Systems and methods for clustering electronic messages

摘要

System and methods are provided for receiving selection, by a user, of a subset of message clusters in a plurality of message clusters. Each message cluster is associated with a corresponding set of clustering rules. Each respective electronic message, addressed to and/or from the user, in a plurality of electronic messages is assigned to one or more of the clusters in the subset of clusters in accordance with the sets of clustering rules associated with the subset of clusters. The set of clustering rules for a first cluster in the subset of clusters (i) prevents some messages in the plurality of messages from being assigned to the first cluster and (ii) assigns messages to the first cluster without regard to content relatedness between messages in the plurality of messages and messages already in the first cluster. Messages in the first cluster are formatted for display as a single cluster graphic.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
at a computing device having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors: displaying a message list in an electronic message folder, wherein:
the message list includes a plurality of individual electronic messages and a plurality of message clusters;each message cluster is displayed as a respective single cluster graphic;each message cluster is uniquely associated with a corresponding set of clustering rules;a first message cluster of the plurality of message clusters contains a plurality of electronic messages; anddisplay of each item in the message list includes a respective single enlarged alphabetic character, which corresponds to an initial character of a sender name when the item is an individual electronic message and corresponds to an initial character of a cluster name when the item is a message cluster, receiving user specification of a supplemental clustering rule for the first message cluster, wherein the supplemental clustering rule is based on content of electronic messages; while defining the supplemental clustering rule, and prior to saving the supplemental clustering rule:
displaying a designation identifying one or more senders of electronic messages in a sample plurality of electronic messages that qualify for inclusion in the first message cluster in accordance with the supplemental rule and the set of clustering rules associated with the first message cluster and in accordance with a display state of the first message cluster in which a subset of the text for each respective electronic message in the sample plurality of electronic messages is displayed; saving the supplemental clustering rule; applying the supplemental clustering rule and the sets of clustering rules associated with the plurality of message cluster to the plurality of individual electronic message, thereby assigning a first electronic message of the plurality of individual messages to the first message cluster; redisplaying the message list, including ceasing to display the first electronic message as an individual electronic message in the message list and updating display of the single cluster graphic for the first message clusters to indicate inclusion of the first electronic message.