Messaging Client Attachment Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face a tedious process when trying to save message attachments from email or text messages to online content management systems like Dropbox, as they need to download and manually upload the attachments, which is cumbersome, especially on mobile devices and shared systems.
Innovation Solution
Integrating a feature in messaging systems that allows users to directly select and save message attachments to their online content management systems, such as Dropbox, through a messaging-system client, eliminating the need for manual download and upload, and enabling seamless integration across various devices and platforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the user downloads the attachment to their computing device and then explicitly saves it to their online content management system, then the attachment can be saved to the online system, but the process becomes tedious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the messaging system client and online content management system client into a single integrated application. This merging allows the user to perform both messaging and file management functions through one interface, eliminating the need to separately download attachments and then upload them to the content management system. The attachment is directly saved to the online system through the integrated client, reducing both time and operational steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated messaging-system client acts as an intermediary between the message server and the online content management system. It receives the attachment from the message server and automatically transfers it to the content management system without requiring manual intervention from the user. This intermediary function streamlines the process by handling the transfer automatically in the background.
2Ease of operation
If the user integrates the online content management system feature into the messaging-system client, then the attachment-saving process is simplified, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The messaging-system client is designed to perform multiple functions: it handles messaging operations and simultaneously provides online content management capabilities. By making the client universal, it can manage both communication and file storage tasks within a single application, reducing the need for separate tools while consolidating functionality in one place.
3Productivity
If the user manually downloads and uploads each attachment, then the attachment is saved to the online system, but the productivity is reduced due to the tedious process
Solution Approach 1:
The system is pre-configured with the user's online content management system credentials and settings. When an attachment is received, the integrated client automatically uses these pre-established connections to save the attachment to the online system without requiring the user to manually initiate each upload step. This preliminary setup enables automated, efficient processing of attachments.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed embodiments relate a messaging system, such as an email system, a text-messaging system or an instant-messaging system, that enables a user to save a message attachment to an online content management system (for example, to their Dropbox™). The system receives a call from a messaging system associated with the user to save a message attachment to the online content management system, wherein the call includes a link to the message attachment. In response to the call, the system commences downloading the message attachment to the online content management system. While the message attachment is downloading, the system provides a selection interface to enable the user to select a destination for the message attachment within the online content management system. After the user selects the destination and after the message attachment finishes downloading, the system saves the message attachment to the selected destination in the online content management system.