Decentralized Social Network Nodes for Cross-Platform Interaction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing social network services require users to register separately on each platform, limiting social interactions to a single site and preventing the transfer of user data and interactions across different networks, making it cumbersome for users to engage with multiple services.

Innovation Solution

A decentralized network system where each user is assigned a node that generates and shares activities in a standardized format, allowing social interactions across multiple nodes without the need for central registration, using protocols like XMPP for secure and real-time data exchange, and enabling users to manage their data and relationships independently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If users register separately on each social network site, then each site can maintain centralized control and data storage, but users face cumulative registration burden and cannot transfer data across sites

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecentralized controlVSAvoiduser registration burden
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the centralized social network architecture into distributed autonomous nodes. Each user operates their own node independently, eliminating the need for centralized registration while maintaining full control over personal data and social interactions. Users can join multiple networks by simply adding node addresses without any registration burden.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces standardized activity formats and protocols as intermediaries that enable communication between different autonomous nodes. These standardized formats act as a universal language that allows data and interactions to be transferred across different social network sites without centralized control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If social network services are provided through centralized sites, then data storage and service management are simplified, but social interactions are restricted to a single site and cannot be transferred

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice managementVSAvoidcross-site interaction
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements universal activity formats that can represent any social interaction (posts, comments, shares, likes) in a standardized way. This universality allows activities to be transferred and displayed across different social network sites, enabling users to maintain interactions across multiple platforms simultaneously without being restricted to a single site.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds a new dimension to social network architecture by introducing a protocol layer that operates above individual site boundaries. This protocol dimension enables cross-site interactions while preserving the independence and management simplicity of individual sites, allowing users to interact across sites without any site needing to know about others.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Adaptability or versatility

If users want to participate in multiple social network services, then they gain access to diverse social interactions, but they must provide data repeatedly and manage interactions separately at each site

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-network participationVSAvoiddata entry time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Each user operates their own autonomous node that automatically manages their profile data, relationships, and activities. When a user creates an activity at one node, it is automatically propagated to connected nodes without requiring the user to manually re-enter data or separately manage interactions at each site. The system serves itself through automated protocol-based communication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2343866B1Network-based system for social interactions between users
Publication Date: 2016.03.30 VODAFONE HOLDING GMBH
  • EP2343866B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The invention relates to a system for social interactions between users comprising a plurality of network nodes connected in a network, each node comprising a representation of at least one assigned user, wherein: (i) a first node assigned to a first user is adapted to generate an activity upon an execution of an action of the first user with a data object in interaction with the first node, (ii) the activity describing the action in a predetermined format and including a representation of the data object, (iii) the first node being further adapted to link the activity to at least one second user and to communicate the activity to at least one second node to which the second user is assigned.