Augmented Chat Interface for Contextual Information Pods

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current electronic communication solutions, such as instant messaging, lack visual and contextual affordances, making it difficult for users to access relevant information during conversations, and they do not support the insertion of rich media content, disrupting the communication flow.

Innovation Solution

An augmented chat application (ACA) that analyzes conversation text for keywords and sentiment to provide contextually relevant information through graphical user interface pods, allowing users to interact with information without leaving the conversation stream, sourcing from various platforms like Flickr, CNN, and social media.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If users search for relevant information from multiple sources during conversation, then contextual information can be found, but communication flow is disrupted and time is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess to contextual informationVSAvoidcommunication flow disruption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by proactively searching for and retrieving contextual information related to conversation keywords before the user needs to manually search. The server monitors conversation streams, identifies keywords, and pre-retrieves relevant information from multiple sources, so that information is ready when needed without disrupting communication flow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements self-service by automatically monitoring conversation streams, extracting keywords, searching for relevant information, and presenting contextual information to users without requiring manual intervention. The augmented chat application autonomously manages the information retrieval process, freeing users from needing to leave the conversation to search for context.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Adaptability or versatility

If rich media content is inserted into conversation, then communication expressiveness is improved, but communication flow is disrupted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverich media content supportVSAvoidcommunication flow

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by providing rich media content selectively based on conversation context rather than universally. Information pods display rich media (images, videos, articles) only when relevant keywords are detected in specific conversation segments, allowing rich media enhancement without disrupting overall communication flow in unrelated parts of the conversation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Loss of information

If manual information searching is performed, then relevant context can be found, but ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontextual information accessVSAvoiduser convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The server acts as an intermediary between the conversation and information sources. It receives conversation data, performs keyword analysis, queries multiple information sources, and returns contextual information to the augmented chat application, which then presents it to users. This intermediary process automates what would otherwise require manual user searching.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Loss of information

If information is displayed in separate windows or applications, then contextual information is accessible, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontextual information displayVSAvoidinterface integration

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges the information display function with the existing chat interface by integrating information pods directly into the conversation stream. Contextual information is displayed within the same application window as the chat, combining communication and information retrieval functions into a unified interface rather than requiring separate windows or applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system adds another dimension to the chat interface by incorporating information pods that display contextual information alongside the conversation stream. This creates a multi-dimensional display where users can view both chat messages and relevant contextual information simultaneously in different portions of the same interface, rather than switching between separate applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS10565268B2Interactive communication augmented with contextual information

Publication Date: 2020.02.18 ADOBE INC

AI summary

Techniques are disclosed for augmenting an interactive communication session with contextually relevant information. A computing device, such as a smartphone or tablet computer, can be configured to provide an augmented chat application configured to create, send, receive and display a conversation, and further configured to locate, retrieve and display, via a graphical user interface (GUI), other information that is contextually relevant to the conversation. The contextual information may be shared with one or more other users who are participating in the conversation either automatically or in response to a user input. The contextual information can be displayed or otherwise presented to the user explicitly (e.g., the actual content of the contextual information can be displayed via the GUI) or implicitly (e.g., a referent to the contextual information, such as a hyperlink or other cue, can be displayed via the GUI).