Electronic Document Auto-Tagging and Propagation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face inefficiencies in managing high volumes of electronic documents, as conventional systems require manual sorting and lack automatic propagation of information, leading to time-consuming document processing and inadequate communication of project-related actions within groups.

Innovation Solution

An Enhanced Information Management Component (EIMC) analyzes electronic documents to identify key-content, automatically tags and archives them, and propagates relevant information to associated communication devices, facilitating intelligent document processing and project-related information sharing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual sorting and processing of electronic documents is performed, then users can organize documents into folders, but the time required for document management increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedocument organization capabilityVSAvoidtime spent on message processing

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables electronic documents to self-organize by automatically analyzing document content, extracting keywords, and routing documents to appropriate folders without user intervention. The self-organizing mechanism uses AI-powered content analysis to perform what would otherwise require manual user action, thereby resolving the contradiction between organization capability and time consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary classification and organization of documents as they arrive, before users need to access or process them. By pre-organizing documents into relevant folders based on content analysis, the system eliminates the need for users to subsequently search and sort through unorganized incoming documents, thus saving time while maintaining organization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Quantity of substance

If electronic documents are processed in linear chronological manner, then all messages are captured, but the relevance to specific projects or topics is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of message captureVSAvoidproject context information

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system adds a new organizational dimension beyond chronological ordering by introducing topic-based and project-based classification layers. Documents are simultaneously organized chronologically and by their semantic content related to specific projects or topics, allowing users to access complete message histories while also filtering by relevance to particular work contexts through multiple organizational dimensions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The system segments the monolithic chronological message stream into multiple organized groups based on project, topic, or folder associations. By dividing the incoming document flow into segmented categories while maintaining chronological integrity within each segment, the system preserves complete capture of all messages while adding meaningful organizational context that prevents information loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Loss of information

If a user takes action on an electronic document, then the user is aware of the impact on the project, but other group members remain unaware of the action and its impact

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproject status informationVSAvoidcommunication coordination requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements automatic feedback propagation by monitoring user actions on electronic documents and automatically notifying relevant group members about those actions and their projected impact on projects. This feedback loop ensures that all stakeholders are informed of status changes without requiring manual communication, thus reducing information loss while avoiding the complexity of coordinated manual notifications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system acts as an intermediary that automatically translates user actions on documents into contextualized notifications for group members. Rather than users directly communicating project status changes to colleagues, the system mediates this information flow by analyzing the action, determining its project impact, and automatically distributing relevant updates to appropriate stakeholders, thereby reducing information loss without adding communication complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10262282B2Automatic sort and propagation associated with electronic documents

Publication Date: 2019.04.16 AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I L P

AI summary

Automatic sorting and propagating of information relating to electronic documents is presented. With regard to an electronic document, such as an incoming message, an enhanced information management component (EIMC) can analyze the document to identify a file folder associated with a subject to which the document relates. Based on interaction with or tagging of the document in a first user interface (UI) and predefined user preferences, the EIMC can propagate information relating to the subject and/or document to a second UI. The EIMC can archive the document in the identified file folder automatically or in response to as little as one UI control manipulation. The EIMC can analyze audio or video content to facilitate tagging and archiving of such content using the first UI and propagation of information relating to such content and/or related subject to a second UI.