Electronic Message Accessibility Validation by Recipient Preferences

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing digital communication systems often fail to provide accessible content to individuals with disabilities or accessibility limitations, as creators may not know the relevant accessibility constraints of their recipients and applying accessibility preferences can be inconvenient or computationally prohibitive.

Innovation Solution

A communication application identifies recipient accessibility preferences, applies a subset of relevant accessibility rules to electronic content, provides accessibility alerts, and allows users to manually or automatically correct violations, optimizing compliance without interrupting the composition process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If accessibility rules are applied to electronic content, then accessibility compliance is improved, but computational overhead and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccessibility complianceVSAvoidcomputational overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments accessibility rules into different categories and applies only relevant subsets based on recipient preferences and content types. This selective application reduces computational overhead while maintaining necessary accessibility compliance, avoiding the need to process all possible accessibility rules for every piece of content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies accessibility rules partially by determining the appropriate level of accessibility enforcement based on recipient preferences. Some recipients may receive full accessibility compliance while others receive reduced compliance, allowing the system to balance accessibility requirements with computational efficiency on a per-recipient basis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Reliability

If accessibility preferences are enforced for all recipients, then accessibility compliance is improved, but user convenience and ease of operation deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccessibility complianceVSAvoiduser convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts accessibility rule application based on recipient preferences, content type, and context. Rather than enforcing a static set of rules for all users, the system adapts the level of accessibility enforcement to match individual recipient needs and preferences, maintaining compliance while preserving user convenience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Different accessibility rules are applied to different portions of content based on local requirements. The system identifies specific content elements that need accessibility modifications and applies rules only where necessary, rather than uniformly processing entire documents or messages, thus maintaining compliance while minimizing disruption to the user experience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If comprehensive accessibility validation is performed, then accessibility compliance is improved, but content creation time and productivity decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccessibility complianceVSAvoidcontent creation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary accessibility validation during content creation by integrating accessibility checks into the composition process. This allows creators to identify and correct accessibility issues early, avoiding time-consuming rework later while ensuring compliance. The validation occurs incrementally as content is created rather than requiring comprehensive post-creation analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system allows creators to skip certain accessibility validation steps when appropriate, such as when sending to recipients who have indicated they do not require accessibility modifications. This selective validation approach maintains compliance for necessary content while reducing unnecessary validation overhead that would slow down content creation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

4Reliability

If accessibility rules are applied to all content, then accessibility compliance is improved, but device complexity and system resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccessibility complianceVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes unnecessary accessibility rules from the validation process based on recipient preferences and content characteristics. By taking out only the relevant subset of rules needed for each specific communication scenario, the system reduces overall complexity while maintaining compliance where required.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a universal accessibility validation framework that can handle multiple types of content and recipient preferences through a single integrated mechanism. This multi-functional approach consolidates various accessibility checks into one system rather than requiring separate validation processes for different content types, thereby reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4018605B1Validating and providing accessible electronic messages
Publication Date: 2025.12.31 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP4018605B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4018605B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4018605B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and computer-readable media for selectively analyzing content of electronic communications and enabling a sender to modify content to comply with one or more accessibility preferences. For example, systems disclosed herein may enable a client device to selectively analyze portions of an electronic communication and provide an accessibility alert indicator that one or more accessibility violations exist for a corresponding set of recipients. In addition, systems disclosed herein involve selectively applying a dynamic set of accessibility rules to content of the electronic document based on recipients that are added or removed as well as content of the electronic communication as it is composed.