Drag-and-Drop Email Forwarding via Distribution Lists

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional email forwarding methods are time-consuming and prone to errors, especially when forwarding multiple emails or those not in the user's address book, requiring manual entry of recipient email addresses.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that allows users to forward emails by dragging and dropping them into an existing email with a distribution list, creating a new email with the selected email's distribution list, which can be edited for recipients and formatting options.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional email forwarding method is used, then user can forward email to recipient, but it takes significant time and is prone to errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveemail forwarding speedVSAvoidtime spent on forwarding

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-configures distribution lists with recipient email addresses before the forwarding operation. When a user initiates forwarding, the system automatically retrieves the pre-configured distribution list, eliminating the need for manual address entry and significantly reducing forwarding time while preventing typos.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a distribution list as an intermediary mechanism between the user and individual recipient addresses. Instead of directly managing multiple individual email addresses, the system uses distribution lists as intermediate containers that automatically manage the forwarding process, reducing user effort and error rates.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If manual entry of email address is required, then user can forward email, but errors occur due to mistyping or wrong addresses

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of email addressVSAvoidease of forwarding operation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The distribution list system performs self-service by automatically managing recipient addresses. The system automatically retrieves the correct email addresses from the pre-configured distribution list, eliminating manual typing and associated errors, while maintaining ease of operation through simple distribution list selection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If user forwards multiple emails manually, then all emails can be forwarded, but time consumption accumulates significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevolume of emails forwardedVSAvoidtotal time for multiple forwards

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The distribution list serves as a universal mechanism that can be applied to forward multiple emails simultaneously. By establishing a single distribution list configuration, the user can forward multiple emails to the same recipient group without repeating the address entry process, thereby reducing total time consumption while increasing forwarding volume capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS8549079B2Drag and drop forward E-mail reply utility

Publication Date: 2013.10.01 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

Methods and Systems are provided for efficiently forwarding e-mail. The e-mail is forwarded in response to being dragging and dropping it into another e-mail. A user selects the e-mail to be forwarded, drags and drops it into another e-mail with the desired distribution list, resulting in a third e-mail being created addressed to the desired distribution list and including the e-mail to be forwarded.