Instant Messaging Shared Entity Identification and Display
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Solution Overview
Problem
Instant messaging systems face challenges in efficiently identifying and organizing relevant shared information, leading to reduced productivity due to the difficulty in locating and referencing shared files and transcripts related to ongoing conversations.
Innovation Solution
The system identifies and highlights relevant entities such as files, images, and transcripts by analyzing instant message sessions, replacing references with links, and displaying shared entities in buddy lists, thereby facilitating quick access and organization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If users manually search through file systems and email inboxes to locate shared files, then they can identify relevant files, but it consumes significant time and interrupts conversations
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically indexing and categorizing shared files based on conversation context before users need to locate them. Files are pre-organized by relevance to conversation topics, allowing users to access them immediately without manual searching.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary layer between users and their file systems. This intermediary automatically manages file sharing, tracking, and organization, eliminating the need for users to manually search through their own file systems and email inboxes.
2Productivity
If users share files manually in instant messaging, then files can be transferred, but organization and accessibility remain difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges file sharing functionality with conversation context management. Files are automatically associated with conversation threads and topics, combining what were previously separate functions (file transfer and organization) into a unified system that handles both simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides multi-functionality by enabling a single interface to handle file sharing, organization, retrieval, and context management. Users can share files, automatically have them organized by conversation topic, and retrieve them through a unified search interface without needing separate tools for each function.
3Productivity
If users reference shared files in conversations, then collaboration continues, but locating and accessing the files becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides continuous feedback by automatically updating file locations and accessibility status during conversations. When files are shared or referenced, the system immediately updates the conversation interface to reflect current file locations, allowing users to access files without interruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-indexing files and their locations before users need to reference them. When a user mentions a file during conversation, the system has already prepared the file path and access mechanisms, allowing immediate retrieval without breaking the conversation flow.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus, program product and/or method identify relevant shared entities and/or display shared entities in an instant messaging system. In particular, entities such as files, images, videos, e-mails, links, bookmarks, databases, transcripts of other instant messages, etc. that are shared between users participating in an instant message session may be identified and highlighted to indicate that the shared entities are related to the instant message session. Furthermore, a link to an entity may be sent to a user when the entity is referenced in an instant message of the instant message session. Additionally, a display representation of entities that are shared with a user may be displayed in the user's buddy list to indicate that the shared entity is accessible to the user and whom shared the entity with the user. Furthermore, a transcript may be associated with an entity.