# US 8,751,596 B2 · Communication monitoring and management system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,751,596 B2 - Document ID: US8751596B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/771,552 - Filed: 2010-04-30 - Published: 2011-11-03 - Granted: 2014-06-10 - Earliest claimed: 2010-04-30 - Assignees: Bank of America Corporation - Applicants: Willard H. Waldron, III; Timothy James Mark - Inventors: Willard H. Waldron, III; Timothy James Mark - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8751596B2 ## CPC - G06Q 10/107: Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing] - G06F 11/3438: {monitoring of user actions (tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535)} - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for managing electronic communications and, specifically, monitoring electronic communications received from numerous communications sources associated with a user, identifying that certain ones of the communications are priority communications and communicating notice of the priority communications to the user. The priority communication may be identified by user defined criteria, such key words, phrases, key topics, key names and the like; timeframe of the communication; user-defined priority rules; business performance indicators/metrics and the like. Communication of the notice may provide for communicating a priority communication alert to the user or communicating the notice to a network-accessible communication monitoring portal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for electronic communication management, the method comprising: monitoring, by a computing device, a plurality of electronic communication sources for receipt of electronic communications associated with a user, wherein the electronic communication sources include at least two of electronic mail (e-mail), Short Message Service (SMS)/text message communication, voicemail communication, or social networking communication; monitoring, by a computing device, in real-time, one or more business performance metrics associated with a business that employs the user and one or more industry performance metrics associated with an industry that includes the business; determining, by a computing device processor, that one or more of the electronic communications are priority communications by searching the plurality of electronic communications for user-defined key words and determining that the one or more electronic communications are priority communications based on (1) at least one of currently monitored business performance metrics and currently monitored industry performance metrics and (2) occurrence of one or more of the user-defined key words in the plurality of electronic communications; monitoring, by a computing device, for an occurrence of the user acknowledging or responding to the priority communications within a predetermined period of time; and in response to determining that the user has not acknowledged or responded to a priority communication within the predetermined period of time, communicating, by a computing device, an electronic notice of the one or more priority communications to the user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining further comprises searching, by the computing device, the plurality of electronic communications for user-defined key words and wherein determining further comprises determining, via the computing device processor, that the one or more of the electronic communications are priority communications based on occurrence of one or more of the user-defined key words. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein determining further comprises determining, by the computing device processor, that the one or more of the electronic communication are priority communications based on meeting a predetermined threshold of occurrence of the user-defined key words. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining further comprises determining, by the computing device processor, that the one or more electronic communications are priority communications based on user-defined priority rules. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining further comprises searching, by the computing device, the plurality of electronic communications for creation by user-defined key communication creators determining that the one or more of the electronic communications are priority communications based on the one or more electronic communications being created by the user-defined communication creators. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein determining further comprises determining, by the computing device, that two or more electronic communications received by separate electronic communication sources are priority communications based on occurrence of one or more of the user-defined key words in the two or more of the electronic communications. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein determining further comprises determining, by the computing device, that the one or more electronic communications are priority communications based on predetermined occurrence patterns of the user-defined key words in the electronic communications received by the plurality of electronic communication sources. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein communicating further comprises communicating, by the computing device, the electronic notice in a form of an electronic communication alert that notifies the user of the priority communications. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein communicating further comprises communicating, by one or more user-designated electronic communication sources, the electronic communication alert. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein communicating further comprises communicating, by an electronic communication source distinct from the plurality of electronic communication sources, the electronic communication alert. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein communicating further comprises communicating, by the computing device, the notice to a communication network-accessible portal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising presenting, in the network-accessible portal, the received electronic communications from the plurality of electronic communication sources. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein presenting further comprises, presenting, in the network-accessible portal, the received electronic communication in prioritized format based on the priority communications. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising presenting, in the network-accessible portal, business performance metrics associated with a business that employs the use. ### Claim 15 An apparatus for electronic communication management, the apparatus comprising: a computing platform including a memory and at least one processor; and an electronic communication monitoring application stored in the memory, executable by the processor and including, a communication monitoring routine configured to monitor a plurality of electronic communication sources for receipt of electronic communications associated with a user, wherein the electronic communication sources include at least two of electronic mail (e-mail), Short Message Service (SMS)/text message communication, voicemail communication, or social networking communication, a business and industry performance metric monitoring application stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to monitor, in real-time, one or more business performance metrics associated with a business that employs the user and one or more industry performance metrics associated with an industry that includes the business, a priority communication determination routine configured to determine that one or more of the electronic communications are priority communications by searching the plurality of electronic communications for user-defined key words and determining that the one or more electronic communications are priority communications based on (1) at least one of currently monitored business performance metrics and currently monitored industry performance metrics and (2) occurrence of one or more of the user-defined key words in the plurality of electronic communications, a user response monitoring routine configured to monitor for an occurrence of the user acknowledging or responding to the priority communications within a predetermined period of time, and a priority communication notification routine configured to, in response to determining that the user has not acknowledged or responded to a priority communication within the predetermined period of time, communicate notice of the one or more priority communications to the user. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the priority communication determination routine further comprises a search engine configured to search the plurality of electronic communications for user-defined key words and determine that the one or more of the electronic communications are priority communications based on occurrence of one or more of the user-defined key words. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the priority communication determination routine is further configured to determine that the one or more of the electronic communications are priority communications based on meeting a predetermined threshold of occurrence of the user-defined key words. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the priority communication determination routine is further configured to determine that one or more of the electronic communications are priority communications based on user-defined priority rules. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the priority communication determination routine further comprises a search engine configured to search the plurality of electronic communications for creation by user-defined key communication creators and determine that the one or more of the electronic communications are priority communications based on the one or more electronic communications being created by the user-defined communication creators. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the priority communication determination routine is further configured to determine that two or more electronic communications received by separate electronic communication sources are priority communications based on occurrence of one or more of the user-defined key words in the two or more of the electronic communications. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the priority communication determination routine is further configured to determine that two or more electronic communications are priority communications based on predetermined occurrence patterns of the user-defined key words in the electronic communications received by the plurality of electronic communication sources. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the priority communication notification routine is further configured to communicate the electronic notice in a form of an electronic communication alert that notifies the user of the priority communications. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the priority communication notification is further configured to communicate the electronic communication alert via one or more user-designated electronic communication sources. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the priority communication notification is further configured to communicate the electronic communication alert via an electronic communication source distinct from the plurality of electronic communication sources. ### Claim 25 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a communications management portal application stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to receive and present the notice of the one or more priority communications. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the communications management portal application is further configured to present the received electronic communications from the plurality of electronic communication sources. ### Claim 27 (depends on 20) The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the communications management portal application is further configured to present the received electronic communication in prioritized format based on the priority communications. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the communications management portal application is further configured to present business performance metrics associated with a business that employs the user. ### Claim 29 A computer program product comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising: a first set of codes for causing a computer to monitor a plurality of electronic communication sources for receipt of electronic communications associated with a user, wherein the electronic communication sources include at least two of electronic mail (e-mail), Short Message Service (SMS)/text message communication, voicemail communication, or social networking communication; a second set of codes for causing a computer to monitor, in real-time, one or more business performance metrics associated with a business that employs the user and one or more industry performance metrics associated with an industry that includes the business; a third set of codes for causing a computer to determine that one or more of the electronic communications are priority communications by searching the plurality of electronic communications for user-defined key words and determining that the one or more electronic communications are priority communications based on (1) at least one of currently monitored business performance metrics and currently monitored industry performance metrics and (2) occurrence of one or more of the user-defined key words in the plurality of electronic communications; a fourth set of codes for causing a computer to monitor for an occurrence of the user acknowledging or responding to the priority communications within a predetermined period of time; and a fifth set of codes for causing a computer to, in response to determining that the user has not acknowledged or responded to a priority communication within the predetermined period of time, communicate an electronic notice of the one or more priority communications to the user. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the third set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to search the plurality of electronic communications for user-defined key words and determine that the one or more of the electronic communications are priority communications based on occurrence of one or more of the user-defined key words. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the third set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to determine that the one or more of the electronic communication are priority communications based on meeting a predetermined threshold of occurrence of the user-defined key words. ### Claim 32 (depends on 29) The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the third set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to search the plurality of electronic communications for creation by user-defined key communication creators and determine that the one or more of the electronic communications are priority communications based on the one or more electronic communications being created by the user-defined communication creators. ### Claim 33 (depends on 30) The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the third set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to determine that two or more electronic communications received by separate electronic communication sources are priority communications based on occurrence of one or more of the user-defined key words in the two or more of the electronic communications. ### Claim 34 (depends on 30) The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the third set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to determine that two or more electronic communications are priority communications based on predetermined occurrence patterns of the user-defined key words in the electronic communications received by the plurality of electronic communication sources. ### Claim 35 (depends on 29) The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the fifth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to communicate the notice as an electronic communication alert that notifies the user of the priority communications. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the fifth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to communicate, via one or more user-designated electronic communication sources, the electronic communication alert. ### Claim 37 (depends on 35) The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the fifth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to communicate, via an electronic communication source distinct from the plurality of electronic communication sources, the electronic communication alert. ### Claim 38 (depends on 29) The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the fifth set of codes is further configured to communicate the notice to a communication network-accessible portal. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The computer program product of claim 38, further comprising a sixth set of codes for causing a computer to present, in the network-accessible portal, the received electronic communications from the plurality of electronic communication sources. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the sixth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to present, in the network-accessible portal, the received electronic communication in prioritized format based on the priority communications. ### Claim 41 (depends on 39) The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the sixth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to present, in the network-accessible portal, business performance metrics associated with a business that employs the user.