Contact Server Notifies Offline Users via External Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional social networking applications lack the ability to notify users who are not logged in that a particular user has logged on to access the social networking application, limiting communication to exchanges between participants who are logged on at the same time and not providing a convenient way for users to invite others to interact.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that includes a contact server which identifies and notifies invitee users through a contact database, sending notification messages outside the social networking application via various communication channels such as SMS, instant messaging, or pre-recorded audio/video when an inviting user logs on, allowing for the notification of users who are not logged on to join the inviting user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional social networking applications only notify users within the application, then the system complexity remains low, but the ability to notify logged-off users is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a contact server as an intermediary component that bridges the social networking application and external communication channels. The contact server receives access events from the application, queries the contact database for invitee information, and sends notifications through external channels (SMS, email, instant messaging). This mediator approach enables cross-platform notification capability while keeping the core social networking application relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact server is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a notification gateway and a contact information management system. It handles multiple communication protocols (SMS, email, instant messaging) and integrates with the existing social networking infrastructure (user profiles, friend lists). This universal design allows a single component to provide diverse notification capabilities without requiring separate specialized systems.
2Reliability
If notification messages are sent outside the social networking application, then user reachability improves, but integration complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact server acts as a buffer and translation layer between the social networking application and external communication systems. It maintains contact information databases, manages communication protocols, and handles message formatting. This intermediary approach ensures reliable delivery to users regardless of their current login status while isolating the integration complexity within the contact server rather than the core application.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by maintaining contact information databases in advance and pre-configuring communication channel integrations. When an access event occurs, the contact server already has the necessary invitee contact information retrieved from the database, enabling immediate notification without real-time data collection delays. This preliminary preparation reduces the complexity of real-time integration operations.
3Reliability
If multiple communication channels are supported for notifications, then notification delivery success rate increases, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact server is designed as a universal notification hub that supports multiple communication channels (SMS, email, instant messaging) through a unified architecture. It maintains a contact database that stores multiple contact methods for each user and intelligently selects appropriate channels based on availability and user preferences. This multi-functional design consolidates diverse communication protocols into a single manageable system rather than requiring separate notification systems for each channel.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes communication parameters such as channel selection, message format, and delivery timing based on recipient availability and preferences. The contact server can switch between different communication modes (e.g., from in-app notification to SMS) and adjust message content formats to match the selected channel. This parameter adaptation enables reliable multi-channel notification while managing complexity through centralized control logic.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method may include receiving an access from an inviting terminal requesting access to a social networking application, the access request may be associated with a user identifier, searching a contact database, based on the user identifier and on an application identifier of the social networking application, to identify contact information associated with an invitee terminal, and generating a notification message based on the contact information, the notification message may be useable to indicate to the invitee terminal that the inviting terminal has accessed the social networking application.