Location-Based Mobile Linking Through Anonymous Short Codes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing social networking applications for mobile devices fail to facilitate spontaneous connections between strangers based on visual contact and do not provide a convenient method for accessing information or connecting to websites using short codes instead of long URLs, especially in location-based scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A networking system using mobile devices with a host server that allows users to connect anonymously by inputting or saying short codes, enabling pairing and communication with strangers or accessing information without revealing personal contact information, utilizing location-based technology and short codes for pairing and data exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If social networking applications use location-based matching to connect users, then users can be notified when in close proximity to friends or members, but strangers cannot spontaneously meet one another after visual contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the connection initiation process from traditional social networking frameworks. Instead of requiring pre-established social graphs or location-based automatic matching, the system allows any user to generate a unique link code that can be shared visually. This extracted mechanism enables spontaneous connections between strangers without relying on existing social network structures or location services.
Solution Approach 2:
The link code mechanism serves multiple functions: it acts as a unique identifier, a connection initiator, and a data carrier. The same short code can be used across different platforms and devices, enabling universal connection initiation whether through visual display, audio transmission, or physical media. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by providing a single versatile mechanism for spontaneous connections.
2Reliability
If users connect through traditional social networking systems, then they can communicate through established networks, but they must reveal personal contact information such as phone numbers or email addresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - the link code - that mediates between users during the connection process. The link code serves as a temporary identifier that enables communication setup without requiring users to exchange personal contact information. This intermediary layer protects user privacy while maintaining reliable connection establishment through the underlying communication infrastructure.
3Ease of operation
If users input long URLs to access information or websites, then they can reach the desired destination, but it is inconvenient and time-consuming especially on mobile devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a simplified copy or representation of the full URL - the short link code. This abbreviated version contains all the necessary information to route to the destination but is much easier to input, display, and transmit. The short code acts as a compressed representation that preserves the functionality of the full URL while dramatically reducing input time and improving ease of operation on mobile devices.
Data Source
AI summary
A networking system utilizes a mobile device which communicates through a host server that identifies the location of a user's device and allows users to easily connect anonymously on their mobile devices over a data network through the host server with other people, businesses, websites and informational pages by simply inputting or saying out loud a short code into their mobile device when the user is within a certain radius of the code they see posted and/or advertised, or, by way of example, flashed at them by another user.