Group Messaging Identity Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing group messaging systems face challenges such as the need for unique telephone numbers, compatibility across different messaging platforms, optimizing channel management, handling varying communication channels, and avoiding commercial contracts between operators, especially when multiple operators are involved.

Innovation Solution

Assigning a unique group identity to each user, allowing the message server to identify senders and receivers, and optimizing message delivery across multiple channels based on cost or quality of service, while reusing group identities and supporting various communication protocols and formats.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If all possible combinations of groups would have unique telephone numbers to send SMS to, then the system would support group messaging, but the telecom operators would quickly run out of telephone numbers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegroup messaging capabilityVSAvoidtelephone numbers
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the group messaging functionality by assigning a separate group identity to each user within the group. Instead of creating a unique telephone number for each group combination, the system divides the identification space into user identities and group identities, where each user has their own group identity for each group they belong to. This segmentation allows reuse of group identities across different users and groups, preventing exhaustion of telephone numbers while maintaining group messaging capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If a message server is used to manage group communication, then messaging efficiency is improved, but the need for separate address information and commercial contracts between operators increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessaging efficiencyVSAvoidaddress information management
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal message server that can handle multiple messaging protocols and formats (SMS, MMS, IP-messaging, etc.) through a single platform. The message server is designed to be protocol-agnostic, accepting messages in various formats and routing them appropriately. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate address information management for different protocols and reduces dependency on commercial contracts between operators, as the message server can directly route messages across different networks and protocols.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If multiple communication channels are available to users, then messaging reliability is improved, but channel management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessaging reliabilityVSAvoidchannel management
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The message server acts as an intermediary that manages multiple communication channels between users and groups. Instead of requiring users to manually manage multiple channels, the message server automatically selects, routes, and manages the appropriate communication channels based on the message type, user availability, and network conditions. This intermediary role simplifies channel management for users while maintaining high messaging reliability through intelligent channel selection and fallback mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3085129B1Group messaging
Publication Date: 2019.12.18 SMSGRUPP I STOCKHOLM
  • EP3085129B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for an operator to form a group (31, 32, 33) of users (Ua, Ub, Uc, …, Uk) for internal communication within the group of users over a communications network(2), where each user has a unique identity (a, b, c,.., k)in the communications network (2). Any user (Ua) in the group (31) can act as a sender (S) of a message, in which case every other user(Ub, Uc, Ud, Ue, Uf) in the group(31)is a receiver (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5) of the message, where the sender (S1) sends the message to a message server(1), and where the message server (1) forwards the message to each receiver (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5). A group identity(A, B, C, …, M) is assigned to each user (Ua, Ub, Uc, …, Uk) through which each user can send a message to the group (31, 32). The combination of the group identity for a user and the user identity uniquely specifies that user as a member of that group. Every group identity (A, B, C,…, M) is identified as a server identity for the message server (1) by the communications network (2). The message server (1), when receiving a message, identifies the sender (S1) by means of the sender user identity(a), and the group (31) by means of the unique combination (A-a)of the sender's user identity (a) and the group identity (A) used by the sender (S1).