Selective Email Printing via Electronic Binder Creation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing email processing systems automatically print both body text and attached files, leading to unnecessary content being printed.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus that includes an input unit for mail files, a display unit to show mail body text and attached files, a selection unit to choose between the text and files, and a creation unit to generate an electronic binder based on user selections, allowing users to selectively incorporate and convert mail data into a unified document format for printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If all body text and attached files in an email are automatically printed, then complete email content is preserved, but unnecessary printing waste occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The email content is segmented into separate components (body text and attached files) that can be independently selected for printing. The display unit shows these components separately, allowing users to choose which specific parts to incorporate into the electronic binder for printing, thereby avoiding automatic printing of unnecessary content.
Solution Approach 2:
The printing system transitions from a static automatic print-all approach to a dynamic selective print approach. Users can dynamically adjust which email components are included in the print job by selecting or deselecting items on the display unit, making the printing process adaptable to specific needs.
2Productivity
If users can selectively choose email components for printing, then printing efficiency improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display unit serves multiple functions: it displays email content for review, presents printing options to users, and receives selection inputs. This multi-functional design integrates the selection capability into an existing component rather than adding separate complex systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The display unit acts as an intermediary between the email processing system and the printing system. It receives email components, presents them for user selection, and passes the selected components to the electronic binder creation and printing processes, simplifying the overall system architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing apparatus is provided that inputs a plurality of mail files generated by a mail application, displays a mail body text and an attached file included in the respective mail files, selects at least one of the mail body text and the attached file that is to be incorporated in an electronic binder from among the displayed mail body text and the displayed attached file included in the respective mail files, and creates the electronic binder based on the mail body text or the attached file selected by the selection unit.