Contact List Unread Information Indication and Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional communication devices do not allow users to conveniently view all information related to a specific contact in a single glance, as they classify information by type rather than contact, making it difficult to track and miss unread information.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that display an indicating icon on a contact list for unread information, allowing users to quickly browse and view related information sorted by contact, with unread messages prioritized and categorized for easy access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If information is classified by type (email, message, call history) in conventional devices, then information can be organized by category, but users cannot quickly view all information from a specific contact and may miss unread messages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the contact list by dividing it into multiple pages, with the first page displaying contacts having unread information and subsequent pages displaying contacts without unread information. This segmentation allows users to quickly identify and access unread information while maintaining organized contact browsing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses visual indicators (color changes and icons) to mark contacts with unread information. The indicating icon changes color or appears differently to signal unread status, enabling users to quickly identify which contacts have new information without reading through all contacts.
2Productivity
If users manually search through application interfaces to find unread information, then they can locate specific information, but it consumes time and increases the likelihood of missing information
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically checking and marking contacts with unread information before the user needs to view it. The indicating icons are pre-displayed on the contact list, so when users open the application, unread information is already identified and ready for quick access, eliminating the need for manual searching.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by providing visual indicators that immediately inform users about unread information status. When new information arrives, the indicating icon updates to show unread status, giving users real-time feedback about which contacts need attention without requiring them to actively search for updates.
3Loss of information
If all contacts are displayed without distinction, then the contact list is simple to view, but users cannot quickly identify which contacts have unread information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by adding indicating icons only to specific contacts that have unread information, while leaving other contacts unchanged. This localized modification allows the system to highlight important information without fundamentally changing the overall contact list structure or adding complexity to contacts without updates.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and an apparatus for reminding and browsing related information of contacts, and a recording medium using the same are provided. The method comprises: communicating with one or more social network services and receiving related information of contacts corresponding to the one or more social network services, wherein the related information comprises updates and events from the one or more social network services; displaying an update and event list, wherein the update and event list comprises the received updates and events and the name and image corresponding to each of the received updates and events; arranging the displayed updates and events based on the time of the updates and events; and displaying the updates and events with last update or event at the on top of the update and event list.