Messaging Server Multi-Format Meeting Communication Handling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing calendaring and scheduling systems face compatibility issues when scheduling meetings between users with different calendaring and scheduling clients, especially when the recipient's client is unknown or changes during communication, and not all systems adhere to standards like iCalendar.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that generates and processes electronic meeting communications in multiple formats, including iCalendar and proprietary message headers, to ensure compatibility across various calendaring and email clients, using a messaging server that converts and modifies meeting components to comply with MIME standards.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a single format meeting component is used, then the communication is simple, but compatibility across different calendaring clients is poor

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecompatibilityVSAvoidcommunication structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The meeting communication is divided into multiple format components (iCalendar format component and proprietary message header format component) within a single communication message. This segmentation allows each component to target specific client types, resolving the contradiction by making the communication adaptable to different clients while maintaining a structured multi-part format.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The communication message is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously by including both iCalendar format components (for standard-compliant clients) and proprietary message header format components (for non-standard clients). This multi-functionality enables a single communication to be universally compatible across different calendaring clients without requiring separate communication channels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple formats are included in the communication, then compatibility is improved, but processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclient compatibilityVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically selects and processes only the relevant format component based on the recipient client type. Calendar clients process iCalendar format components, while non-calendar clients process proprietary message header format components. This dynamic selection reduces processing complexity by avoiding the need to parse and understand all format types simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The communication message structure acts as an intermediary that organizes multiple format components with clear delimiters and type identifiers. This intermediary structure facilitates efficient processing by allowing clients to quickly identify and extract the relevant component type without needing to analyze the entire message structure, thereby reducing processing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If proprietary message headers are used, then compatibility with specific clients is achieved, but interoperability with standard systems is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclient-specific compatibilityVSAvoidstandard interoperability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The communication message merges both iCalendar format components (for standard interoperability) and proprietary message header format components (for client-specific compatibility) into a single unified message. This merging ensures that standard systems can process the iCalendar portion while proprietary systems can process their specific header formats, resolving the contradiction by maintaining both compatibility types simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The communication message is constructed as a composite structure containing multiple format types (iCalendar and proprietary message headers) with clearly defined boundaries and identifiers. This composite structure allows different client types to extract and process their respective format components while ignoring incompatible portions, achieving both standard interoperability and client-specific reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS8086673B2Method and system for generating and processing electronic meeting communications for multiple formats

Publication Date: 2011.12.27 MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LTD

AI summary

A method for generating electronic meeting communications for multiple formats and a messaging server for adapted in accordance with the method. The method comprises: receiving on the messaging server a first electronic meeting communication having a first meeting component in a first format, the first meeting component including event information; determining a second meeting component in a second format different from the first format, the second meeting component including substantially the same event information as the first meeting component; and sending a second electronic meeting communication comprising at least the first and second meeting components from the messaging server to one or more recipient devices.