Cross-Application Communication Synchronization for Unanswered Questions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electronic communication systems fail to efficiently synchronize responses to unanswered questions due to the high volume of messages exchanged, leading to forgotten conversations and inefficient follow-up processes, especially when recipients are not immediately available or using different applications.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that monitors digital locations of senders and recipients using natural language processing to detect unanswered questions, and sends notification signals when both parties are concurrently using the same application or service, optimizing user experience by facilitating timely follow-up.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the recipient receives and processes a high volume of messages, then the communication capacity increases, but the recipient may forget unresolved conversations and responses are delayed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage processing capacityVSAvoidresponse delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by monitoring the recipient's digital location and availability status in advance, and prepares follow-up notifications before the recipient actually becomes available. This allows the system to immediately notify the recipient when they become available, reducing response delay without requiring the recipient to actively manage their message queue.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring whether messages have been read and whether responses have been received. When a message remains unread or unanswered beyond a threshold time, the system automatically sends follow-up notifications to the recipient, creating a closed-loop feedback system that ensures timely responses despite high message volumes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If the system sends follow-up notifications for unanswered questions, then the response rate improves, but the complexity of the communication system increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresponse rateVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The communication system is designed with multi-functionality, combining message delivery, reading status monitoring, response tracking, digital location monitoring, and automatic follow-up notification capabilities within a single integrated system. This universal approach allows the system to handle multiple communication tasks simultaneously without requiring separate specialized systems for each function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides self-service by automatically detecting unanswered questions, monitoring recipient availability through digital location tracking, and sending follow-up notifications without requiring manual intervention from the sender. The system autonomously manages the follow-up process, reducing the need for complex manual coordination while improving response rates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If the system monitors digital location and availability status continuously, then the timing of follow-up notifications improves, but the energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveavailability detection accuracyVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuous monitoring, the system uses periodic action by checking the recipient's digital location and availability status at intervals or triggered by specific events (such as when the recipient opens the application or device). This periodic approach maintains sufficient measurement precision for determining availability while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP4014442B1Method and system of synchronizing communications
Publication Date: 2025.09.10 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP4014442B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4014442B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4014442B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

Synchronous communications between a sender and recipient(s) of a message containing a question include receiving an indication that the message was sent from the sender via a user interface of a first application and a response to the question was not received within a predetermined time, monitoring a digital location of the sender and the recipients, determining whether the sender and at least one of the recipients are concurrently using a second application, and upon determining that the sender and at least one of the recipients are concurrently using the second application, sending a notification signal over the network to the sender or one of the one or more recipients to notify the sender or the recipient via a user interface element displayed on a client device that the sender and at least one of the recipients are available within the second application.