Group Messaging File Sharing via Co-located Device Relay
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Solution Overview
Problem
In group messaging environments, content such as text, images, or videos is currently downloaded individually to each device over the Internet, regardless of location, leading to inefficient data usage and battery consumption, as well as increased load on application servers.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that determines co-located users based on their locations, battery levels, and data download speeds, selecting a leader to download content from the server and share it via short-range communication mediums like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct, thereby reducing data usage and battery expenditure among group members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If content is downloaded individually to each device over the Internet, then each user receives the content reliably, but data usage and battery consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual content downloads into a single download by one user, who then shares the content with co-located users through short-range wireless communication. This combining approach reduces redundant Internet downloads and associated battery consumption while maintaining content delivery to all group members.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where one user acts as a content distributor for co-located users. This intermediary user receives content from the Internet and redistributes it locally via short-range communication, eliminating the need for each user to independently download content over the Internet.
2Ease of operation
If content is downloaded individually to each device over the Internet, then each user has direct access to content, but server load increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple content requests from co-located users into a single server transaction. By having one user download content on behalf of the entire co-located group, the system reduces the number of server interactions from N (number of users) to 1, significantly decreasing server load and improving overall system productivity.
3Ease of operation
If content is downloaded individually to each device, then data usage is distributed among users, but total data consumption and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges redundant data transmissions by having one user download content once and share it with co-located users through local short-range communication. This eliminates multiple copies of the same data traversing the Internet, reducing total data consumption and associated costs while maintaining content availability for all users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions content distribution from a single-dimension Internet-based model to a two-dimension model combining Internet download with local short-range wireless sharing. This dimensional shift allows content to be delivered efficiently over the Internet once, then distributed locally without additional Internet data consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, a computer program product, and a computer system for receiving and sharing files in a group messaging environment. One or more servers in an infrastructure computing environment receive a file from a mobile device of a first user in a group of users in a session of group messaging. The one or more servers determine locations, battery levels, and data download speeds of mobile devices of the users. The one or more servers determine co-located users, based on the locations. The one or more servers select a second user from the co-located users, based on the battery levels and the data download speeds. The one or more servers send the file to a mobile device of the second user. The mobile device of the second user sends the file to mobile devices of the co-located users through a short-range communication medium.