Alias-Based Recipient Identification System
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic communication systems require users to input specific identifiers for recipients, which can be cumbersome, especially when the necessary information is not readily available or when ambiguity exists in contact lists.
Innovation Solution
The system infers implicit connections from explicit information such as social networks, email messages, documents, and search history to identify the intended communication recipient based on user input aliases, allowing for communication initiation without specifying the recipient's explicit contact information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If users input specific identifiers (phone numbers, email addresses) to initiate electronic communication, then communication accuracy is improved, but operation complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that maps generic aliases to specific communication identifiers. When a user inputs an alias like 'mom' or 'boss', the system automatically resolves it to the corresponding phone number or email address, eliminating the need for users to manually input or remember specific identifiers while maintaining communication accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a simplified copy or representation of the communication identifier system through aliases. Instead of requiring users to work with complex phone numbers or email addresses, the system allows them to use simple nickname copies that map to the full identifiers, reducing operational complexity while preserving the ability to accurately identify recipients.
2Reliability
If users maintain electronic contact lists to store recipient identifiers, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity and time to locate recipients increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of contact lists (identifying recipients) from the cumbersome structure of storing and managing detailed contact information. By allowing users to reference recipients through aliases without maintaining full contact lists, the system extracts the core reliability function while eliminating the complexity of contact list management.
Solution Approach 2:
The alias system serves multiple functions: it acts as a recipient identifier, a contact list substitute, and a disambiguation mechanism all in one. A single alias can resolve to one or more specific identifiers, providing universal functionality that replaces traditional contact lists while maintaining reliability through the ability to handle ambiguous references.
3Adaptability or versatility
If contact lists contain multiple recipients with similar names or identifiers, then communication versatility is improved, but disambiguation difficulty and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms to resolve disambiguation. When an alias could refer to multiple recipients, the system provides feedback to the user (such as presenting a list of possible matches) and requires confirmation or additional input to ensure the correct recipient is selected. This feedback loop maintains versatility while reducing disambiguation difficulty.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite information structures that combine multiple data sources (explicit contact information, implicit social network connections, communication history) to create a more robust recipient identification system. This composite approach allows the system to distinguish between recipients with similar aliases by considering multiple factors, thereby maintaining versatility while improving disambiguation accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods performed by data processing apparatus and computer storage media encoded with computer programs for receiving user input specifying an alias of an intended communication recipient, comparing the specified alias with identities of one or more potential recipients identified based on implicit connections inferred from explicit information relating to the user, identifying a best matching recipient based on a result of the comparing, and initiating a communication instance with the identified best matching recipient.