Instant Messaging Notification System Using Color Cues
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Solution Overview
Problem
In instant messaging, users face inefficiency and annoyance when receiving predictable messages, such as 'thanks' or 'bye', as they need to refocus on the IM window to determine if the message is important, potentially missing additional content.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that uses different visual and audio cues to distinguish between categories of message content, such as positive and negative responses, by comparing incoming messages with a database of entries and altering the notification representation accordingly, allowing users to identify message categories without focusing on the IM window.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If standard notification is used for all messages, then users are alerted to all incoming messages, but users waste time refocusing on the IM window to read predictable messages like 'thanks' or 'bye'
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system applies different qualities (visual and audio cues) based on the local characteristics of each message. By analyzing message content and applying category-specific notification patterns, the system provides tailored notifications for different message types (e.g., predictable vs. unexpected messages), allowing users to quickly identify message importance without refocusing on the IM window.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses visual cues including color changes in notification indicators to represent different message categories. By assigning specific colors to different message types (e.g., one color for predictable messages, another for important messages), users can rapidly distinguish message importance through color coding without needing to read the actual message content.
2Loss of information
If users refocus on the IM window to read messages, then users can see the full message content, but users may miss important information added after predictable responses
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of incoming messages by comparing them against a database of predictable responses before the user refocuses on the IM window. This preliminary action identifies whether a message is predictable or contains important information, and the notification system is pre-configured to highlight important messages, ensuring users don't miss critical information when they do refocus.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification system provides feedback about message characteristics to the user through differentiated visual and audio cues. This feedback mechanism informs users about the nature of incoming messages (predictable vs. important) without requiring them to refocus on the IM window, thereby reducing the risk of missing important information while maintaining ease of operation.
3Ease of operation
If the system analyzes message content to categorize messages, then users can identify message categories without focusing on the IM window, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a simplified representation (copy) of the message content by comparing it against a pre-existing database of predictable responses. Instead of fully analyzing the entire message structure, the system uses pattern matching to identify message categories based on predefined templates, significantly reducing computational complexity while maintaining effective message identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of message analysis by using categorical classification based on predefined characteristics rather than comprehensive content analysis. By transforming continuous message content into discrete categories (predictable, important, etc.) using threshold-based comparison against database entries, the system reduces complexity while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus and systems for message notification in instant messaging are provided in which a message in an instant messaging session is received at a client application. The content of the received message is compared with a set of entries and the content is matched with an entry. Notification of a new message is displayed in a form representing the matched entry. Each entry may be associated with a category and the step of displaying notification represents the category of the matched entry. The entries may be any one of or a combination of words, phrases and/or symbols which commonly appear in messages such that a user can determine the category of a message content without focusing on the message.