Robert Theodore Goodman

US Patent:

8631080, Jan 14, 2014

Filed:

Mar 12, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/402735

Inventors:

Robert F. Goodman - Allston MA, US
Michael R. Gretzinger - Malden MA, US
John R. Burkhardt - Arlington MA, US
Rachel R. Schiff - Cambridge MA, US
Barnaby M. Claydon - Hingham MA, US
Katherine W. Rae - Brookline MA, US
Reed P. Sturtevant - Lexington MA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 15/00

US Classification:

709206, 709207, 709225, 709238, 709242, 709246

Abstract:

Email users may feel overwhelmed with the abundance of emails they receive. Many current email management techniques require at least some manual intervention that may be time consuming and/or otherwise frustrating to a user. As provided herein, emails may be characterized based upon content of the email and domain classification data (e. g. , a company name, business category, or a website name associated with the domain name of the sender). One or more viewing panels may be populated with the characterized emails. A viewing panel may present emails corresponding to a particular characterization (e. g. , a shopping viewing panel may display emails characterized as shopping). To enhance characterization, rules used to characterize emails may learn from a user's actions. For example, a user may move an email from a shopping viewing panel to a travel viewing panel, thus altering the characterization of the email from shopping to travel.

US Patent:

20100287023, Nov 11, 2010

Filed:

May 5, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/435816

Inventors:

Yishai Knobel - Boston MA, US
Robert F. Goodman - Allston MA, US
John Reynolds Burkhardt - Arlington MA, US
Katie Rae - Brookline MA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06Q 10/00
G06F 3/048
G06F 15/16

US Classification:

705 9, 715753, 709206, 709204

Abstract:

When a group of users engage in activities comprising multiple tasks shared amongst the group, difficulties may arise from tracking progress, facilitating communication, reconciling tasks, etc. Accordingly, as provided herein, a collaborative view for a group participation plan may be created. A group participation plan comprising one or more tasks and one or more participant identities may be received. A commitment plan may be created by allocating the one or more tasks to respective participant identities. The commitment plan may be presented within a collaborative view. The collaborative view may show overall group progress, individual progress, and/or other information relating to the completion of allocated tasks. The collaborative view may be updated based upon task progress. Participants may view and interact with the collaborative view (e.g., a web-based user interface). For example, a participant may track individual progress, group progress, and/or other participant's progress.