Instant Messaging Contact Server for Direct PIN-to-PIN Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing instant messaging systems for mobile devices require email exchanges to add contacts, which is cumbersome and inefficient, especially when not all recipients have a mobile device, and may involve additional overhead from fully operational instant messaging servers.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows direct communication between mobile devices using a contact server to obtain addressing information and public key certificates, enabling PIN-to-PIN messaging and automatic contact additions without email exchanges, while ensuring secure communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If email is used to convey instant messaging invitations, then invitations can be sent to any user, but the process becomes time-consuming and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a contact server as an intermediary that stores contact information and enables direct messaging. The contact server acts as a mediator between users, allowing instant messaging invitations to be sent directly through the messaging application without requiring email exchanges. Users can look up contacts on the contact server and send invitations instantly, resolving the time-consuming nature of email-based invitation processes while maintaining the ability to reach any user in the system.
2Ease of operation
If a fully operational instant messaging server is used, then direct communication between users is enabled, but additional overhead is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the contact management and addressing functions from a full instant messaging server and places them on a contact server. This separation allows direct peer-to-peer communication between users without requiring a complex full-featured IM server. The contact server handles only contact information storage and retrieval, while users communicate directly with each other, eliminating the need for sophisticated server-side message routing and reducing overall system complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If email invitations are sent to all users, then maximum reach is achieved, but users without mobile devices become nuisances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the messaging application checks whether the recipient has a mobile device and the messaging application installed before sending invitations. The system receives information about the recipient's device capabilities and uses this feedback to determine the appropriate invitation method. If the recipient has a mobile device with the application, a direct invitation is sent; if not, the invitation is either not sent or sent through an alternative method, preventing non-mobile users from being nuisances while maintaining maximum reach for compatible users.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are provided for enabling instant messages to be exchanged between mobile devices, in particular where a mobile device has access to information pertaining to another mobile device. The system enables an instant messaging application to communicate directly with the other mobile device, without requiring an initial email exchange. New contacts can be added automatically and access to other data such provided by having a mobile device access information for another mobile device. The information can be made available through a contact server of the host system common to both mobile devices thereby providing a trusted mechanism to establish the new contacts. In one example, in a PIN-to-PIN based messaging system, a global address list (GAL) look-up can be incorporated into an option for adding a new contact so that the PIN for the invitee is obtained directly and the invitation sent immediately in a PIN-to-PIN message thus not requiring an email invitation.