Messaging Network Control Channel for Presence Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing messaging networks do not provide originating devices with recipient availability, status, or presence information before sending a message, leading to inefficiencies and lack of control over message delivery.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a communication network with a messaging server and user devices that include control channels for sending and receiving control data, enabling the server to share recipient availability, status, and presence information with originating devices before message transmission, using multiplexers to integrate control data with message channels and supporting stateless processing and device-to-device metadata sharing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a control channel is added to the messaging network to transmit presence and status information, then information completeness and message delivery efficiency are improved, but device complexity and network complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The messaging network is segmented into separate control channels and message channels. The control channel specifically handles presence, status, and availability information, while the message channel handles actual message transmission. This segmentation allows the presence information system to be developed and managed independently without complicating the core messaging function.
Solution Approach 2:
The control channel serves multiple functions: transmitting presence information, status updates, availability indicators, and delivery status notifications. By consolidating these control-related functions into a single channel type, the system avoids creating separate specialized channels for each function, thereby reducing overall network complexity while still providing comprehensive control information.
2Loss of information
If the server maintains device registration data, status data, and presence data in the control channel, then recipient availability information is improved, but information processing complexity and server load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The server performs preliminary actions by maintaining up-to-date registration data, status data, and presence data in the control channel before actual message transmission occurs. This allows the originating device to query recipient availability in advance and only send messages when the recipient is available, preventing unnecessary message storage and forward operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The control channel implements a feedback mechanism where devices periodically update their presence and status information, and the server maintains this data for query purposes. This feedback loop ensures that the server has current information about recipient availability without requiring complex real-time tracking of every device state change.
3Reliability
If control data is transmitted separately from message data, then control information reliability is improved, but network traffic overhead and message transmission time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges control data and message data into a unified messaging framework where both types of data can be transmitted together when appropriate. The multiplexer in the originating device intelligently combines control channel data (presence, status) with message channel data (actual messages) into single transmission packets when possible, reducing redundant transmissions and overall network traffic overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication network messaging server (1, 100) and user devices (2, 102) have control channels (10, 21, 110) to send and receive control data. The server sends to an originating device control data indicating recipient availability, status, and/or presence prior to the originating device sending a message. The server control channel (110) includes a multiplexer (104) for streaming between a user message channel and the control channel and maintains device registration data, status data, presence data, and user group management data. The server (100) enables end user initiated availability, status, and/or presence updates to be shared with the messaging network and with recipient devices via said control channel.