Instant Messenger Hyperlink Preview Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional Instant Messenger technologies require users to manually add text descriptions for hyperlinks, leading to user effort and impaired experience, as users often mistake hyperlinks for viruses and lack vivid information about shared content, affecting usability and interactivity, especially in online transactions.

Innovation Solution

A method and device that detect hyperlinks in instant messaging messages, verify them against predetermined rules, pull out abstract information from matching hyperlinks, and display this information within a control, eliminating the need for user-added descriptions and enhancing user experience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the conventional Instant Messenger directly displays the instant messaging message with URL, then the display is simple, but the user experience is impaired and users often mistake the URL for viruses

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay simplicityVSAvoiduser trust in hyperlink
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a preview control as an intermediary element between the URL and the user. This control displays abstract information (title, description, thumbnail) about the web page content before the user clicks the URL, serving as a mediator that builds user trust without requiring manual text descriptions. The preview control acts as a buffer that explains what the URL leads to, reducing the likelihood of users mistaking it for a virus.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a text description is added for every URL, then user trust and information quality improve, but user effort and operation complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser trust in hyperlinkVSAvoiduser effort in adding descriptions
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically retrieves and displays abstract information (web page title, description, and thumbnail) from the URL itself, eliminating the need for users to manually add text descriptions. The Instant Messenger client autonomously fetches metadata from the web page corresponding to the URL and populates the preview control, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring user input.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary action by automatically retrieving and displaying abstract information about the web page before the user clicks the URL. The system fetches the title, description, and thumbnail in advance and populates the preview control, so that when the user encounters the URL, the information is already prepared and displayed, eliminating the need for subsequent manual description addition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If abstract information is automatically pulled out and displayed, then user experience and transaction clarity improve, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransaction clarityVSAvoidsystem complexity for information retrieval
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a preview control as an intermediary element that manages the complexity of information retrieval and presentation. This control encapsulates the abstract information (title, description, thumbnail) and provides a standardized interface for displaying web page content metadata. By confining the complexity within this dedicated control component, the rest of the system remains relatively simple while still achieving enhanced transaction clarity and user experience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2579523B1Method and device for displaying instant messaging messages
Publication Date: 2017.05.03 TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) CO LTD
  • EP2579523B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2579523B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2579523B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

This invention relates to Instant Messaging technology and discloses a method and a device for displaying instant messaging messages. The method includes detecting whether an instant messaging message to be displayed includes a hyperlink; when it is detected that the instant messaging message comprises the hyperlink, pulling out abstract information corresponding to the hyperlink; filling the pulled-out abstract information in an inserted control; and displaying the instant messaging message as well as the control where the abstract information corresponding to the hyperlink is located. The device includes a detection module, a pulling module and a display module. By means of when detecting that a hyperlink is contained in an instant messaging message to be displayed, pulling out abstract information corresponding to the hyperlink, filling the pulled-out abstract information in a control inserted behind the hyperlink, and displaying the control in which the abstract information corresponding to the hyperlink is located, the invention is able to display to users the content of the hyperlink contained in the instant messaging message, therefore improving the usability and interactivity of the Instant Messenger and raising the users' experiences.