Visual Email Filter Management Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing email management systems require users to individually select and modify each email filter, making it inefficient to create, view, and manage filters, and it is difficult to confirm if email filters are correctly applied.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that uses a filter visual display to generate email filters by allowing users to select and place simple filter icons and action icons within a display area, creating a visual representation of email filters, enabling users to create, view, and modify filters interactively, and providing a visual representation of filter connections and actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users individually select and modify each email filter, then filter management is possible, but the process is inefficient and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments filter management into visual components (icons representing filter criteria and actions) that can be independently selected and combined. Users drag and drop these segmented visual elements to construct filters, replacing the need to individually select and modify each filter parameter in a traditional list view, thereby improving efficiency and reducing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses visual icons as copies or representations of filter criteria and actions. Instead of working with abstract text-based filter parameters, users interact with graphical icons that visually represent filter conditions and actions, making the process more intuitive and faster, thus addressing the efficiency and time loss problems.
2Ease of operation
If users select each filter individually to view and modify, then filter configuration is possible, but the process becomes complex and difficult to navigate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple filter management functions (viewing, modifying, creating) into a single visual display interface. All filters are displayed together as visual icons, and users can perform any operation by selecting from this unified view, eliminating the need to navigate through complex individual filter selections and reducing interface complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs visual differentiation through color coding or visual attributes to represent different filter types, priorities, or states. This visual encoding allows users to quickly identify and select filters without navigating complex menus, simplifying the user interface and making filter management more intuitive.
3Reliability
If traditional filter display is used, then filter list is shown, but it is difficult to confirm that filters are correctly applied to email messages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates visual feedback elements that show users whether their filters are correctly applied. The visual display provides immediate feedback about filter status and application, allowing users to confirm that filters are working as intended. This feedback mechanism prevents information loss about filter application status and improves reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and machine-implemented method is provided for generating an e-mail filter including receiving an indication of a selection of a simple filter representing a filter criterion and a placement of the simple filter icon within a display area displaying a visual representation of a collection of e-mail filters corresponding to the user, receiving an indication of a selection of an action icon representing an action to be performed with respect to an e-mail message and a placement of the action icon within the filter display area with respect to the simple filter icon, the placement representing a connection of the action icon with the simple filter icon, generating an e-mail filter comprising one or more filter criteria including the filter criterion in response to receiving the indication of the placement of the action icon and assigning the action to the e-mail filter.