Unified Social Network Content Aggregation and Comment Integration

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Users of social networks face a disjointed experience when viewing and commenting on content items shared by contacts, as comments are distributed across multiple social networks and content sources, requiring frequent transitions and differing user interfaces, leading to inefficiency and inconsistency.

Innovation Solution

A device configured to retrieve and aggregate content items and comments from various content sources within a social network, allowing users to view and comment on shared content items in a unified presentation without leaving the social network, by monitoring and integrating content sources with the social network.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If users view content items at content sources, then they can access the full content, but they must frequently transition between content sources and social networks, reducing ease of operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess to full contentVSAvoiduser transitions

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The social network acts as an intermediary platform that aggregates content items from multiple content sources into a unified news feed. Users can view content previews, comments, and interact with content within the social network interface without needing to navigate to individual content sources, thereby reducing transitions while maintaining access to content information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines multiple content sources and their associated content items into a single unified presentation within the social network. Content items from different sources are merged into one news feed interface, allowing users to access diverse content without making separate trips to different content sources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Loss of information

If comments are distributed across content sources and social networks, then all comments can be collected, but the user interface becomes inconsistent and complex, reducing ease of operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomment collectionVSAvoidinterface consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges comments from multiple sources (content sources and social network posts) into a single unified comment section within the social network interface. This consolidation allows users to view all comments related to a content item in one place, preventing information loss while maintaining interface consistency and simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If users navigate to content sources to view content, then they can see the full content, but productivity decreases due to frequent navigation and transitions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent viewingVSAvoiduser efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The social network serves as an intermediary that provides a consolidated view of content items from multiple sources. Users can efficiently browse and interact with content through the unified news feed interface, reducing the time and effort spent navigating between multiple content sources while still accessing content information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges multiple content sources into a single unified interface, allowing users to access content from various sources without making separate navigation trips. This consolidation significantly improves user productivity by eliminating repetitive navigation actions while maintaining reliable content access.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Adaptability or versatility

If content items are shared across multiple social networks and content sources, then sharing versatility is improved, but the distribution becomes disjointed and complex, reducing ease of operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesharing capabilityVSAvoidinterface consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal interface within the social network that can handle content items from multiple different content sources and social networks. The unified news feed and comment system provides multi-functional capability to display, view, and interact with content regardless of its origin, maintaining versatility while simplifying user interaction through interface consistency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10893082B2Presenting content items shared within social networks

Publication Date: 2021.01.12 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Within a social network, a user may establish a set of contacts who share with the user various content items and comments related thereto. However, these content items are often hosted by a content source outside of the social network, and the user may have to transition to the content source to view the content item, and then transition back to the social network to submit a comment. Instead, a device may monitor the social network to record shared content items. When the user requests a presentation of the content source, the content items hosted by the content source that have been shared with the user may be included in the presentation. The presentation of the content source may also accept comments from the user regarding a content item, and send the comments to the social network where the content item was shared with the user.