US5905863A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Finding an e-mail message to which another e-mail message is a response
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1997-05-30
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Granted: 1999-05-18
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Expires: 2017-05-30
Abstract
Abstract Current tools for processing e-mail and other messages do not adequately recognize and manipulate threads, i.e., conversations among two or more people carried out by exchange of messages. The present invention utilizes the textual context and characteristics of messages in order to provide a more reliable and effective way to construct message threads. In accordance with the present invention, statistical information retrieval techniques are used in conjunction with textual material obtained by "filtering" of messages to achieve a significant level of accuracy at identifying when one message is a reply to another.
Inventors
- 👤 Kimberly A. Knowles
- 👤 David Dolan Lewis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 10:44
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/10; G06Q10/107; H; H04; H04L; H04L51/00; H04L51/21; H04L51/234
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 78
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
A method of determining from a plurality of messages a second message that is related to a first message, comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; and d. determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
135 words
A method of determining from a plurality of messages a second message that is related to a first message, comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; and d. determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the relationship of the second message to the first message is parent to child; wherein the first message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts a quoted portion of the message being filtered; and wherein the second message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts an unquoted portion of the message being filtered.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the relationship of the second message to the first message is child to parent; wherein the first message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts an unquoted portion of the message being filtered; and wherein the second message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts a quoted portion of the message being filtered.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector comprises use of a statistical information retrieval function.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message comprises determining which one of each of the degrees of match is the maximum value and selecting the message corresponding to the determined maximum value.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of determining the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vectors further comprises combining a set of values resulting from the statistical information retrieval function to form a single value representative of the degree of match.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message comprises determining which element of the tuple of values representative of each of the degrees of match is the maximum value, and selecting the message corresponding to the determined maximum value.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of if the first message is contained in the plurality of messages, removing the first message from the plurality of messages before filtering the plurality of messages using the second message filter bank.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of verifying that the second message is related to the first message.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of verifying that the second message is related to the first message includes determining whether the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector corresponding to the determined second message exceeds a threshold value.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of presenting a list including the first message, at least one of the plurality of messages, and the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of messages.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
148 words
A method of determining from a plurality of messages whether a second message is related to a first message, comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; and d. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors whether the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector exceeds a threshold value.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
148 words
A method of determining from a plurality of messages whether a second message is related to a first message, comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; and d. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors whether the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector exceeds a threshold value.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
156 words
A method of processing a plurality of messages that may be related to a first message, comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; and d. presenting a list including the first message, at least one of the plurality of messages, and the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of messages.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
156 words
A method of processing a plurality of messages that may be related to a first message, comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; and d. presenting a list including the first message, at least one of the plurality of messages, and the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of messages.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
197 words
A method of determining a thread of related messages from a plurality of messages, comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. if the first message is contained in the plurality of messages, removing the first message from the plurality of messages; c. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; d. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; e. determining from each of the degrees of match whether one of the plurality of messages is a second message related to the first message; and f. if it is determined that one of plurality of messages is a second message is related to the first message, substituting the second message in place of the first message and repeating each of the steps a through f herein.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
197 words
A method of determining a thread of related messages from a plurality of messages, comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. if the first message is contained in the plurality of messages, removing the first message from the plurality of messages; c. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; d. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; e. determining from each of the degrees of match whether one of the plurality of messages is a second message related to the first message; and f. if it is determined that one of plurality of messages is a second message is related to the first message, substituting the second message in place of the first message and repeating each of the steps a through f herein.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method according to claim 14, wherein the relationship of the second message to the first message is parent to child; wherein the first message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts a quoted portion of the message being filtered; and wherein the second message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts an unquoted portion of the message being filtered.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method according to claim 14, wherein the relationship of the second message to the first message is child to parent; wherein the first message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts an unquoted portion of the message being filtered; and wherein the second message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts a quoted portion of the message being filtered.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of determining the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector comprises use of a statistical information retrieval function.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message comprises determining which one of each of the degrees of match is the maximum value and selecting the message corresponding to the determined maximum value.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of determining the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector further comprises combining a set of values resulting from the statistical information retrieval function to form a single value representative of the degree of match.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method according to claim 19, wherein the step of determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message comprises determining which element of the vector representative of each of the degrees of match is the maximum value, and selecting the message corresponding to the determined maximum value.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
171 words
A method of determining a thread of related messages from a plurality of messages, comprising the steps of: a. generating a set of filtered first message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a first message filter hank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between each of the filtered first message vectors and the filtered second message vector; d. determining from each of the degrees of match each one of the plurality of messages that is related to another of the plurality of messages; and e. determining from each of the plurality of messages that is related to another of the plurality of messages a linked list of messages having successive parent-child relationships.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
171 words
A method of determining a thread of related messages from a plurality of messages, comprising the steps of: a. generating a set of filtered first message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a first message filter hank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between each of the filtered first message vectors and the filtered second message vector; d. determining from each of the degrees of match each one of the plurality of messages that is related to another of the plurality of messages; and e. determining from each of the plurality of messages that is related to another of the plurality of messages a linked list of messages having successive parent-child relationships.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
148 words
A system for determining from a plurality of messages a second message that is related to a first message, comprising: a. a processor; and b. memory; wherein said processor is programmed to execute the steps of: 1. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; 2. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; 3. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; and 4. determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
148 words
A system for determining from a plurality of messages a second message that is related to a first message, comprising: a. a processor; and b. memory; wherein said processor is programmed to execute the steps of: 1. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; 2. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; 3. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; and 4. determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
62 words
The system according to claim 22, wherein the relationship of the second message to the first message is parent to child; wherein the first message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts a quoted portion of the message being filtered; and wherein the second message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts an unquoted portion of the message being filtered.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
62 words
The system according to claim 22, wherein the relationship of the second message to the first message is child to parent; wherein the first message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts an unquoted portion of the message being filtered; and wherein the second message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts a quoted portion of the message being filtered.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system according to claim 22, wherein the step of determining the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector comprises use of a statistical information retrieval function.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
54 words
The system according to claim 22, wherein the step of determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message comprises determining which one of each of the degrees of match is the maximum value and selecting the message corresponding to the determined maximum value.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
52 words
The system according to claim 25, wherein the step of determining the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector further comprises combining a set of values resulting from the statistical information retrieval function to form a single value representative of the degree of match.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
60 words
The system according to claim 27, wherein the step of determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message comprises determining which element of the tuple of values representative of each of the degrees of match is the maximum value, and selecting the message corresponding to the determined maximum value.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system according to claim 22, further comprising the step of if the first message is contained in the plurality of messages, removing the first message from the plurality of messages before filtering the plurality of messages using the second message filter bank.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system according to claim 22, further comprising the step of verifying that the second message is related to the first message.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
50 words
The system according to claim 30, wherein the step of verifying that the second message is related to the first message includes determining whether the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector corresponding to the determined second message exceeds a threshold value.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
54 words
The system according to claim 22, further comprising the step of presenting a list including the first message, at least one of the plurality of messages, and the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of messages.
Claim 39
Independent Claim
148 words
A system for determining from a plurality of messages whether a second message is related to a first message, comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector, and d. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors whether the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector exceeds a threshold value.
Claim 40
Independent Claim
148 words
A system for determining from a plurality of messages whether a second message is related to a first message, comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector, and d. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors whether the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector exceeds a threshold value.
Claim 41
Independent Claim
156 words
A system for processing a plurality of messages that may be related to a first message, comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; and d. presenting a list including the first message, at least one of the plurality of messages, and the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of messages.
Claim 42
Independent Claim
156 words
A system for processing a plurality of messages that may be related to a first message, comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; and d. presenting a list including the first message, at least one of the plurality of messages, and the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of messages.
Claim 43
Independent Claim
210 words
A system for determining a thread of related messages from a plurality of messages, comprising: a. a processor; and b. memory; wherein said processor is programmed to execute the steps of: 1. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; 2. if the first message is contained in the plurality of messages, removing the first message from the plurality of messages; 3. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second messages filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; 4. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; 5. determining from each of the degrees of match whether one of the plurality of messages is a second message related to the first message; and 6. if it is determined that one of plurality of messages is a second message is related to the first message, substituting the second message in place of the first message and repeating each of the steps a through f herein.
Claim 44
Independent Claim
210 words
A system for determining a thread of related messages from a plurality of messages, comprising: a. a processor; and b. memory; wherein said processor is programmed to execute the steps of: 1. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; 2. if the first message is contained in the plurality of messages, removing the first message from the plurality of messages; 3. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second messages filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; 4. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; 5. determining from each of the degrees of match whether one of the plurality of messages is a second message related to the first message; and 6. if it is determined that one of plurality of messages is a second message is related to the first message, substituting the second message in place of the first message and repeating each of the steps a through f herein.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
62 words
The system according to claim 35, wherein the relationship of the second message to the first message is parent to child; wherein the first message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts a quoted portion of the message being filtered; and wherein the second message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts an unquoted portion of the message being filtered.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
62 words
The system according to claim 35, wherein the relationship of the second message to the first message is child to parent; wherein the first message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts an unquoted portion of the message being filtered; and wherein the second message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts a quoted portion of the message being filtered.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system according to claim 35, wherein the step of determining the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector comprises use of a statistical information retrieval function.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
54 words
The system according to claim 35, wherein the step of determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message comprises determining which one of each of the degrees of match is the maximum value and selecting the message corresponding to the determined maximum value.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
52 words
The system according to claim 38, wherein the step of determining the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vectors further comprises combining a set of values resulting from the statistical information retrieval function to form a single value representative of the degree of match.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
58 words
The system according to claim 40, wherein the step of determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message comprises determining which element of the vector representative of each of the degrees of match is the maximum value, and selecting the message corresponding to the determined maximum value.
Claim 51
Independent Claim
171 words
A system for determining a thread of related messages from a plurality of messages, comprising the steps of: a. generating a set of filtered first message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between each of the filtered first message vectors and the filtered second message vector; d. determining from each of the degrees of match each one of the plurality of messages that is related to another of the plurality of messages; and e. determining from each of the plurality of messages that is related to another of the plurality of messages a linked list of messages having successive parent-child relationships.
Claim 52
Independent Claim
171 words
A system for determining a thread of related messages from a plurality of messages, comprising the steps of: a. generating a set of filtered first message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between each of the filtered first message vectors and the filtered second message vector; d. determining from each of the degrees of match each one of the plurality of messages that is related to another of the plurality of messages; and e. determining from each of the plurality of messages that is related to another of the plurality of messages a linked list of messages having successive parent-child relationships.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
160 words
An article of manufacture, comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for determining from a plurality of messages a second message that is related to a first message, said instructions which, when performed by a processor, cause the processor to execute the steps comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second messages filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; and d. determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
160 words
An article of manufacture, comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for determining from a plurality of messages a second message that is related to a first message, said instructions which, when performed by a processor, cause the processor to execute the steps comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second messages filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; and d. determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
64 words
The article of manufacture according to claim 43, wherein the relationship of the second message to the first message is parent to child; wherein the first message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts a quoted portion of the message being filtered; and wherein the second message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts an unquoted portion of the message being filtered.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
64 words
The article of manufacture according to claim 43, wherein the relationship of the second message to the first message is child to parent; wherein the first message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts an unquoted portion of the message being filtered; and wherein the second message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts a quoted portion of the message being filtered.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
37 words
The article of manufacture according to claim 43, wherein the step of determining the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector comprises use of a statistical information retrieval function.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
56 words
The article of manufacture according to claim 43, wherein the step of determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message comprises determining which one of each of the degrees of match is the maximum value and selecting the message corresponding to the determined maximum value.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
54 words
The article of manufacture according to claim 46, wherein the step of determining the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector further comprises combining a set of values resulting from the statistical information retrieval function to form a single value representative of the degree of match.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
62 words
The article of manufacture according to claim 48, wherein the step of determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message comprises determining which element of the tuple of values representative of each of the degrees of match is the maximum value, and selecting the message corresponding to the determined maximum value.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
45 words
The article of manufacture according to claim 43, further comprising the step of if the first message is contained in the plurality of messages, removing the first message from the plurality of messages before filtering the plurality of messages using the second message filter bank.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
24 words
The article of manufacture according to claim 43, further comprising the step of verifying that the second message is related to the first message.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
52 words
The article of manufacture according to claim 51, wherein the step of verifying that the second message is related to the first message includes determining whether the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector corresponding to the determined second message exceeds a threshold value.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
56 words
The article of manufacture according to claim 43, further comprising the step of presenting a list including the first message, at least one of the plurality of messages, and the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of messages.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
173 words
An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for determining from a plurality of messages whether a second message is related to a first message, said instructions which, when performed by a processor, cause the processor to execute the steps comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; and d. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors whether the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector exceeds a threshold value.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
173 words
An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for determining from a plurality of messages whether a second message is related to a first message, said instructions which, when performed by a processor, cause the processor to execute the steps comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; and d. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors whether the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector exceeds a threshold value.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
181 words
An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for processing a plurality of messages that may be related to a first message, said instructions which, when performed by a processor, cause the processor to execute the steps comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first messages filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second messages filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; and d. presenting a list including the first message, at least one of the plurality of messages, and the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of messages.
Claim 68
Dependent Claim
181 words
An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for processing a plurality of messages that may be related to a first message, said instructions which, when performed by a processor, cause the processor to execute the steps comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first messages filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second messages filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; and d. presenting a list including the first message, at least one of the plurality of messages, and the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of messages.
Claim 69
Dependent Claim
222 words
An article of manufacture, comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for determining a thread of related messages from a plurality of messages, said instructions which, when performed by a processor, cause the processor to execute the steps comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. if the first message is contained in the plurality of messages, removing the first message from the plurality of messages; c. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; d. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; e. determining from each of the degrees of match whether one of the plurality of messages is a second message related to the first message; and f. if it is determined that one of plurality of messages is a second message is related to the first message, substituting the second message in place of the first message and repeating each of the steps a through f herein.
Claim 70
Dependent Claim
222 words
An article of manufacture, comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for determining a thread of related messages from a plurality of messages, said instructions which, when performed by a processor, cause the processor to execute the steps comprising the steps of: a. generating a filtered first message vector by filtering the first message using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. if the first message is contained in the plurality of messages, removing the first message from the plurality of messages; c. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; d. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector; e. determining from each of the degrees of match whether one of the plurality of messages is a second message related to the first message; and f. if it is determined that one of plurality of messages is a second message is related to the first message, substituting the second message in place of the first message and repeating each of the steps a through f herein.
Claim 71
Dependent Claim
64 words
The article of manufacture according to claim 56, wherein the relationship of the second message to the first message is parent to child; wherein the first message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts a quoted portion of the message being filtered; and wherein the second message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts an unquoted portion of the message being filtered.
Claim 72
Dependent Claim
64 words
The article of manufacture according to claim 56, wherein the relationship of the second message to the first message is child to parent; wherein the first message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts an unquoted portion of the message being filtered; and wherein the second message filter bank comprises a message filter that extracts a quoted portion of the message being filtered.
Claim 73
Dependent Claim
37 words
The article of manufacture according to claim 56, wherein the step of determining the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector comprises use of a statistical information retrieval function.
Claim 74
Dependent Claim
56 words
The article of manufacture according to claim 56, wherein the step of determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message comprises determining which one of each of the degrees of match is the maximum value and selecting the message corresponding to the determined maximum value.
Claim 75
Dependent Claim
54 words
The article of manufacture according to claim 59, wherein the step of determining the degree of match between the filtered first message vector and the filtered second message vector further comprises combining a set of values resulting from the statistical information retrieval function to form a single value representative of the degree of match.
Claim 76
Dependent Claim
60 words
The article of manufacture according to claim 61, wherein the step of determining from each of the degrees of match which one of the plurality of messages is the second message comprises determining which element of the vector representative of each of the degrees of match is the maximum value, and selecting the message corresponding to the determined maximum value.
Claim 77
Dependent Claim
196 words
An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for determining a thread of related messages from a plurality of messages, said instructions which, when performed by a processor, cause the processor to execute the steps comprising the steps of: a. generating a set of filtered first message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between each of the filtered first message vectors and the filtered second message vector; d. determining from each of the degrees of match each one of the plurality of messages that is related to another of the plurality of messages; and e. determining from each of the plurality of messages that is related to another of the plurality of messages a linked list of messages having successive parent-child relationships.
Claim 78
Dependent Claim
196 words
An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for determining a thread of related messages from a plurality of messages, said instructions which, when performed by a processor, cause the processor to execute the steps comprising the steps of: a. generating a set of filtered first message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a first message filter bank, said first message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; b. generating a set of filtered second message vectors by filtering each of the plurality of messages using a second message filter bank, said second message filter bank comprising at least one message filter; c. determining for each of the set of filtered second message vectors the degree of match between each of the filtered first message vectors and the filtered second message vector; d. determining from each of the degrees of match each one of the plurality of messages that is related to another of the plurality of messages; and e. determining from each of the plurality of messages that is related to another of the plurality of messages a linked list of messages having successive parent-child relationships.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-05-17 | 2002-11-16 | 2003-05-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-05-17 | 2006-11-16 | 2007-05-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-05-17 | 2010-11-16 | 2011-05-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |