Customizable Messaging Controls for Multi-Action Execution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of messaging applications face inefficiencies in performing multiple actions on emails, such as flagging, forwarding, and organizing, as they often require multiple steps and repetitive actions, which decreases work efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of customizable custom action controls within a messaging application that allow users to define and perform multiple actions with a single input, enabling simultaneous or sequential actions to be executed with a single click, and allowing for creation, customization, and sharing of these controls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If multiple manual steps are used to perform actions on emails (flagging, forwarding, moving), then each action can be completed individually, but the time and effort required increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple email actions (flag, forward, move to folder) into a single customizable control or button. When a user assigns a custom control to perform multiple actions, selecting that control executes all assigned actions simultaneously, merging what were previously separate manual steps into one operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent allows users to pre-configure custom controls with multiple assigned actions before needing to perform email tasks. By setting up these multi-action controls in advance, users eliminate the need to manually sequence multiple actions during email processing, thereby reducing time loss for repetitive tasks.
2Ease of operation
If multiple separate controls are provided for each email action, then each action is easily accessible, but the device complexity and interface clutter increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates universal custom controls that can perform multiple email actions simultaneously. Instead of providing separate controls for each action (flag, forward, move), a single customizable control can be configured to execute any combination of these actions, reducing interface clutter while maintaining accessibility to all functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic controls that can be customized by users to perform different combinations of actions. The controls are not static single-function buttons but adaptable multi-functional elements that change their behavior based on user configuration, allowing the interface to remain simple while providing comprehensive functionality.
Data Source
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AI summary
Technologies are described herein for providing users of a messaging application with controls that perform one or more selected actions with a message. Any number of default custom action controls may be displayed in a gallery. The selection of a custom action control performs various actions to an active message. New custom action controls may be created and existing controls modified to provide any number of desired actions. Dialogs provide user-friendly interfaces that allow a user to assign the desired functionality to a custom action control. The custom action controls may be organized into groups and shared between messaging applications and computers.