Integrated Calendar Mail Interface for Input Candidate Display
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic mail creation devices require numerous operation steps to select and paste calendar event information, leading to inefficiency, especially when creating reply or new mails, as they rely on copying and pasting date-time related information from electronic calendars.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus with an electronic calendar and mail creation function that automatically displays matching calendar event information as input candidates when a user inputs date-time or event-related strings, allowing seamless integration of this information into electronic mails without manual selection and pasting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual copying and pasting of calendar event information is used, then accuracy of information transfer is maintained, but the number of operation steps increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the calendar application and mail application into a single integrated application. The calendar event information and mail composition share a common interface and data structure, allowing seamless transition between viewing calendar events and composing mail without requiring separate applications or manual copying operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements automatic copying of calendar event information directly into the mail composition area. When a user selects a calendar event, the system automatically copies relevant information (date, time, title, location) into the mail body, eliminating the need for manual selection and pasting operations.
2Loss of time
If calendar event information is manually selected and pasted, then information accuracy is maintained, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary organization of calendar event information within the integrated application. The system pre-structures calendar data in a format suitable for mail composition, with fields already prepared for automatic population. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for manual formatting and pasting operations during mail creation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides self-service functionality by automatically extracting and populating mail content from selected calendar events. The application autonomously handles information transfer, formatting, and organization without requiring manual intervention for copying and pasting operations.
3Productivity
If separate calendar and mail applications are used, then functional independence is maintained, but integration efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines calendar and mail functions into a single integrated application with a unified data structure. The system uses a common event structure that can represent both calendar events and mail messages, allowing seamless conversion between the two formats without requiring separate applications or complex inter-application communication protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing apparatus has an operation unit capable of inputting at least any character and a computer. The computer registers calendar event information at least including any date and time and a word indicating an event held on that date and time to an electronic calendar. When a character string inputted by the operation unit matches with a date and time or a word included in calendar event information registered to the electronic calendar, the computer can display calendar event information including the matched date and time or the matched word as an input candidate. When any calendar event information displayed as an input candidate display is selected by the operation unit, the computer can describe the selected calendar event information in an electronic mail.