# US 8,788,500 B2 · Electronic mail duplicate detection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,788,500 B2 - Document ID: US8788500B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/879,478 - Filed: 2010-09-10 - Published: 2012-03-15 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-10 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: Danish Contractor; Manjula Golla Hosurmath; Sachindra Joshi; Kenney Ng - Inventors: Danish Contractor; Manjula Golla Hosurmath; Sachindra Joshi; Kenney Ng - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8788500B2 ## CPC - H04L 51/216: Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads - G06F 16/1748: {De-duplication implemented within the file system, e.g. based on file segments (de-duplication techniques in storage systems for the management of data blocks G06F3/0641)} - G06F 16/3331: Query processing - G06F 16/3344: {using natural language analysis} - G06F 16/38: Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Embodiments of the invention are related to a method and system for identifying linked electronic mails by receiving a query from a user, wherein the query comprises at least a segment of an electronic mail; and based on the segment received, rendering to the user at least one of related subsets or a related supersets of electronic mails related to the received segment, wherein the related subsets and related supersets are threads of the segment received and arranged in a hierarchical manner. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for identifying linked electronic mails, the method comprising: receiving a query from a user, wherein the query comprises at least a segment of an electronic mail; based on the segment received, identifying linked electronic mails via rendering to the user at least one of related subsets or related supersets of electronic mails related to the received segment, wherein the related subsets and related supersets are threads of the segment received and arranged in hierarchy; said rendering comprising: detecting at least one match between a query root segment signature of one the received segment and a root segment signature index, the root segment signature index comprising at least one of a word index and a metadata index, wherein the word index comprises at least one of a keyword and, and wherein the metadata index comprises at least one of temporal information and navigation information; said detecting comprising: receiving a pre-defined token match threshold; identifying a set of root segment signatures of the root segment signature index; comparing the query root segment signature with each root segment signature of the set of root segment signatures of the root segment signature index; identifying a subset of the root segment signature index, wherein a match between the root segment signature and the query root segment signature is at least the pre-defined token match threshold; and building an electronic mail thread hierarchy based on the at least one detected match. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hierarchy is presented as a visual representation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hierarchy is determined by at least one of near duplicate detection or similarity measure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprises locating other emails having similar segments using near duplicate detection. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the received segment is a root node. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the thread hierarchy comprises at least one child node. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said building further comprises assigning weights to each of the root node and at least one child node; and creating a thread hierarchy based on the weights assigned to each of the child node. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the repository comprise at least one of structured data and unstructured data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic mail and the segments are stored in a repository. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each electronic mail comprises at least a plurality of segments, and each segment of the electronic mail created has a unique signature. ### Claim 11 A data processing system comprising at least a processor and a memory, the data processing system configured for identifying linked electronic mails, the system configured to perform: receiving a query from a user, wherein the query comprises at least a segment of an electronic mail; based on the segment received, identifying linked electronic mails via rendering to the user at least one of related subsets or related supersets of electronic mails related to the received segment, wherein the related subsets and related supersets are threads of the segment received and arranged in hierarchy; said rendering comprising: detecting at least one match between a query root segment signature of the received segment and a root segment signature index, the root segment signature index comprising at least one of a word index and a metadata index, wherein the word index comprises at least one of a keyword and subject information, and wherein the metadata index comprises at least one of temporal information and navigation information; said detecting comprising: receiving a pre-defined token match threshold; identifying a set of root segment signatures of the root segment signature index; comparing the query root segment signature with each root segment signature of the set of root segment signatures of the root segment signature index; identifying a subset of the root segment signature index, wherein a match between the root segment signature and the query root segment signature is at least the pre-defined token match threshold; and building an electronic mail thread hierarchy based on the at least one detected match. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the hierarchy is presented as a visual representation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the hierarchy is determined by at least one of near duplicate detection or similarity measure. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein each electronic mail comprises at least a plurality of segments. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein each segments of the electronic mall created has a unique signature. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the system is further configured to locate other emails having similar segments using near duplicate detection. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the received segment is a root node. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the thread hierarchy comprises at least one child node. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said building further comprises assigning weights to each of the root node and at least one child node; and creating a thread hierarchy based on the weights assigned to each of the child node. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the electronic mail and the segments are stored in a repository. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the repository comprise at least one of structured data and unstructured data.