Hero Cards for Contextual Backend Actions in Email
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Solution Overview
Problem
Enterprise users face inefficiencies in managing multiple backend systems, as current technologies fail to provide adequate contextual information and actions within email clients, leading to increased workflow steps and difficulty in processing information across disparate applications, especially on mobile devices.
Innovation Solution
A system that dynamically builds 'hero cards' to display contextual information and actions for backend systems, using a hero agent and server to communicate with email applications, retrieve relevant data, and present actionable buttons within the email interface, even when the email client lacks direct access to backend systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If users manually check multiple backend systems for contextual information, then information completeness improves, but time consumption and workflow complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (hero card system) that mediates between the email client and multiple backend systems. This intermediary automatically retrieves and displays contextual information from various backend systems within the email interface, eliminating the need for users to manually check each system while maintaining information completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by proactively retrieving contextual information from backend systems before the user needs it. The hero card system automatically queries relevant backend systems and prepares contextual information in advance, so when the user views an email, the information is already available without requiring manual navigation to multiple systems.
2Loss of information
If users switch between multiple applications to access backend systems, then access to system information improves, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functionality of multiple backend systems into a single unified interface within the email client. The hero card system consolidates contextual information from various backend systems and presents it together in one location, eliminating the need for users to switch between multiple applications while maintaining access to all necessary information.
Solution Approach 2:
The hero card system provides multi-functionality by serving as a universal access point to multiple backend systems through a single interface. It can retrieve and display information from different backend systems (CRM, project management, documentation systems) within the email client, making the email application itself a universal tool for accessing various backend resources.
3Loss of information
If email clients directly integrate with multiple backend systems, then contextual information availability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an intermediary hero card system that manages the complexity of integrating with multiple backend systems. Rather than the email client directly integrating with each backend system, the hero card system acts as a standardized intermediary layer that handles the complexity of multiple integrations, allowing the email client to maintain simplicity while still accessing contextual information from various systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems herein supply hero cards that display contextual information and actions based on backend systems. The information and actions are related to a trigger content item in an application that does not have access to the backend systems. A hero agent running a user device can communicate the trigger content to a hero server. The hero server can determine which connectors to backend systems relate to the user device, and then can retrieve result information from one or more of the backend systems. The result information populates the hero card, which the hero agent displays within the application. Action buttons on the hero card cause the hero agent to contact one or more of the backend systems to cause an action to take place there.