Instant Messaging Context Recovery via Citation Tokens
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Solution Overview
Problem
In instant messaging systems, the increasing volume of data exchanged and stored over packet-based communication networks can lead to information loss, as users struggle to retrieve specific messages amidst the growing number of communications, and existing cut-and-paste features are limited in usefulness.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that allows users to recover the context of cited messages by processing computer-readable tokens within instant messaging clients, enabling the retrieval of related messages from storage media, and providing user-operable links to switch between threads or scroll to the cited message, with optional authorization and auto-detection based on keywords or linguistic analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the volume of data exchanged and stored over the network increases to support more communications, then the communication network can realise its full potential, but specific pieces of information may become lost to users amongst the increasing number of communications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary retrieval system that acts as a mediator between users and the stored message data. This system includes a retrieval client that communicates with a retrieval server, which maintains an index of stored messages and their contexts. The intermediary system processes retrieval requests, searches through stored communications, and returns relevant results, thereby enabling users to efficiently locate specific information without being overwhelmed by the total volume of stored data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-processing and indexing message data as it is stored in the network system. The retrieval server maintains pre-computed indexes of message contents, metadata, and contextual relationships before users need to search for them. This preliminary organization of data enables rapid retrieval operations later, allowing users to quickly find specific messages even amidst large volumes of stored communications.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual cut and paste features are provided to enhance functionality, then users can remind one another of specific messages, but the feature remains limited in usefulness for retrieving messages in context
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the retrieval system provides users with contextual information about cited messages. When a user retrieves a message, the system returns not only the message content but also surrounding context, related messages, and metadata that help the user understand the message's original context. This feedback loop enables users to verify whether the retrieved message is the correct one and understand its contextual meaning without manual searching.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the message retrieval process into distinct functional components: message identification, context extraction, result formatting, and delivery. The retrieval system breaks down the complex task of finding messages in context into manageable segments, with each component handling a specific aspect of the retrieval process. This segmentation improves ease of operation by presenting users with organized, contextually-rich results rather than requiring them to manually search through raw message data.
3Loss of information
If a data retrieval mechanism is implemented to probe records of transmitted messages, then message retrieval capability is enhanced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs copying by creating and maintaining index copies of the actual message data. Rather than requiring the retrieval system to search through the complete original message records, the system maintains simplified index copies that contain key information, metadata, and pointers to the full messages. These index copies enable rapid searching and retrieval operations without the complexity of processing the complete message data sets directly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by designing a retrieval system that can handle multiple types of retrieval operations through a unified interface. The retrieval client and server architecture supports various search criteria, message types, and contextual retrieval scenarios through a single multi-functional system. This universal approach reduces overall system complexity compared to implementing separate specialized retrieval mechanisms for each type of message query.
Data Source
AI summary
An instant messaging client application is executed on a first terminal, to participate in threads of instant messaging between user terminals over a packet-based network, each thread comprising exchanging text-based messages between the user terminals of a selected group of contacts comprising the first user and at least one second user. A digital record of the messages is maintained in a data storage medium. A further text-based message is received from one of the second terminals over the packet-based network, comprising a citation of a cited one of the text-based messages previously transmitted over the packet-based communication network and stored in the storage medium. The further message is processed at the first terminal so as, by reference to the storage medium, to recover a context of the cited message in relation to others of the text-based messages in the respective thread.