Relational presentation of communications and application for transaction analysis

Abstract

The system provides a method of sorting and presenting messages in a way so that the relationship in message threads can be easily observed and related messages can be identified. The system provides a way to view messages and map message threads and inboxes in two and three dimensions so that the content of messages can be easily reviewed and the relationship between messages can be seen and followed. The system is not limited to email messages but can present the relationship between multiple types of communications including emails, instant messages, texts, tweets, bulletin boards, wikis, blogs, voice conversations postings on social networks and other types of communications. In addition, the system allows for the inclusion of transactional information, including financial transactions, physical movement, asset deployment, or other acts or activities that may be related to, or independent of, the communications.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for presenting relational information, the method comprising:
 extracting a plurality of entities from electronically stored information;   identifying a plurality of threads from the electronically stored information; and   determining a plurality of relationships among the plurality of entities according to the plurality of threads, wherein the plurality of relationships comprises a plurality of relationship types.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of threads comprises one or more messages. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of threads comprises multiple types of communications. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of threads comprises transactional information. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the transactional information is independent of a communication. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the transactional information is related to a communication. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the method comprises tracking the transactional information over time. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the method comprises following a relationship of the plurality of relationships 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method comprises identifying a document related to a relationship of the plurality of relationships. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method comprises identifying a message related to a relationship of the plurality of relationships. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method comprises displaying a graph of relationships of a selected relationship type. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method comprises following a relationship of the plurality of relationships. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method comprises maintaining a time history of the plurality of relationships and the plurality of entities. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of threads comprises related content. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method comprises analyzing a document to determine whether it is related to a thread of the plurality of threads. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method comprises adding one or more new documents to a thread of the plurality of threads. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the method comprises identifying a different document according to one or more new documents. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the extracting of the plurality of entities is guided by a user-defined wordlist. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of entities are determined by a noun-phrase concept. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of entities is one of a location, a name and a place. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of relationship types comprises a communication relationship. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of relationship types comprises a financial relationship. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of relationship types comprises a location relationship. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the electronically stored information comprises a plurality of communications accounts of each entity. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of entities are found in metadata of the electronically stored information. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each entity of the plurality of entities is represented by a graphical attribute other than text. 
     
     
         28 . A system for presenting relational information, the system comprising:
 a memory operable to store information; and   a processor operable to:
 extract a plurality of entities from the information, 
 identify a plurality of threads from the information, and 
 determine a plurality of relationships among the plurality of entities according to the plurality of threads, wherein the plurality of relationships comprises a plurality of relationship types. 
   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein each of the plurality of threads comprises one or more messages. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein each of the plurality of threads comprises multiple types of communications. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein each of the plurality of threads comprises transactional information. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the transactional information is independent of a communication. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the transactional information is related to a communication. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the processor is operable to track the transactional information over time. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the processor is operable to follow a relationship of the plurality of relationships 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is operable to identify a document related to a relationship of the plurality of relationships. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is operable to identify a message related to a relationship of the plurality of relationships. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is operable to display a graph of relationships of a selected relationship type. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is operable to follow a relationship of the plurality of relationships. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is operable to maintain a time history of the plurality of relationships and the plurality of entities. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein each of the plurality of threads comprises related content. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is operable to analyze a document to determine whether it is related to a thread of the plurality of threads. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is operable to add one or more new documents to a thread of the plurality of threads. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the processor is operable to identify a different document according to one or more new documents. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the extracting of the plurality of entities is guided by a user-defined wordlist. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the plurality of entities are determined by a noun-phrase concept. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein each of the plurality of entities is one of a location, a name and a place. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the plurality of relationship types comprises a communication relationship. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the plurality of relationship types comprises a financial relationship. 
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the plurality of relationship types comprises a location relationship. 
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the electronically stored information comprises a plurality of communications accounts of each entity. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the plurality of entities are found in metadata of the electronically stored information. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein each entity of the plurality of entities is represented by a graphical attribute other than text.