Account Linking via Unified Interface for Multiple Identities
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users with multiple instant messaging accounts can only appear online and communicate with one account at a time, limiting their presence and communication capabilities unless multiple clients are run, which is cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows users to link multiple identities within a single service, enabling a common graphical user interface to manage and display multiple buddy lists and facilitate simultaneous presence and communication across linked accounts, using various authentication methods and link configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple instant messaging clients are run to appear online with multiple accounts, then presence and communication capabilities are improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple instant messaging account functionalities into a single client application. The system allows users to link multiple identities (accounts) within one service, enabling the single client to manage and display multiple buddy lists simultaneously. This consolidation eliminates the need to run multiple separate client applications while maintaining the ability to appear online with multiple accounts and communicate across all of them.
Solution Approach 2:
The instant messaging client is designed with multi-functionality to handle multiple identities within a single service. The system provides a universal interface that can authenticate and manage multiple accounts, display their respective buddy lists, and facilitate communications across all linked identities through one application window, making the single client serve multiple purposes that previously required separate applications.
2Ease of operation
If a single client is used to manage multiple accounts, then ease of operation is improved, but the ability to maintain separate buddy lists and identities deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The single client interface is segmented to display and manage multiple buddy lists simultaneously. Each linked identity maintains its own distinct buddy list, and the system presents these lists in a way that allows users to interact with each account's contacts separately. This segmentation preserves the identity and contact list separation that users expect while consolidating the management into one application.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-dimension interface (one buddy list per client) to a multi-dimensional interface where multiple buddy lists coexist within the same application window. The client can display buddy lists for different identities simultaneously, allowing users to navigate between and interact with multiple contact lists without switching applications, effectively adding a layer of organization within the unified interface.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple identities are linked within a single service, then communication capabilities are enhanced, but authentication complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication by storing and managing credentials for multiple identities in advance. When a user links multiple accounts within the service, the system securely stores authentication information for each identity. During operation, the client can automatically authenticate with linked accounts using pre-stored credentials, eliminating the need for users to manually enter passwords each time they switch between identities or initiate communications.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary authentication mechanism that manages multiple identities. Rather than requiring direct user authentication for each account, the system acts as an intermediary that handles authentication seamlessly. The client application manages the authentication process for linked identities, allowing users to communicate across multiple accounts without directly managing complex authentication protocols for each one.
Data Source
AI summary
Linking multiple identities from a single service includes for a user of a single service having multiple identities within the single service, authenticating a primary identity having a first buddy list associated with an account, authenticating a secondary identity having a second buddy list associated with the account, and creating an association between the primary identity and the secondary identity, where the primary identity and the secondary identity simultaneously share a common graphical user interface such that the primary identity interacts with the first buddy list and the secondary identity interacts with the second buddy list using the common graphical user interface.