Unified Mobile Interface for Instant Messaging and Calendar Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile communication devices lack an integrated user interface that seamlessly connects instant messaging, calendar, and address book applications, making it difficult to schedule meetings and manage contacts across different platforms.
Innovation Solution
A user interface is developed for mobile communication devices that allows instant messaging to automatically launch the calendar application, populate calendar entries with instant messaging contacts, and integrate address book functions, enabling users to initiate meetings and manage contact availability through a unified interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If separate applications are used for instant messaging, calendar, and address book, then each application can function independently, but the user interface becomes complex and requires multiple switches between applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges instant messaging, calendar, and address book applications into a single integrated user interface. The messaging application includes a calendar view that displays upcoming meetings and an address book view that shows contact information, allowing users to access all three functions through one interface without switching between separate applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The user interface is designed with multi-functionality, where the messaging application can serve as both a communication tool and a scheduling system. The same interface displays messaging conversations, calendar events, and contact information, making the system universally applicable for various communication and organization tasks.
2Productivity
If manual scheduling is used, then users have full control over meeting details, but time consumption increases due to multiple steps and switches between applications
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically populating calendar fields with contact information retrieved from the address book. When a user initiates a meeting schedule, the system pre-fills recipient names, contact details, and other relevant information, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reducing scheduling time.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated system serves itself by automatically retrieving contact information from the address book and populating calendar entries without requiring manual intervention. The system autonomously handles data transfer between applications, reducing the time users would otherwise spend on manual scheduling operations.
3Loss of information
If applications are not integrated, then each application remains simple and maintainable, but information cannot be automatically shared between applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism that enables automatic information sharing between applications. The integrated user interface acts as a mediator, allowing the messaging application to access and retrieve contact information from the address book application automatically, eliminating information silos and enabling seamless data exchange.
Data Source
AI summary
A user interface, in accordance with the teachings described herein, is provided for integrating applications on a mobile communication device. An instant messaging user interface may be included for displaying an instant messaging communication that includes an instant messaging contact. An instant messaging user interface menu may be included for displaying a list of commands, one or more of the commands being specific to the displayed instant messaging contact, and the list of commands including a command associated with a calendar application. The user interface may be operable to automatically launch the calendar application in response to a user selecting the command associated with the calendar application. A field in the calendar application may be automatically populated with the instant messaging contact.