Tracking Premature Email Open Events via Dummy Database Entries
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing email systems fail to track premature email open events due to internal or external system delays, which result in delays in receiving notifications of email sent or processed, leading to the inability to record these events as no database entry exists at the time of opening.
Innovation Solution
The system generates a 'dummy database entry' with an email identifier at the time of email generation, allowing for the tracking of premature email open events by cross-referencing the identifier with the existing entry, even if the sent notification is received after the open event.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the system waits for sent notification before creating database entry, then data accuracy is improved, but tracking reliability deteriorates due to premature events
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a placeholder database entry before receiving the sent notification, using the email identifier from the opened event. This preliminary action ensures the database structure is ready to receive complete data later, preventing loss of premature events while maintaining data accuracy through subsequent updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary placeholder entry that mediates between the opened event and the sent notification. This intermediary structure allows the system to acknowledge premature events immediately while deferring complete data population until the notification arrives, resolving the contradiction between immediate tracking and data accuracy.
2Reliability
If the system creates database entry immediately, then tracking reliability is improved, but data accuracy deteriorates due to incomplete information
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary creation of a placeholder database entry with available information (email identifier) before receiving complete data. This allows immediate tracking reliability while planning for subsequent data accuracy improvement through updates when notifications arrive.
Solution Approach 2:
The database entry is designed to be dynamic, transitioning from an initial placeholder state with partial information to a complete state upon receiving sent notifications. This dynamic approach allows the system to achieve both immediate reliability and eventual accuracy through staged data population.
3Device complexity
If the system processes events in chronological order, then processing simplicity is improved, but event tracking deteriorates due to system delays
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary creation of database entries for opened events before receiving sent notifications, even though this reverses the chronological order. This approach maintains processing simplicity by using straightforward database operations while improving event tracking reliability through proactive entry creation.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are some implementations of systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products for tracking electronic mail (email) events. Upon generating an email, a database entry including an email identifier associated the email is stored. A notification received from a client device is processed, where the notification indicates that the email associated with the email identifier has been opened. Responsive to processing the notification, the database entry associated with the email is identified using the email identifier and event information of the database entry is stored or updated to indicate that the email has been opened. The database entry associated with the email identifier is updated to include attributes of the email, where the attributes include a recipient identifier identifying a recipient of the email. Status information associated with the email may be provided using the database entry, where the status information indicates that the recipient has opened the email.