Dynamic Email Recall Delay Based on Message Impact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current email message systems offer short and uniform recall delays, which are inadequate for users who realize mistakes after sending messages, especially those with specific characteristics or contexts, leading to potential miscommunication.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic delay system that calculates a customized delay based on email message characteristics, such as content, recipients, sender behavior, and context, using an impact score to determine an optimal delay period, allowing users to undo sent messages within a calculated time frame.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a short and uniform recall delay is used for all email messages, then the system is simple and fast, but users cannot effectively undo mistakes in emails with high impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from a static, uniform recall delay to a dynamic, personalized delay period. The system calculates different delay lengths based on real-time analysis of email characteristics (recipients, content, attachments) and user behavior patterns, allowing the undo window to adapt to the specific situation rather than using a fixed time for all messages.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the time parameter of the recall delay based on multiple factors including the number of recipients, email content analysis, presence of attachments, and user historical behavior. This parameter adjustment allows the delay to extend from the standard short period to longer periods (e.g., 10 minutes or more) for high-impact emails, while maintaining simplicity for low-risk messages.
2Reliability
If a longer recall delay is provided for high-impact emails, then users have more time to undo mistakes, but the delivery speed of important emails is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by treating different email messages differently based on their specific characteristics. Rather than applying a uniform delay to all emails, the system analyzes each message's properties (recipients, content, attachments) and applies the appropriate delay length only where needed. Important emails with high risk of mistakes receive extended delays, while routine emails maintain fast delivery with standard short delays.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a personalized delay based on user behavior is implemented, then the undo window matches user needs, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by automatically analyzing user behavior patterns and email characteristics without requiring manual input or configuration from the user. The system learns from historical data about when and how users send emails, what mistakes they make, and adjusts the delay personally for each user based on their unique behavior patterns, eliminating the need for users to manually set preferences.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and machine-implemented method for calculating a dynamic delay for an email message, the method including receiving an indication of an email message being created by a user, identifying one or more characteristics of the email message in response to receiving the indication, determining an impact associated with the email message based on one or more of the identified one or more characteristics of the email message or one or more behavioral information regarding the user sending the email message, determining a customized delay for the email message based on the determined impact, the delay comprising a length of time and delivering the email message to one or more recipients of the email message after the length of time has elapsed.