Operating System Person Object for Unified Communication Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face the challenge of managing and tracking communications across multiple applications and services to stay informed and connected with individuals, as communication experiences are siloed by their respective applications and services.
Innovation Solution
Implementing people as operating system level objects, allowing for the storage and access of communication-related information at the operating system level, enabling efficient identification and communication with individuals through a unified interface without the need to navigate multiple applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If communication experiences are siloed by their backing applications and services, then each application can maintain its own functionality and interface, but users must check multiple applications and sites to stay informed and connected with individuals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges communication experiences from multiple siloed applications into a unified people-centric interface. By treating people as operating system level objects with centralized profiles, the system combines email, instant messaging, collaboration, and other communication modalities into a single accessible interface, eliminating the need for users to navigate multiple applications while preserving all communication functionalities
Solution Approach 2:
The people object model serves as a universal container that can access and coordinate multiple communication applications and services simultaneously. Each person's profile acts as a multi-functional hub that can initiate and manage various types of communications (email, chat, video, collaboration) through a single interface, making the system adaptable to different communication needs while simplifying user interaction
2Loss of information
If users manage and track communications across multiple applications and services, then comprehensive communication tracking is achieved, but time and effort are wasted navigating between applications
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-aggregating all communication information related to a person into a unified profile before the user needs to access it. Communication data from multiple applications is collected, standardized, and stored in the person object's data structure in advance, so when the user needs to communicate with or view information about a person, all relevant data is already organized and accessible in one location, eliminating the time spent searching across applications
3Productivity
If people are treated as operating system level objects with centralized data storage, then efficient access to person-related information is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer in the form of a people object model that sits between the user and the underlying communication applications. This mediator handles the complexity of data aggregation, normalization, and coordination internally, while presenting a simple unified interface to users. The people objects act as intermediaries that manage the complexity of accessing multiple communication services, shielding users from system complexity while maintaining high information access efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
Implementing people as operating system level objects. A method includes, for a user logged in to an operating system, identifying a person with a relationship to the user. For the person, the method further includes identifying information, including information that can be used to communication with the person. The method further includes storing the information related to the person in a data store that is a global data store with respect to the operating system such that the information related to the person can be accessed at the operating system level. The method further includes using the information related to the person stored in the data store to identify applications or services that can be used to communicate with the person. The method further includes displaying in a user interface for the person an enumeration of applications or services that can be used to communicate with the person.