Instant Messaging Notification Batching to Reduce Bandwidth
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Instant messaging systems consume bandwidth with frequent notifications such as Message_Delivered, Message_Read, Typing_Started, and Typing_Stopped, which can lead to unnecessary communication overhead and delays in user response times.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where a single IM communication confirms multiple events at a device, reducing the frequency of notifications by delaying and combining them, such as sending a single combination notification when a user starts or stops typing, or when a message is read and delivered, within a configurable time interval of 5-10 seconds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If frequent notifications (Message_Delivered, Message_Read, Typing_Started, Typing_Stopped) are sent to provide real-time conversation status, then users receive timely information about message status and typing activity, but bandwidth consumption increases and communication overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate notifications (Message_Delivered, Message_Read, Typing_Started, Typing_Stopped) into a single consolidated notification message. Instead of sending individual notifications for each event, the system merges them into one communication that conveys multiple status updates, thereby reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining comprehensive information delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic batching of notifications where multiple events are accumulated over a time period and then transmitted together in a single notification. This periodic action reduces the frequency of communications while ensuring that users receive timely information about message status and typing activity without excessive bandwidth usage.
2Loss of information
If multiple separate notifications are sent for each IM event, then users receive detailed real-time status updates, but the frequency of communications increases causing network overhead and potential delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple conversation status events into a single notification message that includes details about message delivery, reading status, and typing activity. This consolidation reduces the number of separate communications while preserving all relevant information, thereby reducing network overhead and preventing delays that would result from processing multiple separate notifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary accumulation of notification events before transmission. By gathering multiple status updates and preparing them for combined transmission in advance, the system reduces the immediate communication frequency while ensuring that comprehensive status information is delivered efficiently, thus improving user response time without losing conversation status details.
3Speed
If notifications are sent immediately for each event, then users receive real-time updates about message status, but bandwidth is consumed that could be used for other communications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic notification delivery where multiple events are accumulated and transmitted together at scheduled intervals rather than immediately upon occurrence. This approach maintains relatively fast notification delivery speed while significantly reducing total bandwidth consumption by consolidating multiple small transmissions into fewer, larger transmissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple notification events into single consolidated messages that deliver comprehensive status updates. This merging reduces the total volume of data transmitted across the network while maintaining the informational completeness and delivery speed users expect, thereby preserving bandwidth for other communications.
Data Source
AI summary
To reduce the communications in an IM conversation between two devices, two or more IM events of the conversation at the first device are confirmed by sending to the second device a single IM communication that confirms the most recent of the events. In order that the user of the second device not experience undue delay in receiving the confirmation, the method may be applied where the time interval between any two consecutive ones of the events is less than a predetermined time.