Method and device for predicting message recipients
AssigneeBlackBerry Limited
InventorsDavid Paul Yach, Harry Richmond Major, Ronald Scotte Zinn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and communications device is provided for determining a list of possible additional recipients to add to an electronic message that is composed by a user of the communications device for transmission to another communications device. Once the user indicates that there is an additional recipient for the distribution list of the electronic message, the device employs the method to create the list of possible additional recipients. The method may be implemented on a computer program product.
Claims23
A mobile device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is configured to, for a current electronic message that is being composed to be sent from the mobile device:
- determine one or more known recipients in a distribution list of the current electronic message;
- scan one or more data stores for one or more previously sent or received messages, each of the one or more previously sent or received messages comprising one or more distribution lists;
- for each of the one or more previously sent or received messages,
- determine if all of the one or more known recipients of the current electronic message are listed in the one or more distribution lists of the previously sent or received message, and
- create a possible recipient list for the previously sent or received message if all of the one or more known recipients and at least one other recipient are identified in the one or more distribution lists of the previously sent or received message, wherein the possible recipient list comprises the at least one other recipient;
- and
- generate a list of possible additional recipients for display in a user interface of the mobile device, wherein each recipient in the list of possible additional recipients is individually selectable and is identified in at least one possible recipient list,
- wherein the processor is configured to generate the list of possible additional recipients by:
- for each individual recipient, excluding the one or more known recipients, that is identified in at least one possible recipient list created, determining a weight for the individual recipient based on frequency of occurrence of the individual recipient among all possible recipient lists created and on which address field of the one or more distribution lists of previously sent or received messages the individual recipient occurred;
- and
- identifying one or more individual recipients in the list of possible additional recipients, ordered by the weight.
A method of generating a list of possible additional recipients for a current electronic message that is being composed to be sent from a mobile device, wherein the method comprises:
- determining one or more known recipients in a distribution list of the current electronic message;
- scanning one or more data stores for one or more previously sent or received messages, each of the one or more previously sent or received messages comprising one or more distribution lists;
- for each of the one or more previously sent or received messages,
- determining, using a processor of the mobile device, if all of the one or more known recipients of the current electronic message are listed in the one or more distribution lists of the previously sent or received message, and
- creating a possible recipient list for the previously sent or received message if all of the one or more known recipients and at least one other recipient are identified in the one or more distribution lists of the previously sent or received message, wherein the possible recipient list comprises the at least one other recipient;
- generating a list of possible additional recipients for display in a user interface of the mobile device, wherein each recipient in the list of possible additional recipients is individually selectable and is identified in at least one possible recipient list, and wherein the generating comprises, for each individual recipient, excluding the one or more known recipients, that is identified in at least one possible recipient list created:
- determining a weight for the individual recipient based on frequency of occurrence of the individual recipient among all possible recipient lists created and on which address field of the one or more distribution lists of previously sent or received messages the individual recipient occurred;
- and
- identifying one or more individual recipients in the list of possible additional recipients, ordered by the weight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.