Document Linking in Chat Messaging Applications
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Solution Overview
Problem
In messaging applications, users face difficulties in efficiently referencing and discussing attachments, such as documents, images, and videos, as they need to navigate through chat history to locate specific parts, which is time-consuming and confusing, especially for distributed teams.
Innovation Solution
The system allows users to link parts of previously shared attachments directly within text messages by using autocomplete suggestions based on time, content, metadata, and user actions, enabling quick insertion of document fragments or links using a special character trigger, such as '@', which populates a suggestion window with relevant options.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If users manually navigate through chat history to locate specific attachments, then they can find the referenced content, but the time required and cognitive load increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical navigation process (scrolling through chat history, opening attachments, navigating to specific pages) with an automated information processing system. The system parses chat messages to extract attachment references, automatically searches for matching attachments in the chat history, and presents them to the user, thereby substituting manual mechanical search with automated computational search.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically performing the attachment location task without requiring user intervention. When a user mentions an attachment in a message, the system autonomously parses the message, identifies the referenced attachment, searches the chat history, and presents the location to the user, making the system serve itself in completing the information retrieval task.
2Adaptability or versatility
If users handle all document discussions inside the chat space, then communication becomes centralized and accessible to all team members, but the chat history becomes messy and difficult to understand
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts attachment references from the messy chat history and presents them as distinct, organized suggestions to the user. By parsing chat messages and identifying attachment mentions, the system separates the essential attachment information from the surrounding chat noise, allowing users to access referenced content without being overwhelmed by the full chat history complexity.
3Ease of operation
If users reference attachments by describing them in text, then communication remains simple and text-based, but the reference becomes vague and requires additional navigation steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by presenting parsed attachment references back to the user as suggestions. When the system parses a chat message and identifies an attachment reference, it feeds this information back to the user in an organized format, allowing the user to confirm the correct attachment. This feedback loop ensures that the simple text-based reference is accurately translated into a precise attachment link.
Data Source
AI summary
Example implementations described herein are directed to a system for inserting document links or document fragments in messaging applications. For input provided to a messaging application, example implementations can parse the input to determine document parameters, determine previously linked documents in messages of the messaging application corresponding to the document parameters; and embed at least one of a selected document fragment or document link from the determined previously linked documents.