US 7,925,716 B2Granted

Facilitating retrieval of information within a messaging environment

AssigneeYahoo! Inc.

InventorsChen Zhang, Henri P.J. Torgemane, Frank J. Cort, T. S. Ramakrishnan

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Abstract

Techniques and mechanisms are provided that allow participants in an electronic messaging conversation (e.g. email or instant message) to retrieve information related to words and phrases in the electronic messaging conversation without leaving the electronic messaging environment. An electronic messaging environment is provided that includes user interface tools that allow a user to (1) select text within the EM conversation, (2) submit the text to an information retrieval service, such as a search engine, and (3) display the results generated by the information retrieval service. To facilitate the selection of relevant text, certain “suggested words” within the conversation may automatically be highlighted by the instant messaging client. Various techniques are provided for customizing which words are suggested, which sources are searched, and which search terms are used.

Claims36

Dependent claims

A method comprising performing a machine-executed operation involving instructions for retrieving information in an electronic messaging (EM) environment, wherein the machine-executed operation is at least one of:

A) sending said instructions;
B) receiving said instructions;
C) storing said instructions;
and
D) executing the instructions;
wherein said instructions are instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
determining whether any text within an EM conversation qualifies as a suggested word for a first participant in the EM conversation based, at least in part, on whether the text belongs to a user-customized set of suggested words associated with a second participant in the EM conversation, wherein the second user is different than the first participant;
displaying, to the first participant, text within the EM conversation that qualifies as a suggested word in a manner that visually distinguishes the suggested word from text of the EM conversation that does not qualify as a suggested word;
and
in response to user input received by an EM client, causing the EM client to initiate an operation to retrieve information related to one or more words selected from the EM conversation displayed by the EM client;
and
in response to receiving results of said operation, the EM client generating a display that reflects the results.

9 more elements

A method comprising performing a machine-executed operation involving instructions for retrieving information in an EM environment, wherein the machine-executed operation is at least one of:

A) sending said instructions;
B) receiving said instructions;
C) storing said instructions;
and
D) executing the instructions;
wherein said instructions are instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
determining whether any text within an EM conversation qualifies as a suggested word for a first participant in the EM conversation based, at least in part, on whether the text qualifies as a suggested word for a second participant in the EM conversation, wherein the second participant is different than the first participant;
in response to first user input received by an EM client, causing the EM client to initiate a first operation to retrieve, from a first set of one or more sources, first information related to a first set of one or more words selected from an EM conversation displayed by the EM client;
in response to receiving results of said first operation, the EM client generating a display that reflects the results of said first operation;
in response to second user input received by the EM client, causing the EM client to initiate a second operation to retrieve, from a second set of one or more sources, second information related to a second set of one or more words selected from the EM conversation displayed by the EM client;
and
in response to receiving results of said second operation, the EM client generating a display that reflects the results of said second operation;
wherein the first set of one or more sources is different than the second set of one or more sources;
the first set of one or more sources are used for the first operation based on the first set of one or more words being associated with a first category;
and
the second set of one or more sources is used for the second operation based on the second set of one or more words being associated with a second category.

13 more elements

A method comprising performing a machine-executed operation involving instructions for retrieving information in an EM environment, wherein the machine-executed operation is at least one of:

A) sending said instructions;
B) receiving said instructions;
C) storing said instructions;
and
D) executing the instructions;
wherein said instructions are instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
displaying an EM conversation at an EM client;
determining whether any text within the EM conversation qualifies as a suggested word for a first participant in the EM conversation based, at least in part, on whether the text qualifies as a suggested word for a second participant in the EM conversation, wherein the second participant is different than the first participant;
wherein within the EM conversation displayed by the EM client, a set of one or more words is not associated with any link;
while the set of one or more words are not selected by the EM client, receiving first user input at the EM client;
in response to the first user input, the EM client selecting said set of one or more words;
while the set of one or more words is selected, receiving second user input at the EM client;
and
in response to the second user input, causing the EM client to initiate an operation to retrieve, from a set of one or more sources, information related to the set of one or more words.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/295,309Filed 5 Dec 2005
Published: US 2007/0130276 A17 Jun 2007
Granted: 12 Apr 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G06Q 10/107
Office automation; Time management: computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
G06F 16/9535
Querying, e.g. by the use of web search engines: search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
G06Q
Information and communication technology [ict] specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial
G06F
Computing and data processing