Contextual Extension Activation Rules for Email Threads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems for contextual extensions in document reading experiences often activate based on information from the entire document thread, leading to undesirable behavior, such as activating meeting time suggestions for times that have passed, and lack control over where to look for relevant information within email conversations.
Innovation Solution
The system allows extension developers to specify where to look for relevant information by configuring extension activation rules in a manifest file, enabling activation based on the full document body, quoted text, or newly added content, and permits extensions to be activated or deactivated based on user interactions and heuristically learned behaviors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If extension activation scans the entire document thread to find key information, then the extension can activate based on relevant contextual information, but it may activate inappropriately (e.g., suggesting meeting times that have already passed)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the document information into distinct parts: quoted text from previous messages and newly added content. The extension activation rules can specify whether to scan the full document body, only quoted text, or only newly added content. This segmentation allows precise control over which portion of the document thread is scanned for trigger conditions, resolving the contradiction by enabling accurate activation based on relevant segments while avoiding inappropriate activation from outdated information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different extension activation rules to apply to different parts of the document. The manifest file enables configuration of location-specific trigger conditions, where certain extensions activate based on quoted text while others activate based on newly added content. This localized approach ensures that extensions activate with appropriate context from specific document regions, improving reliability while maintaining manageable complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If extension activation is based on the full document body, then all contextual information is considered, but control over where to look for relevant information is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control over information scanning scope through configurable activation rules in the manifest file. Extension developers can dynamically select which document portions to scan (full body, quoted text, or newly added content) based on the specific extension's needs. This dynamic configuration enables adaptability to different contextual information requirements while maintaining ease of operation through a standardized, flexible rule-based system that is simple to configure and modify.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal activation rule system that can be applied across different extension types and document configurations. The manifest file format provides a multi-functional framework that supports various scanning scopes (full document, quoted text, new content) and can be configured for different extension requirements. This universal approach enables both broad contextual information coverage and precise control, as the same rule system adapts to different activation needs without requiring separate mechanisms for each extension type.
3Loss of information
If extensions activate based on any information in the document thread, then comprehensive contextual awareness is achieved, but unnecessary activations occur reducing user experience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the relevant information needed for extension activation by allowing configuration of specific document portions to scan. Instead of processing the entire document thread uniformly, the system extracts trigger conditions from designated locations (quoted text, newly added content, or full body) as specified in the activation rules. This extraction approach ensures comprehensive contextual information is captured where needed while preventing unnecessary activations by excluding irrelevant portions, thereby eliminating undesirable extension behavior.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback through heuristically learned behaviors that monitor extension activation patterns and user interactions. The system learns from past activations and user responses to refine which extensions activate in which contexts, providing feedback that reduces unnecessary activations over time. This feedback mechanism maintains comprehensive contextual awareness by continuously analyzing document information while actively preventing undesirable behavior through learned patterns of appropriate activation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Extension activation may be provided. Upon receiving a new document associated with a plurality of related documents, extension trigger conditions may be evaluated. In response to determining that an extension trigger is satisfied, a user interface element associated with the extension trigger may be displayed.