Dynamic Query Chunking and Streaming for Reduced Wait Time

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Solution Overview

Problem

The complexity of modern web services infrastructure makes it challenging to maintain high service performance and user experience, particularly in monitoring and logging across disparate systems, where prolonged query processing times can lead to user dissatisfaction and system stalls.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for dynamic query chunking and streaming, where incoming queries are broken into smaller chunks, processed, and results are streamed back to the user interface as they are completed, allowing for immediate partial results that converge to the final outcome, with strategies selected based on processing time and user experience metrics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If queries are processed as single large units, then complete results are obtained, but user wait time increases and system stalls occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser wait timeVSAvoidquery processing throughput
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides large queries into smaller chunked queries that can be processed independently and in parallel. Each chunked query represents a subset of the original query's data requirements, allowing the system to process multiple chunks simultaneously rather than waiting for one large query to complete, thereby reducing user wait time while maintaining overall processing throughput.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of time

If queries are chunked and processed in parallel, then user wait time is reduced, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequery processing timeVSAvoidquery management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a query management system that acts as an intermediary between the user interface and the chunked query processing. This intermediary receives user queries, automatically determines whether chunking is appropriate, divides queries into chunks, coordinates parallel processing, and aggregates results. This centralized management layer handles the complexity internally while presenting a simple interface to users, thus reducing perceived system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If incremental results are streamed to users, then user experience is improved, but result accuracy convergence takes longer

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser experienceVSAvoidresult accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements continuous streaming of incremental query results to the user interface as chunks are processed, rather than waiting for all chunks to complete. Each streamed result represents a partial answer that converges toward the complete result over time. This continuous delivery maintains user engagement and provides immediate value while the system continues processing remaining chunks in the background, thus improving user experience without sacrificing final result accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentEP4478211A1Dynamic streaming of query responses
Publication Date: 2024.12.18 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC
  • EP4478211A1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4478211A1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4478211A1 patent drawingFigure 1C~1D

AI summary

Instead of processing a query as-is, the query is chunked or broken down into a sequence of smaller chunked queries and the chunked results of those smaller queries are streamed back to the requestor. Chunking the query and streaming the chunked results can substantially decrease the user's time to value when running a query by returning some immediate results for display which are refined and eventually converge on the full results as each chunked query runs.