Attachment Thumbnail Generation in Email Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
The generation of high resolution attachment thumbnails during email transmission can be time-consuming, leading to delays in the arrival of electronic communications, especially when dealing with large or complex file types such as word processing documents or PDFs.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves sending electronic communications with a low resolution representational element and generating high resolution thumbnails asynchronously after transmission, replacing the low resolution element only when the communication is viewed by the recipient.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If high resolution attachment thumbnails are generated during email transmission, then the quality of attachment representation is improved, but the transmission time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the thumbnail generation process into two segments: a low-resolution version generated and transmitted with the email, and a high-resolution version generated separately and provided on demand. This segmentation allows the email to be delivered quickly with a functional thumbnail while the high-quality version is prepared independently without blocking transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by generating and transmitting the low-resolution thumbnail in advance with the email, ensuring immediate availability for basic display purposes. The high-resolution thumbnail generation is initiated separately and made available when needed, rather than waiting for it before transmission.
2Manufacturing precision
If high resolution thumbnails are generated for all attachments, then the visual quality is improved, but the processing time and system resources are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different resolution levels to different contexts: low-resolution thumbnails are used for general display in email lists and previews, while high-resolution thumbnails are generated only when specifically requested or viewed. This ensures high quality where needed without unnecessarily processing all thumbnails at high resolution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses partial action by generating only the necessary portion of the thumbnail at high resolution (when needed) rather than always generating full high-resolution versions. The system performs exactly the amount of processing required for each specific use case, avoiding excessive processing for thumbnails that will only be displayed in small sizes.
3Speed
If low resolution representational elements are used for attachments, then the transmission speed is improved, but the visual quality is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the thumbnail quality dynamic by allowing the system to switch between low-resolution and high-resolution representations based on user interaction. Initially, low-resolution thumbnails are used for fast transmission and display, but when users request or view attachments, the system dynamically generates and provides high-resolution versions, adapting quality to user needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the email system provides low-resolution thumbnails as a placeholder or intermediary representation during transmission, and then bridges to high-resolution versions when users request them. This intermediary approach allows fast initial delivery while maintaining the capability to provide high quality when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are systems and methods for transporting an electronic communication that includes one or more attachments efficiently by sending the electronic communication with a smaller-sized (e.g., lower resolution) representational element of each attachment and subsequently replacing each representational element with a higher resolution attachment thumbnail of the attachment. The high resolution attachment thumbnail is produced in an asynchronous process during or after the transportation of the attachment(s) and the electronic communication. After the high resolution attachment thumbnail(s) is generated, at least one representational element in the electronic communication may be replaced with a corresponding HR attachment thumbnail.