Concealed List for Mutual Interest Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing social media platforms do not effectively allow users to express romantic interests to friends without revealing their feelings, as traditional systems often exclude friends and family to avoid potential mishaps, limiting the ability for users to discreetly determine mutual interest.

Innovation Solution

A computing system and method that enables users to create a concealed list of persons with whom they have romantic interests, allowing for private interactions only when both parties have added each other to their respective lists, using a private conversation interface for encrypted communication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional social media platforms exclude friends and family from romantic interest expressions, then user privacy and avoidance of social mishaps are improved, but the ability for users to discreetly determine mutual interest with friends is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprivacy protectionVSAvoidromantic interest expression capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments users' contact lists into different categories (e.g., friends, family, acquaintances) and allows different privacy settings for each category. Users can selectively enable romantic interest expression with specific segments while maintaining privacy with others, thus resolving the contradiction between privacy protection and expression capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different privacy rules to different local contexts (specific friends or groups). Instead of a blanket exclusion policy, users can designate specific friends as exceptions where romantic interest expression is permitted. This localized approach maintains overall privacy while enabling discrete mutual interest determination with selected individuals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If users can express romantic interests to friends on social media, then the ability to determine mutual interest is improved, but the risk of revealing feelings unintentionally increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemutual interest determination capabilityVSAvoidunintentional feeling revelation

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system requires both users to preliminarily express interest in each other before any indication of mutual interest is revealed. User A must add User B to their interest list, and User B must independently add User A to theirs. Only after this preliminary mutual action does the system notify either party, preventing unintentional revelation before mutual consent.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements controlled feedback mechanisms where users only receive notifications about potential matches under specific conditions (mutual interest confirmation). This feedback control prevents premature or unintentional revelation of feelings while still enabling mutual interest determination when both parties are genuinely interested.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If encrypted private conversation interfaces are implemented, then communication security and privacy are improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication securityVSAvoidsystem architecture complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces an intermediary encrypted communication channel that is activated only when mutual interest is confirmed. Instead of implementing end-to-end encryption for all communications, the system uses a mediator approach where the platform facilitates the initial matching and then enables encrypted chat only for confirmed mutual interests, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining security where needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11831619B1Establishing concealed communications between parties

Publication Date: 2023.11.28 META PLATFORMS INC

AI summary

The disclosed computer-implemented method may include receiving an input from a user identifying specified persons that are to be included in a concealed list of persons. The specified persons may be unaware of their inclusion in the concealed list of persons. The method may also include generating the concealed list of persons and determining that a potential participant from the user's concealed list of persons has selected the user in a corresponding concealed list of persons that belongs to the potential participant and, in response to the determination, the method may include creating a private conversation instance that is unique to the user and the potential participant. The generated private conversation instance may include an interaction interface that allows the user and the potential participant to interact in a confidential manner. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.