Unified Contact Management via Phone Number Indexing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing contact management systems on smartphones are prone to data accuracy issues, duplicate entries, and outdated information due to manual entry and lack of centralized management, leading to difficulties in updating and sharing contact details across multiple platforms.
Innovation Solution
A system that utilizes a single record per user indexed by their phone number, accessible through various networks and cached locally with permission, allowing owners to control access and ensure data consistency across devices, eliminating duplicates and enabling seamless updates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If contact records are stored locally on each smartphone, then data access speed is improved, but data consistency and accuracy deteriorate due to manual entry errors and lack of centralized management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges local storage capabilities with centralized cloud management by implementing a hybrid architecture where contact records are stored both locally on the smartphone and remotely on the server. This allows fast local access while maintaining data accuracy through centralized management, automatically syncing updates across all devices without requiring manual entry.
2Ease of operation
If contact information is shared freely with others, then ease of sharing is improved, but data security and user control deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic access control where sharing permissions are not static but can be modified in real-time by the contact owner. Users can grant or revoke access to specific contact records for specific devices, allowing flexible sharing while maintaining security control. The system adapts permissions based on user preferences and can automatically update access rights across all connected devices.
3Ease of manufacture
If manual entry methods are used for contact records, then ease of entry is improved, but data accuracy and duplicate prevention deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automated duplicate detection and prevention systems that work in the background without interfering with manual entry. When a user creates or imports contact records, the system automatically checks against existing records, identifies duplicates, and prevents redundant entries. This maintains ease of manual entry while improving data accuracy through automated validation.
4Productivity
If contact records are updated locally without notification, then update speed is improved, but data consistency across devices deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where local updates trigger automatic synchronization notifications to the central server, which then propagates changes to all other connected devices. This ensures that while updates can occur quickly locally, consistency across the system is maintained through automated feedback loops that keep all devices synchronized with the latest contact information.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for providing management of contact records includes a contact record that is associated with an initiator and is indexed by a phone number of the originator. To initiate delivery of some part of the contact record of the originator, the originator enters a phone number of a recipient into an application and some part of the fields of the contact record are transmitted to a device of the recipient where they are stored in the recipient's contact list. In some embodiments, the part of the fields sent is determined by a relationship between the initiator and the recipient such as family, co-worker, acquaintance, friend, stranger, etc. When changes are made to the contact record, the recipient device will receive updated information. Features are provided for automatic deletion of the subset of fields from the recipient device upon request or after a specified time period.