Interactive Media Card Capsule for Standardized Contact Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic business cards, or vCards, lack standardization and fail to effectively incorporate the diverse contact information mechanisms available to businesses, making it difficult to share comprehensive business contact information electronically.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a 'capsule' of data that includes both visible and hidden information related to an entity, where a media card displays a visible portion and allows users to search for additional, non-visible data from various sources, enabling the sharing of a subset of data relevant to the entity, such as social media links and contact management information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a vCard includes only minimum contact information for standardization, then compatibility across systems is improved, but the quantity and comprehensiveness of contact information is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested data structure where a primary vCard container holds both visible contact information and hidden additional information. The hidden information is nested within the same vCard object, allowing comprehensive data storage while maintaining standard vCard compatibility. This resolves the contradiction by enabling both standardization and comprehensive information inclusion through hierarchical nesting.
2Loss of information
If a business card displays all contact information, then the completeness of information is improved, but the ease of visual scanning and quick identification is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments contact information into two distinct segments: visible information displayed on the business card and hidden information stored within the vCard. The visible portion contains only essential contact details for quick scanning, while the hidden portion contains additional comprehensive information. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by separating information display from information storage.
3Speed
If electronic communication replaces physical business card exchange, then the speed of information exchange is improved, but the ability to physically carry and exchange contact information is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal vCard solution that functions both as a digital electronic card for fast electronic exchange and as a physical printable business card for traditional carrying and exchange. The same vCard object can be electronically transmitted, printed on physical cards, or displayed on devices, providing multi-functionality that resolves the contradiction between electronic speed and physical portability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is disclosed wherein a capsule is searchable, the capsule of data having data stored in multiple data stores. In use, a portion of the capsule is displayed and the searched data includes data that is not displayed but is retrievable via the search operation.