Email Attachment Thumbnail Viewer for Content Identification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users of portable electronic devices face difficulties in identifying the contents of multiple email attachments due to limited character length of filenames, requiring time-consuming re-opening of attachments to determine their nature, especially when searching for specific files.

Innovation Solution

An attachment viewer and server system that provides thumbnail images of attachments within the email message, allowing users to view and manage attachments efficiently by converting and resizing them for display, minimizing the need for repeated server communication and enhancing content identification.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If attachment filenames are used to identify contents, then the system is simple and easy to implement, but the character length limitation makes it difficult to determine attachment contents

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment content identificationVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates thumbnail copies of attachment images and displays them within the email message. These thumbnails serve as visual representations that convey attachment content information without requiring users to open the full attachments, thus preserving information while maintaining system simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from one-dimensional text-based filename identification to two-dimensional visual thumbnail representation. This dimensional change allows much more information to be conveyed about attachment contents within the same display space, overcoming the character length limitation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Loss of information

If users re-open attachments to determine contents, then accurate identification is possible, but the process becomes very time consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment content identification accuracyVSAvoidtime to identify attachment contents

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent generates and displays thumbnail images of attachments when the email message is first opened, before the user needs to identify or open the attachments. This preliminary action provides immediate visual information about attachment contents, eliminating the need for users to re-open attachments to determine what they contain.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple attachments are stored in inbox, then comprehensive email functionality is maintained, but searching for specific attachments becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveemail functionalityVSAvoidattachment searching

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses visual thumbnails with distinct appearance characteristics to represent different attachment types and contents. These visual variations enable users to quickly distinguish and search for specific attachments among multiple files based on their visual representation rather than relying solely on text filenames.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

Data Source

PatentUS9608948B2Method for presenting an attachment within an email message

Publication Date: 2017.03.28 MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LTD

AI summary

A method for presenting an attachment within an email message on a display of a portable electronic device includes displaying the email message using a messaging application, sending a conversion request to an attachment server in order to view the attachment in an attachment viewer of the portable electronic device, receiving a converted attachment from the attachment server; and upon receiving the converted attachment from the attachment server, inserting a thumbnail image in a message body of the email message.