Theme-Clustered Instant Messaging for Group Communication
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing messaging systems, particularly for mobile devices, are inefficient for group communication as they often require individual text messaging or email updates, lacking a seamless way for multiple users to share and respond to messages around a common theme in real-time.
Innovation Solution
A system that clusters instant messages around a common theme, such as a picture or graphic, using a server to manage message queues and distribute messages to associated devices, ensuring transient messaging with no permanency in databases, allowing users to send and receive messages grouped by a marker that can also include applications or files.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If individual text messaging or email is used for group communication, then message delivery is possible, but communication efficiency deteriorates due to the need to contact each person separately
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual messaging operations into a single group messaging operation. The system allows one message to be sent simultaneously to multiple recipients by combining their contact information into a group, thereby improving communication efficiency and eliminating the time loss associated with individual messaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The messaging system is designed to perform multiple functions: it can send messages to individuals, to groups, and support various communication modes (text, email, instant messaging). This multi-functionality allows the system to adapt to different communication needs while maintaining efficiency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If messages are stored permanently in databases, then message history is preserved, but message transientness deteriorates as users may not want permanent storage for all communications
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts message storage based on user preferences and message types. Messages can be configured to be transient (not stored permanently) or persistent (stored in database), allowing flexibility in permanency while maintaining reliability for messages that require archival.
Solution Approach 2:
Different storage policies are applied to different messages or message types. Important messages can be stored permanently in the database while transient messages are handled differently, allowing local quality variation in storage behavior based on specific message characteristics.
3Adaptability or versatility
If group messaging functionality is added to existing systems, then communication capability is improved, but system complexity increases due to message clustering and distribution requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a message cluster as an intermediary structure that simplifies group messaging. Instead of directly managing complex one-to-many relationships, the system uses message clusters to group related messages and recipients, reducing the apparent complexity of the messaging system.
Solution Approach 2:
The messaging system is segmented into distinct functional components: message creation, cluster formation, distribution management, and storage handling. This segmentation allows each component to be independently managed and optimized, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining group messaging capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to systems and methods for facilitating real-time instant messaging among a group of people. In one embodiment, the instant messages are clustered around a theme, such as a picture, a graphic or even bit mapped data. The common theme acts as a marker, and messages are accumulated around that marker for distribution to a group of people associated with that marker. In one embodiment, the messages are transient in nature and thus have no permanency in any database.