Visual Workflow Designer for SMS Gateway Configuration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Configuring SMS gateways for complex interactions with customers is often complicated and requires detailed experience with scripting languages, making it difficult for businesses to set up automated electronic message communication without technical expertise.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for sending electronic messages that generate a graphical user interface allowing users to select message types and functional features, store templates, and schedule message delivery without requiring programming skills, enabling non-technical staff to configure messaging processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If SMS gateways are configured for complex interactions with customers, then the functionality and capability of the messaging system is improved, but the complexity of configuration and the requirement for scripting language expertise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a visual workflow designer as an intermediary layer between the user and the SMS gateway system. This drag-and-drop interface allows users to configure complex messaging interactions through visual blocks representing different messaging scenarios, states, and actions, eliminating the need for scripting language expertise while maintaining full functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional text-based scripting language configuration mechanism with a graphical user interface based on drag-and-drop visual programming. This substitution transforms the configuration process from requiring programming skills to using intuitive visual elements, thereby reducing complexity while preserving adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If SMS gateways are configured for complex interactions with customers, then the functionality and capability of the messaging system is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to requiring scripting language expertise
Solution Approach 1:
The visual workflow designer serves as an intermediary that translates user-friendly drag-and-drop operations into the underlying messaging logic. This intermediary layer shields users from complexity by providing an intuitive interface where messaging scenarios are configured through visual blocks rather than scripting languages, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining messaging capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides self-service capabilities through automated template generation and visual workflow assembly. Users can configure complex messaging interactions by simply dragging and dropping pre-defined blocks into the desired sequence, with the system automatically handling the configuration details without requiring users to write or understand scripting code.
3Ease of operation
If a visual workflow designer with drag and drop interface is implemented, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses template-based copying where pre-defined messaging scenario blocks are created once and then reused multiple times through the drag-and-drop interface. These templates encapsulate complex messaging logic internally, allowing the visual interface to remain simple while handling sophisticated interactions through copied and reused configuration patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The messaging configuration is segmented into discrete, reusable visual blocks representing different messaging scenarios, states, and actions. Each block is an independent unit that can be dragged and dropped into the workflow, breaking down complex messaging logic into manageable segments that simplify the user interface while maintaining system capability.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates to sending electronic messages, including SMS, voice and email messages. A processor generates a graphical user interface with multiple message types as options to a user, and with multiple functional features for each of the multiple message types. The user selects message types and functional features for the message types. The processor stores a template as one of multiple templates associated with a template identifier. The template comprises data indicative of the selected message types and the selected functional features. Received message generation request data comprises addresses associated with a template identifier. The processor selects a second template from the multiple templates such that the second template is associated with the template identifier and creates for each of the message addresses an electronic message and sends each electronic message to the associated message address.