Chat History Reference via Message Identifiers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for referring to prior messages in chat history are cumbersome, resource-intensive, and often lose contextual information, as users scroll back, copy, and paste messages, which can be inefficient and inconvenient.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method and apparatus that identifies messages in a chat history using message identifiers and metadata, allowing users to reference previous messages without resending them, and displays their presence on a display device, enabling efficient reiteration and context preservation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users scroll back and copy-paste messages to refer to prior chat history, then the referencing function is achieved, but user convenience deteriorates and time consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of referencing prior messagesVSAvoidtime to locate and copy messages

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-processes chat history by assigning unique identifiers and metadata to messages during the initial chat session. This preliminary tagging enables instant retrieval and referencing without requiring users to manually search or copy-paste messages later, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and time consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of information

If messages are copied and pasted to reference prior chat history, then the message content is reiterated, but resource overhead increases and context may be lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepreservation of message contextVSAvoidsystem resources for message handling

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of physically copying and pasting message content, the system creates lightweight references containing unique message identifiers and metadata. These references point to the original messages in the chat history, preserving full context while consuming minimal system resources. The referenced messages remain intact in their original location with all associated metadata.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If manual scrolling through chat history is used to find prior messages, then message retrieval is possible, but device complexity and operational difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedifficulty of locating messagesVSAvoidease of message retrieval

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces the mechanical scrolling and manual searching process with an automated identification and retrieval mechanism. Unique message identifiers and metadata enable direct positioning and instant display of referenced messages, eliminating the need for manual scrolling through chat history and significantly reducing operational difficulty.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS8909715B2References to history points in a chat history

Publication Date: 2014.12.09 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

A computer-implemented method for managing messages. Responsive to receiving a message at a data processing system, wherein the message comprises only a number of message identifiers and metadata identifying the message as pointing to a number of messages in a message history stored in the data processing system, the number of messages in the message history on the data processing system is identified to form an identified number of messages. A presence of the identified number of messages in the message history is displayed on a display in the data processing system.