Event Media Overlay Messaging for Interactive Group Invites

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing social networking systems lack the ability to customize and efficiently overlay event invitations on media content, limiting interconnectivity and interactivity among users.

Innovation Solution

A system that allows users to create, configure, and edit event media overlays on top of content collections or ephemeral messages, enabling interactive group event sessions with minimized delay and enhanced animation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple communication channels are used to send event information, then information delivery is improved, but message composition complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation deliveryVSAvoidmessage composition
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The message is segmented into a header portion and a body portion. The header contains routing information for different communication channels (email, SMS, MMS, push notifications), while the body contains the actual event information. This segmentation allows the system to distribute information across multiple channels without requiring complex composition logic for each channel individually.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A message composition service acts as an intermediary between the event source and multiple communication channels. This service receives a single standardized message format, automatically segments and routes it to appropriate channels (email server, SMS gateway, MMS gateway, push notification service), thereby simplifying the overall message composition process while maintaining reliable multi-channel delivery.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Speed

If event information is sent to multiple users simultaneously, then information dissemination speed is improved, but network resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation dissemination speedVSAvoidnetwork resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

User preferences for communication channels are pre-configured and stored in a database before events occur. When an event happens, the system quickly retrieves these pre-stored preferences and distributes information according to them, enabling fast simultaneous dissemination without real-time decision-making overhead that would consume additional network resources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of message format to match user preferences stored in the database. Each user has predefined preferences for which communication channels they want to receive specific types of event information through. The message composition service adjusts message parameters (format, channel selection) based on these stored preferences, enabling efficient bulk distribution while respecting individual user settings and optimizing network resource usage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4139879B1Event overlay invite messaging system
Publication Date: 2026.05.20 SNAP INC
  • EP4139879B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4139879B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4139879B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Systems and methods are provided for receiving an ephemeral message, generating an event overlay interface, causing the event overlay interface to be overlaid on top of the ephemeral message, and receiving a selection of an event overlay component via the event overlay interface. The systems and method are also provided for generating a modified event overlay component based on the added plurality of event overlay content, causing the modified event overlay component to be overlaid on top of the ephemeral message, and transmitting the ephemeral message comprising the overlaid modified event overlay component.