Real-Time Communication Status Sharing via Color Indicators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems lack an efficient method for individuals to determine the availability and willingness of close friends to engage in real-time conversations, leading to cumbersome and intrusive processes.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that allows users to manually update their real-time communication status using colors (green, red, purple) and automatically changes the status to purple if not updated after 24 hours, enabling users to view and interact with friends' statuses for informed communication choices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If users manually inquire about friends' availability through phone calls or messages, then they can determine communication availability, but the process becomes time-consuming and disruptive
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by having users proactively set their communication status in advance (e.g., available, busy, in meeting). This status is then automatically shared with contacts, eliminating the need for real-time inquiries and providing immediate visibility into availability without time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - a status indicator system that mediates between users and their contacts. Instead of direct communication to check availability, the status indicator serves as an intermediary that conveys availability information automatically, reducing both time loss and information gap.
2Loss of information
If users manually inquire about friends' availability through phone calls or messages, then they can determine communication availability, but the process becomes intrusive and disruptive
Solution Approach 1:
Users set their availability status in advance before any communication attempt. This preliminary action ensures that when contacts want to communicate, they can check the pre-set status without causing disruption, as no active inquiry or call is needed to determine availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The status indicator acts as an intermediary that provides availability information without requiring direct contact. This eliminates the harmful factor of communication disruption because the inquiry itself is replaced by a passive status check, making the process non-intrusive.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional messaging applications focus on the number of connections, then network coverage increases, but the interface becomes cluttered and interactions lose quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the status indicator functionality from the general contact list and presents it separately. Instead of showing all contacts equally, the system extracts and highlights only those whose status is relevant to the user's communication needs, reducing interface clutter while maintaining access to the broader network.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality by providing detailed status information (available, busy, in meeting) specifically for contacts the user is currently interacting with or most likely to communicate with. This localized detail enhancement improves ease of operation for key interactions without requiring the entire interface to be complex.
Data Source
AI summary
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a system and method for sharing user communication status with individuals, comprising a first computing device with a communication status sharing module that enables users to register, authenticate, and send friend requests to connect with trusted contacts. Friend requests are transmitted to a server, which processes and forwards them to the computing devices of potential contacts. Upon acceptance, the system displays user profiles and real-time communication statuses using predefined indicators: green (free to talk), red (busy), and purple (free to text). The communication status sharing module allows users to manually update their statuses, which are transmitted to the server and shared only with directly connected users, ensuring privacy. Additionally, the system facilitates initiating communication actions, such as calls, messages, or in-app chats, based on the real-time statuses of connected users, promoting seamless, efficient, and informed communication within a trusted network.