Messaging Content Tagging via Multi-User Visual Elements

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face inefficiencies in manually linking content items with multiple users in messaging applications, leading to untagged and unlinked content, missed conversations, and increased time consumption in identifying relevant users.

Innovation Solution

A system that automatically links content items with visual elements, such as stickers depicting multiple users, to their respective accounts by determining the visual element represents a plurality of users and adding it to the content item, thereby linking it to their accounts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If users manually identify and link content items to relevant users, then content can be properly tagged and linked, but it consumes excessive time and effort

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent tagging efficiencyVSAvoidtime for identifying and linking users

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically identifies users represented in visual elements and performs the linking operation without requiring user intervention. The messaging application autonomously analyzes the visual element, determines which users are depicted, and creates the associations automatically, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring manual user action.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of searching through user lists and clicking to link users with an automated image recognition and analysis system. The system uses computational algorithms to identify users in visual elements and automatically establishes links, substituting automated digital processing for manual user actions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If users navigate through extensive information pages to find relevant users, then they can locate and link users, but system resource usage increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser linking processVSAvoidsystem resource usage

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the necessary information (user identities) directly from the visual element itself, rather than requiring users to search through extensive information pages. By analyzing the visual content to identify depicted users, the system obtains the needed data efficiently without navigating through large amounts of unrelated information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs user identification and linking preparation in advance by analyzing the visual element as soon as it is added to the content item. This preliminary automated analysis prepares the linking data before the user needs to complete the association, eliminating the need for subsequent manual searching and reducing overall system resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If visual elements representing multiple users are added to content items, then content can be linked to multiple users, but manual identification of each user becomes complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemulti-user content linkingVSAvoiduser identification process

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically handles the complex task of identifying multiple users depicted in the visual element without requiring manual intervention. The messaging application autonomously analyzes the visual content, identifies all users represented, and creates appropriate links, allowing the system to manage the complexity internally rather than requiring user effort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the complex manual process of identifying multiple users in visual elements with automated image recognition and analysis technology. The system uses computational algorithms to detect and identify multiple users depicted in the visual element, automatically establishing links without requiring manual user action for each identification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12504866B2Automated tagging of content items

Publication Date: 2025.12.23 SNAP INC

AI summary

Aspects of the present disclosure involve a system for tagging content items. The system generates for display, by a messaging application, a content item. The system receives, by the messaging application, input that selects a visual element and determines that the visual element visually represents a plurality of users. The system adds the visual element to the content item. The system, in response to adding the visual element to the content item and based on determining that the visual element represents the plurality of users, links the content item with the visual element to one or more respective accounts on the messaging application of one or more of the plurality of users.