Unified Calendar Auto-Reply Configuration Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face duplication of effort and increased likelihood of forgetting to set auto-reply messages when configuring vacation periods in email client applications, as they need to separately define calendar appointments and auto-reply messages through different user interfaces.
Innovation Solution
Integrating the functionality to define auto-reply messages within the calendar appointment creation user interface, allowing users to set both the appointment and auto-reply message simultaneously, with options to customize the auto-reply message period based on appointment characteristics, thereby eliminating the need for duplicate input and reducing the chance of oversight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users define auto-reply messages through a separate UI from calendar appointments, then auto-reply messages can be configured, but duplication of labor occurs and users may forget to set them
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the calendar appointment creation interface and the auto-reply message configuration interface into a single unified interface. When a user creates or edits a calendar appointment, the system automatically presents options to configure an auto-reply message within the same workflow, eliminating the need to switch between separate UIs and reducing the chance of forgetting to set up auto-replies.
Solution Approach 2:
The calendar application is enhanced to perform multiple functions: it serves both as a calendar management tool and as an auto-reply message configuration tool. The same interface that manages calendar events also handles auto-reply message setup, making the system more versatile and reducing the number of separate tools users need to interact with.
2Adaptability or versatility
If users separately configure calendar appointments and auto-reply messages, then each can be customized independently, but the process involves multiple actions and duplication of input
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the configuration processes for calendar appointments and auto-reply messages into a single unified operation. Users can now set both the appointment details and the auto-reply message parameters in one continuous workflow, eliminating the need to separately access different configuration screens and reducing redundant data entry.
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively presents the auto-reply message configuration options immediately when the user creates or edits a calendar appointment, before the user finishes configuring the appointment details. This preliminary action ensures that users think about and configure auto-replies as part of their natural appointment-setting workflow, rather than as a separate subsequent step.
Data Source
AI summary
Functionality is disclosed for defining an auto-reply message while defining an appointment on a calendar associated with a user. A request may be received by way of a personal information management (PIM) client application to define a new appointment on a calendar associated with a user. A UI for defining the new appointment may be presented that includes a UI control for defining a time period for the new appointment and a UI control for defining an auto-reply message to be transmitted in response to email messages received during the time period. In response to the user defining the appointment and the auto-reply message, a request may be transmitted to a PIM server application to create the appointment along with an auto-reply message definition that defines the auto-reply message. The auto-reply message is then transmitted in response to email messages received during the time period associated with the meeting.