Smart Flow Action Mapping for Cross-Service UI Drag and Drop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Efficiently managing emails and associated applications across multiple software platforms is challenging due to the need for frequent context switches between different software applications, leading to inefficiencies in accessing and acting on notification emails.
Innovation Solution
A unified software suite that integrates smart mail and smart assistant systems, allowing seamless access and action on notification emails within a single interface, eliminating the need for context switching by providing a toggle switch for smart mail view and enabling command and action-centric modes for smart assistant operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users access notification emails through multiple separate software applications, then they can use specialized features of each application, but they experience frequent context switching and reduced efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple software applications (email client, calendar, contacts, tasks) into a single unified software suite that shares common UI elements, data storage, and functionality. Notification emails are integrated directly within the email application interface, allowing users to access related calendar events, contact information, and task details without switching to separate applications, thereby eliminating context switching and time loss.
2Productivity
If users integrate multiple software features into a single unified interface, then they eliminate context switching, but they increase the complexity of the software system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a unified software suite where a single email application provides multiple functions: email communication, calendar management, contact storage, and task coordination. Common UI elements like buttons, menus, and data display components are reused across different features, reducing overall system complexity while enabling efficient multi-functional operation within one application interface.
Data Source
AI summary
Smart flow system enables movement of a Contextually Actionable (CA) entity (e.g., user thumbnail/photo, email ID, files, contacts or list of contacts, text, hyperlinks, date/time, location) rendered in various parts of the user interface (UI) in the application from one service to another using, for example, a drag and drop mechanism. The mechanism includes mapping actions across services intuitively based on the entity that is being dragged and the drop target in the UI of a unified software suite. The unified software suite supports smart mail, smart assistant, and smart flow system. A user can drag a desired CA entity and drop it on a CA executing target. CA executing targets include but are not limited to a workdrive file or folder, chat window, call button, ongoing audio/video call, meeting widget, calendar event attendee, notes, tasks, contacts, list of contacts, mail, calendar, and tasks. The CA entity associated with the selected CA entity is segregated, curated and qualified and is checked with a CA registry. The CA registry datastore stores information related to a list of services and possible actions for the CA entity. The information is forwarded to the CA registry by the software service ecosystem. The software service ecosystem forwards the services corresponding to a CA entity.