Dynamic Message History Display for Recipient Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

In messaging applications, users face challenges in organizing and selecting the correct recipient due to limited information, especially when multiple conversations with the same recipient or group are ongoing, leading to difficulties in maintaining context and accuracy.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that displays a message composition application with a recipient field, a message history display area, and a message composition field, allowing users to receive text input, display a list of candidate recipients, and dynamically show message history associated with the selected recipient, enabling confirmation of the correct recipient and context-based message composition.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If message history is displayed for all candidate recipients, then user accuracy in selecting the correct recipient is improved, but device complexity and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverecipient selection accuracyVSAvoidinterface complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The message history display is made dynamic by showing it only when the cursor hovers over a candidate recipient in the dropdown list, rather than displaying it statically for all recipients. This dynamic behavior reduces interface complexity while maintaining recipient selection accuracy, as the history appears contextually when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The message history is prepared and made available in the display area before the user makes a final recipient selection. This preliminary display allows users to review conversation context and confirm the correct recipient before sending, improving selection accuracy without requiring complex post-selection processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of information

If message history display area is added to the composition interface, then conversation context is improved, but the area available for message composition is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconversation contextVSAvoidmessage composition area
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The message history display area is implemented as a dynamic element that appears and disappears based on user interaction (cursor hover). This allows the interface to provide conversation context when needed while maintaining maximum message composition area when the history is not being viewed, resolving the space conflict.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The message history is extracted from the main message composition flow and placed in a separate display area that is only activated when needed. This separation allows the composition area to remain uncluttered while still providing access to conversation context through the extracted history display.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Extent of automation

If cursor position detection is implemented, then automatic message history display is improved, but ease of operation is slightly reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic history displayVSAvoidrecipient selection process
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides automatic feedback by detecting cursor position over candidate recipients and automatically displaying the corresponding message history. This feedback mechanism automates the information provision process, reducing the need for manual actions while maintaining ease of operation through intuitive hover-based interaction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2592795B1System and method for displaying message history when composing a message
Publication Date: 2014.02.12 BLACKBERRY LTD
  • EP2592795B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2592795B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP2592795B1 patent drawingFigure 2c~2d

AI summary

A system and a method are provided for displaying message history while composing a message. The method includes displaying a message composition application comprising a first recipient field, a message history display area, and a message composition field; detecting an input into the first recipient field for specifying a recipient; and upon detecting that the recipient has been specified: displaying a second recipient field; navigating application focus from the first recipient field to the second recipient field; and displaying a message history associated with the recipient in the message history display area.