Email Composition Notification System for Related Incoming Messages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing email systems do not effectively notify users of new incoming emails that are related to the email they are currently composing, leading to information gaps and missed relevant responses in email threads.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that monitors for incoming emails while a user is composing an outbound email, generates notifications if a related inbound email is received, and provides options to process or merge the new email into the existing one, using a combination of client and server modules to track and compare email components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a user is composing an outbound email, then the user can focus on creating the message without interruptions, but the user may miss relevant inbound emails that relate to the same communication thread
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors incoming emails and provides feedback to the user during composition by displaying notifications that indicate relevant emails have been received. This feedback mechanism allows the user to remain focused on composing while being informed about related inbound emails, thus preventing information loss without interrupting the composition workflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary monitoring of incoming emails before the user sends the outbound message. By detecting relevant inbound emails in advance and displaying notifications during the composition phase, the system prepares the user with necessary information before the composition is complete, ensuring the user can incorporate relevant responses without interruption.
2Reliability
If the system monitors for incoming emails during composition, then relevant emails can be notified to the user, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is segmented into distinct functional modules: an email monitoring module that detects incoming emails, a relevance determination module that compares inbound emails with the outbound composition thread, and a notification module that displays relevant emails. This segmentation allows each module to perform its specific function independently, improving reliability while keeping the overall system architecture manageable and modular.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary comparison mechanism that acts as a mediator between the incoming email stream and the outbound composition. This intermediary module determines relevance by comparing email threads and subjects, filtering out unrelated emails, and only triggering notifications for relevant inbound emails. This intermediary layer improves notification accuracy while centralizing the complexity in a dedicated module.
3Quantity of substance
If generic pop-up messages are displayed for every incoming email, then all emails are notified to the user, but the user tends to ignore such messages
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying uniform notifications to all incoming emails, the system applies local quality by selectively notifying the user only about emails that are relevant to the current outbound composition thread. The notification display is customized to reflect the specific context of the ongoing communication, making the notification more pertinent and likely to be noticed and acted upon by the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification system differentiates between generic email arrivals and contextually relevant emails. By analyzing the relationship between inbound and outbound emails (through subject line comparison, sender-recipient analysis, and thread identification), the system applies local quality to notifications, displaying only those that matter for the current composition task, thereby improving user engagement with notifications.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a system, method and device for providing information relating to a received communication for a device. For the method, it comprises: while the device is composing an outbound communication, monitoring for receipt of an inbound communication; if the inbound communication is directed to the device, evaluating the inbound communication to determine whether it is related to the outbound communication; and if the inbound communication is related to the outbound communication, providing a message to the device indicating receipt of the inbound communication.