# US 9,438,551 B1 · Preventing a user from missing unread documents

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- Number: US 9,438,551 B1
- Document ID: US9438551B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/045,681
- Filed: 2016-02-17
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-07-08
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Snehal S. Devasthali; Jayant S. Koppikar; Prasad P. Purandare
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438551B1

## CPC

- H04L 51/224: providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
- H04L 43/16: Threshold monitoring
- H04L 51/04: Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
- H04L 51/08: Annexed information, e.g. attachments
- H04L 51/212: using filtering or selective blocking
- H04L 51/226: Delivery according to priorities
- H04L 51/42: Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

According to one exemplary embodiment, a processor-implemented method for informing a user that an important unread email (IUE) will be removed from an online communication inbox, wherein the IUE is a high priority email determined by an algorithm is provided. The method may include determining, by the processor, if the online communication inbox associated with the user has received the IUE. The method may also include determining if an email removal event associated with the received IUE will occur within a threshold time. The method may then include displaying a notification to the user of the email removal event based on determining that the email removal event will occur within the threshold time.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for informing a user that an important unread email (IUE) will be removed from a user inbox, the method comprising:
determining if the user has the IUE using analytics based on a plurality of social collaborative data, wherein the plurality of social collaborative data is extracted from interactions made between the user and at least one other person via at least one of instant messaging, phone call history, email communications, and social network connectivity;
determining if an email removal event will occur within a threshold time based on determining that the user has the IUE, wherein determining if the email removal event will occur within the threshold time includes querying the next scheduled email removal event and comparing the next scheduled email removal event to the threshold time, and wherein the email removal event comprises at least one of an email deletion event and an email archiving event;
determining if the email removal event is starting based on determining the email removal event will occur within a threshold time;
displaying an event notification to the user based on determining the email removal event is starting, wherein the event notification presents to the user a plurality of choices to indicate how the IUE will be processed, wherein the plurality of choices includes a first choice to delete/archive all emails except the IUE, a second choice to postpone the deletion/archive event, and a third choice to delete/archive all emails including the IUE, and wherein the displayed event notification comprises a clickable link to an IUE list;
receiving a user choice from within the plurality of choices based on the displayed event notification to the user; and
processing the IUE based on the received user choice.