Dynamic Group Communication Filtering by User Status

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current group communication systems lack flexibility in managing group membership, leading to unnecessary information dissemination to members who are not available or concerned, particularly in dynamic scenarios like on-call teams, where group composition frequently changes.

Innovation Solution

A method for dynamic group management that allows users to select communication rules based on their availability, enabling communication only with members having a specific status, and includes a server that filters group communications according to user statuses, reducing unwanted messages by allowing users to change their status and update notifications accordingly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If all group members are included in communications, then complete information dissemination is achieved, but unavailable members receive unnecessary information increasing communication load

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation dissemination completenessVSAvoidcommunication load
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the effective group composition based on real-time availability status of members. When a member sets their status to unavailable, they are automatically excluded from receiving group communications. This dynamic filtering mechanism ensures that communications are sent only to currently available members, reducing unnecessary information load while maintaining complete information dissemination to those who can receive it.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Stability of the object's composition

If group composition is fixed at creation, then group stability is maintained, but flexibility to adjust membership based on availability is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegroup composition stabilityVSAvoidgroup composition flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments group members into different availability categories (available, unavailable, do not disturb). This segmentation allows the group to maintain its overall stable composition while enabling flexible adjustment of effective membership for communications. Members can independently change their availability status without affecting the group structure, thus achieving both stability and adaptability simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If administrator manages group creation, then centralized control is achieved, but ease of dynamic membership adjustment is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecentralized controlVSAvoidmembership adjustment ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables members to self-manage their availability status independently. Each member can set their own status to available, unavailable, or do not disturb without requiring administrator intervention. This self-service mechanism maintains centralized control over the group structure while greatly simplifying the process of adjusting effective membership composition based on individual availability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3447998B1Method for dynamic filtering of a group communication
Publication Date: 2022.04.20 STREAMWIDE
  • EP3447998B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP3447998B1 patent drawingFigure 1c~2a
  • EP3447998B1 patent drawingFigure 2b~2c

AI summary

A communication management method, implemented by a system comprising at least one user terminal (10) and a communication management server (20), the server comprising a memory (22) in which are recorded: - for each user, a user identifier associated with a current user status and at least one terminal identifier, and - a definition of at least one user group containing the list of identifiers of the user members of the group, the method comprising a step of establishing communication between the user terminal and the group, during said step: - the terminal sends a communication rule to the server, and - the server establishes communication between the user terminal and a set of user terminals that are members of the group, said set being determined from the communication rule and the current statuses of the user members of the group.