Message Timestamp Re-alignment for Cross-Device Thread Consistency

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Solution Overview

Problem

The inconsistency of message timestamps across devices, such as mobile phones and web access devices, due to differences in timestamp generation by the mobile phone and the integrated messaging server, leads to discrepancies in message ordering.

Innovation Solution

The integrated messaging server synchronizes timestamps by storing and providing the timestamp corresponding to when a message was requested or received, ensuring consistency across all connected devices, including mobile phones and web access devices, even when they are disconnected from the network.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the mobile phone uses its own timestamp when sending/receiving messages, then the timestamp reflects the actual message transmission time, but the timestamp does not match the time recorded by the integrated messaging server when the phone is disconnected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetimestamp accuracyVSAvoidtimestamp consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the mobile phone stores the timestamp at the time of message composition, and the integrated messaging server stores the timestamp at the time of actual transmission. When the phone reconnects to the network, the server uses the pre-stored timestamp from the phone to ensure consistency with the display time on the phone, effectively mediating between the two different timestamp generation approaches.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of timestamp storage from a single universal timestamp to two different timestamps: one stored at the mobile phone (composition time) and another stored at the integrated messaging server (transmission time). This parameter change allows each system to maintain its own timing reference while ensuring consistency across the system boundary.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If the integrated messaging server uses its own timestamp when messages are transmitted, then the timestamp reflects the server's processing time, but the timestamp does not match the mobile phone's timestamp when the phone is disconnected from the network

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveserver timestamp accuracyVSAvoidcross-device timestamp consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile phone performs a preliminary action by storing the composition timestamp before actually transmitting the message. This pre-stored timestamp is then used by the integrated messaging server to ensure that the displayed time on the phone matches the server's recorded time, even when the phone was disconnected during transmission.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by having the mobile phone provide its stored timestamp information back to the integrated messaging server. The server uses this feedback to align its recorded timestamp with the phone's display time, ensuring consistency across devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If messages are displayed in reverse chronological order on all devices, then the most recent messages are always visible first, but timestamp inconsistencies cause incorrect message ordering when devices are disconnected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemessage display convenienceVSAvoidmessage ordering accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical system of relying on network connectivity for timestamp synchronization with an information-based system where timestamps are stored and exchanged between devices. This substitution allows correct message ordering to be maintained even when devices are disconnected from the network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS9485633B2Message timestamp re-alignment for message thread consistency across multiple devices

Publication Date: 2016.11.01 CELLCO PARTNERSHIP INC

AI summary

Systems and methods for message timestamp re-alignment for message thread consistency across multiple devices are disclosed. In some implementations, an outbound message originating at a mobile phone is received at an integrated messaging server. The outbound message is associated with a messaging protocol. A timestamp representing a send time for the outbound message associated with the messaging protocol at the mobile phone is determined, at the integrated messaging server, by receiving an indication of the send time from the mobile phone. The outbound message and the timestamp are stored at the integrated messaging server. The outbound message and the timestamp representing the send time for the outbound message are provided from the integrated messaging server to a client computing device different from the mobile phone.