Email Rule Cause Identification via Feedback Notifications
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulty in determining which e-mail handling rule caused a specific action or event in e-mail client applications, especially when dealing with numerous pre-defined or user-defined rules, making it hard to locate, modify, or delete the relevant rule.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that allow users to identify the cause of an event within a computer system by maintaining and evaluating e-mail handling rules, providing a user interface to display notifications and allow users to retrieve the identity of the rule that triggered the action, enabling easy modification or deletion of rules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple e-mail handling rules are defined to handle various e-mail messages, then the functionality and versatility of the e-mail client is improved, but the difficulty of locating and identifying the cause of events increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism by displaying the rule identity alongside the event notification. When an e-mail handling rule triggers an action, the system provides feedback to the user showing which specific rule caused the event, enabling easy identification and subsequent modification or deletion of the relevant rule.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary element - the rule identity display - between the event occurrence and the user's understanding of cause. This intermediary component bridges the gap by explicitly connecting the triggered action to its source rule, making the system's internal state transparent to the user.
2Ease of operation
If pre-defined e-mail handling rules are used to automate message handling, then the ease of operation is improved, but the ability to modify and delete specific rules deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By displaying the rule identity in the event notification, the system enables users to easily locate and modify pre-defined rules. The feedback mechanism provides a direct path from event occurrence to rule modification, maintaining ease of operation while improving rule manageability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a large number of e-mail handling rules are defined, then the coverage and functionality are improved, but the time required to locate and identify the cause of events increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for users to search through multiple rules by providing immediate feedback in the event notification that identifies the triggering rule. This feedback mechanism reduces the time required to locate event causes from potentially minutes of searching to immediate identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The rule identity display acts as an intermediary that translates the complex internal rule structure into user-friendly information. This intermediary component simplifies the user's task of locating event causes among numerous rules, reducing time loss while maintaining comprehensive coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium are provided for identifying to a user the cause of an event occurring within a computer system. According to one method, a rule is maintained at a computer system that includes one or more conditions and one or more actions that are performed when the conditions are satisfied. An evaluation is periodically performed to determine whether the conditions are satisfied. If the conditions are satisfied, the one or more actions are performed. A request may then be received to identify the cause of the performance of the actions. In response to such a request, the rule is identified, such as by identifying the rule within a user interface provided by the computer system.