to claim 5 in which said organisational relationship is stated relative to one or more other recipients or said originator.

7. A method according to any of claims 5 or 6 in which said organisational relationship is stated relative to a selected recipient or said originator.

8. A method according to any of claims 4 to 7 in which said organisational relationship is determined from a selected organisation member database.

9. A method according to any preceding claim in which said indication is further arranged to identify the magnitude of change between said recipients for said first message said recipients of said second message.

10. A method according to claim 9 in which said indication is the difference between the number recipients added to said first message when compared to said second message and the number recipients from said second message omitted as recipients of said first message.

11. A method according to claim 10 in which the contribution of a recipient to said indication is weighted in accordance with the seniority of said recipient in an organisational hierarchy.

12. A method according to claim 11 in which said seniority is determined relative to a selected recipient or said originator.

13. A method according to claim 12 in which said contribution of a recipient to said indication is further weighted where a managerial relationship is identified between said recipient and said selected recipient or said originator.

14. A method according to any of claims 11 to 13 in which said indication is positive so as to communicate an escalation of said first message relative to said second message and said indication is negative so as to communicate a de-escalation of said first message relative to said second message.

15. Apparatus for indicating relative changes in recipients between messages in a message thread, said apparatus being operable to: receive a first message from a message originator;

identify a message thread for said first message;

select a second message prior to said first message in said message thread;

identify any changes between the recipients for said first message and the recipients for said second message; and

provide an indication of said changes associated with said first message.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15 being further operable to:

identify additional recipients comprising said recipients of said first message not being recipients of said second message;

identify omitted recipients comprising said recipients of said second message not being recipients of said first message; and

provide said indication associated with said first message based on said additional and omitted recipients.

17. Apparatus according to any of claims 15 or 16 in which said indication comprises identification of said additional and omitted recipients.

18. Apparatus according to any of claims 15 to 17 in which one or more of said recipients of said first message or said originator is displayed augmented with metadata.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18 in which said metadata comprises an organisational relationship, for the or each said recipient or said originator, in an organisational hierarchy.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19 in which said organisational relationship is stated relative to one or more other recipients or said originator.

21. Apparatus according to any of claims 19 or 20 in which said organisational relationship is stated relative to a selected recipient or said originator.

22. Apparatus according to any of claims 18 to 21 in which said organisational relationship is determined from a selected organisation member database.

23. Apparatus according to any of claims 15 to 22 in which said indication is further arranged to identify the magnitude of change between said recipients for said first message said recipients of said second message.

24. Apparatus according to claim 23 in which said indication is the difference between the number recipients added to said first message when compared to said second message and the number recipients from said second message omitted as recipients of said first message.

25. Apparatus according to claim 24 in which the contribution of a recipient to said indication is weighted in accordance with the seniority of said recipient in an organisational hierarchy.

26. Apparatus according to claim 25 in which said seniority is determined relative to a selected recipient or said originator.

27. Apparatus according to claim 26 in which said contribution of a recipient to said indication is further weighted where a managerial relationship is identified between said recipient and said selected recipient or said originator.

28. Apparatus according to any of claims 25 to 27 in which said indication is positive so as to communicate an escalation of said first message relative to said second message and said indication is negative so as to communicate a de-escalation of said first message relative to said second message.

29. A computer program product comprising program code means adapted to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 14 when said program code means is run on a computer.

30. A computer program product comprising program code means adapted to provide the apparatus of any of claims 15 to 28 when said program code means is run on a computer.

31. A group of one or more programs arranged to enable a group of one or more programmable devices to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 14 or to provide the apparatus of any of claims 15 to 28.