Cross-System Account Linking via Confidence-Based Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Different online systems maintain distinct identifiers for users, preventing seamless information exchange and hindering the ability of one system to access user information from another system, even if authorized, due to differing identification methods.
Innovation Solution
Establishing connections between accounts maintained by an online system and third-party accounts by comparing and matching information, applying rules to determine confidence levels, and generating clusters of associated accounts to facilitate accurate user identification and information sharing across systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If different online systems maintain distinct identifiers for users, then each system can independently manage its user identification, but information exchange between systems is prevented and user identification across systems becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mapping table as an intermediary data structure that stores correspondence relationships between user identifiers from different online systems. This mapping table acts as a mediator that translates identifiers from one system to another, enabling information exchange without compromising the independence of each system's identifier management. The mapping table contains fields for first online system identifiers, second online system identifiers, and confidence levels, facilitating accurate user identification across systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of identifier representation by maintaining multiple identifier formats for the same user across different systems. Instead of using a single identifier type, the system stores and manages multiple identifier parameters (from different online systems) that all refer to the same user, allowing flexible identification and information retrieval across system boundaries.
2Adaptability or versatility
If online systems exchange information about users, then user information becomes more accessible across systems, but privacy settings and authorization limitations may be violated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different confidence levels to different identifier mappings based on their reliability and authorization status. Each mapping in the mapping table has an associated confidence level that reflects the reliability of that particular identifier correspondence. This allows the system to selectively use high-confidence mappings for information exchange while maintaining authorization compliance, rather than treating all mappings uniformly.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple identifiers are maintained for the same user across different systems, then user information can be accessed from multiple sources, but identifying the correct corresponding identifiers becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex identifier matching problem into manageable components by organizing mappings in a structured mapping table. Each mapping is a discrete, independently manageable record that associates specific identifiers from different systems with a confidence level. This segmentation allows the system to process and evaluate multiple identifier correspondences systematically rather than handling them as a single complex matching problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual or complex algorithmic identifier matching with a pre-computed mapping table structure. Instead of performing complex real-time matching operations, the system uses the pre-established mapping relationships stored in the mapping table, which can be efficiently queried and resolved. This substitution of complex matching mechanics with a structured data lookup approach reduces computational complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Online system users interact with one or more third party systems, with the online system maintaining an account for each of its users and each third party system maintaining a third party account for each of its users. The online system compares information in a user's account to accessible information in third party accounts and establishes connections between the user's account and third party accounts based on the comparisons, a connection including a confidence level indicating a likelihood of a third party account being associated with the user of the online system corresponding to the user's account. Similarly, the online system compares information in different third party accounts and establishes connections between different third party accounts based on the comparisons including includes a confidence level indicating a likelihood of a third party account and an additional third party account being associated with the same user.