Indirect Data Delivery via Recipient Proxies
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Solution Overview
Problem
When sending data to multiple recipients, it can be challenging to obtain the necessary contact information for each intended recipient, especially when some information is unknown or outdated, leading to difficulties in direct communication. This issue is addressed by utilizing direct recipients as proxies to send data to indirect recipients, while maintaining privacy by not requiring the originating device to access contact information for all recipients.
Innovation Solution
A data communication system where an originating device sends data to a direct recipient, who then forwards it to indirect recipients using their local contact information, with a server maintaining a list of recipients to track delivery status and update the originating device, preserving privacy and simplifying the process of reaching multiple recipients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the originating device sends data directly to all recipients, then delivery reliability is improved, but the complexity of obtaining and managing contact information for all recipients increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces intermediary devices (friends or contacts of the originating device) who act as mediators to bridge the gap between the originating device and indirect recipients. These intermediaries possess contact information for recipients that the originating device does not have, enabling data delivery to indirect recipients without requiring the originating device to directly obtain or store their contact information. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliable delivery through intermediaries while reducing the originating device's contact information management burden.
2Ease of operation
If the originating device obtains contact information for all recipients, then direct communication capability is improved, but privacy loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
Intermediary devices serve as privacy-protecting mediators by holding and utilizing contact information for indirect recipients without exposing it to the originating device. The intermediaries forward data to indirect recipients using their own contact information, thereby enabling direct communication capability for all recipients while preventing the originating device from accessing or storing sensitive contact information it does not need, thus preserving privacy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the recipient group into direct recipients (whose contact information the originating device has) and indirect recipients (whose contact information is held by intermediaries). This segmentation allows the system to maintain direct communication capability for the portion of recipients the originating device can directly contact, while using intermediaries for the remaining recipients, thereby minimizing the originating device's exposure to unnecessary contact information and preserving privacy.
3Measurement precision
If the originating device tracks delivery status for all recipients directly, then delivery tracking accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Intermediary devices act as tracking mediators by reporting delivery status information back to the originating device through the server. When an intermediary successfully delivers data to an indirect recipient or receives an acknowledgment, it notifies the server, which then updates the delivery status in the system. This approach maintains accurate delivery tracking for both direct and indirect recipients while reducing the originating device's complexity, as it does not need to directly manage or track the delivery status of indirect recipients itself.
Data Source
AI summary
Contact information, such as an email address, may be known for some recipients, but may be unknown or out-of-date (or obsolete) for others. However, often a group of recipients are related to each other with potentially overlapping social networks. In such cases, data can be communicated directly to those recipients that are known or can otherwise be contacted directly, while relying on such “direct recipients” to act as one or more proxies for sending the data to the others in the group, e.g. using their local contact information. A server can also be used to provide updates to the originating device or provide access to the list as it evolves, to enable the originating device to see who has received the data even if they are unaware of how the data reached those other devices.