E-mail thread hierarchy detection

A system for identifying an e-mail thread hierarchy in an e-mail collection, the system comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, wherein the processor is adapted to:

• parse at least one e-mail from the collection of e-mails to generate a plurality of segments based on the content of the at least one e-mail;
• create a corresponding segment signature for each of the segments of the plurality of segments;
• populate a signature index using the created segment signatures of the plurality of segments;
• wherein to populate a signature index comprises generating 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;
• receiving a query e-mail;
• parsing the query e-mail to generate a plurality of query segments based on the content of the query e-mail;
• creating a corresponding query segment signature for each of the query segments of the plurality of query segments;
• identifying a query root segment and corresponding query root segment signature of the query e-mail;
• receive a pre-defined token match threshold;
• identify a set of root segment signatures of the signature index;
• compare the query root segment signature with each root segment signature of the set of root segment signatures of the signature index;
• identify a subset of the signature index, wherein a match between at least one of the root segment signatures and the query root segment signature is at least the pre-defined token match threshold;
• use the identified subset of the signature index to build the e-mail thread hierarchy via:
• identifying a first e-mail having only one segment, wherein the first e-mail is corresponding to the query root segment signature in the subset of the signature index;
• assigning the first e-mail as a root node of the e-mail thread hierarchy;
• and
• in a recursive manner, for all e-mails corresponding to the subset of the signature index:
• comparing a plurality of segment signatures from the subset of the signature index by near-duplicate detection;
• determining a position of each corresponding e-mail in the e-mail thread hierarchy, in response to the comparing the plurality of segment signatures from the subset of the signature index;
• and
• updating the e-mail thread hierarchy;
• and
• present the e-mail thread hierarchy.

A computer program product for detecting an e-mail thread hierarchy in an e-mail collection, the computer program product comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising computer readable program code configured to:
• parse at least one e-mail from the collection of e-mails to generate a plurality of segments based on the content of the at least one e-mail;
• create a corresponding segment signature for each of the segments of the plurality of segments;
• populate a signature index using the created segment signatures of the plurality of segments;
• wherein to populate a signature index comprises generating 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;
• receiving a query e-mail;
• parsing the query e-mail to generate a plurality of query segments based on the content of the query e-mail;
• creating a corresponding query segment signature for each of the query segments of the plurality of query segments;
• identifying a query root segment and corresponding query root segment signature of the query e-mail;
• receive a pre-defined token match threshold;
• identify a set of root segment signatures of the signature index;
• compare the query root segment signature with each root segment signature of the set of root segment signatures of the signature index;
• identify a subset of the signature index, wherein a match between at least one of the root segment signatures and the query root segment signature is at least the pre-defined token match threshold;
• use the identified subset of the signature index to build the e-mail thread hierarchy via:
• identifying a first e-mail having only one segment, wherein the first e-mail is corresponding to the query root segment signature in the subset of the signature index;
• assigning the first e-mail as a root node of the e-mail thread hierarchy;
• and
• in a recursive manner, for all e-mails corresponding to the subset of the signature index:
• comparing a plurality of segment signatures from the subset of the signature index by near-duplicate detection;
• determining a position of each corresponding e-mail in the e-mail thread hierarchy, in response to the comparing the plurality of segment signatures from the subset of the signature index;
• and
• updating the e-mail thread hierarchy;
• and
• present the e-mail thread hierarchy.