Email Recipient Auto-Completion via Address Book Lookup

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face inefficiencies and distractions while composing emails, particularly when entering recipient email addresses, which can divert attention from the message content and complicate the process, especially when sending to groups.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method and system that identifies a trigger in the user's input to fetch and display email addresses from their address book, allowing for automatic filling of recipient fields, simplifying the process by hiding initial fields and providing a visual indicator to reveal them when needed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If the user manually keys in email addresses in recipient fields, then the email composition process is completed, but the user spends excessive time and attention on entering addresses instead of focusing on the message content

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetime spent on entering email addressesVSAvoidease of entering recipient information

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-loads and stores email addresses in an address book before the user needs to compose an email. When the user types an alphabet in the recipient field, the system automatically retrieves and suggests matching email addresses from the pre-stored address book, eliminating the need for manual typing of complete email addresses and reducing time spent on this task.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables automatic completion of email addresses by detecting the alphabet typed by the user and autonomously fetching matching addresses from the address book. The system serves itself by automatically populating the recipient field based on user input, reducing manual effort and allowing the user to focus on message composition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If the user ensures accuracy of email addresses by careful entry, then accurate recipient information is achieved, but the user's attention is diverted from the important message content

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of email addressesVSAvoidattention diverted from message composition

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides real-time feedback by displaying a list of suggested email addresses as the user types an alphabet in the recipient field. The user can see the suggestions and select from them, ensuring accuracy while the system handles the tedious task of matching and retrieving complete email addresses, thus keeping the user's attention on the message rather than on typing accurate addresses.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-organizes email addresses in the address book with their complete information before the user needs them. When the user types even a single alphabet, the system has already prepared and can immediately display matching email addresses, ensuring accuracy without requiring the user to manually verify or type out complete addresses.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the user composes emails to groups of recipients, then comprehensive communication is achieved, but the process becomes tedious and complicated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to send to multiple recipientsVSAvoidcomplexity of email composition process

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges the process of entering multiple recipient email addresses into a single simplified interaction. By detecting an alphabet in the recipient field and automatically fetching all matching email addresses from the address book, the system allows the user to add multiple recipients simultaneously through a single input action, rather than manually entering each address separately, thus simplifying the process for group communications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically handles the complexity of managing multiple recipient email addresses by autonomously retrieving and populating the recipient field based on the user's single alphabet input. The system serves itself by managing the list of matching email addresses and presenting them for selection, eliminating the tedious manual work of entering and managing multiple addresses.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS8924492B2Method and system for generating recipients while composing electronic mails

Publication Date: 2014.12.30 YAHOO ASSETS LLC

AI summary

A computer-implemented method of generating recipients while composing electronic emails includes identifying a trigger from a user in response to the user composing an electronic mail (email). The computer-implemented method also includes receiving one or more alphabets subsequent to the trigger. The alphabets imply a recipient of the email. Further, the computer-implemented method includes fetching email addresses comprising the one or more alphabets from an address book corresponding to the user. Furthermore, the computer-implemented method includes displaying a list of the email addresses to the user. Moreover, the computer-implemented method includes filling appropriate fields in response to the user selecting one of the email addresses.