Rich Attachment Regeneration via Link Extraction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Communication applications with rich attachment capabilities face issues when sending and receiving emails with rich attachments to systems that do not support these features, as the attachments are often converted to HTML links, losing their interactive and dynamic properties.
Innovation Solution
A method to detect and regenerate rich attachments by extracting links from emails sent to non-native systems, retrieving metadata, and rehydrating the attachments with rich attributes when returned to a native system capable of processing them.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If rich attachments are converted to HTML links when sent to non-native systems, then compatibility with systems without rich attachment capabilities is improved, but the interactive and dynamic properties of attachments are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by detecting emails from non-native systems and proactively regenerating rich attachments before they are displayed to users. The regeneration module extracts attachment links, retrieves metadata, and reconstructs rich attachment objects in advance, so that when users view the email in a native system, the full interactive and dynamic properties are restored without requiring the receiving system to natively support rich attachments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary regeneration module that acts as a mediator between non-native and native communication systems. This module detects HTML links representing attachments, retrieves metadata from attachment servers, and reconstructs rich attachment objects. The intermediary translates the simplified HTML link format back into rich attachment format, enabling seamless interaction between systems with different capabilities without requiring changes to either the sending or receiving systems.
2Loss of information
If rich attachments are maintained in their original format across all systems, then attachment interactivity and dynamic content are preserved, but compatibility with systems without rich attachment capabilities deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by treating different email contexts differently. When an email is detected as originating from a non-native system, the regeneration module activates to restore rich attachment properties. When emails are from native systems, rich attachments are maintained as-is. This localized approach ensures that rich attachment restoration is applied precisely where needed (in native systems viewing emails from non-native systems) without attempting to modify emails in contexts where it would be unnecessary or problematic.
3Loss of information
If attachment metadata is retrieved and regenerated for each email from non-native systems, then rich attachment attributes are restored, but processing time and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The regeneration module extracts only the essential metadata needed to reconstruct rich attachment properties, rather than processing the entire email or retrieving all possible attachment information. By focusing on extracting key metadata elements such as attachment type, size, and relevant properties from the HTML link and associated data, the system efficiently restores rich attachment attributes without unnecessary processing overhead.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Rich attachments in emails (or other modes of communication) may be regenerated when an email with a rich attachment is sent to an application incapable of handling the rich attachment and then returned or forwarded to an application capable of handling the rich attachments. In some examples, the rich attachment may be along with a link (e.g., a hypertext markup language "HTML" link) or similar construct by the application capable of handling the rich attachment. A receiving / forwarding (or replying) application that is incapable of handling the rich attachment features, may simply keep the link in the email without processing the rich features. When the email comes back or is forwarded to the application capable of handling the rich attachment, the HTML link may be recognized, the attachment and associated metadata extracted, and presented to the recipient as rich attachment (e.g., in an attachment well).