Permissions-Based Communication Routing With Protected Contact Details
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional communication systems fail to protect individuals' contact information from unauthorized use and dissemination, leading to loss of control over personal contact details, and existing methods to opt out of unwanted communications are often ineffective.
Innovation Solution
A permissions-based communication management system that obfuscates actual contact information, allowing entities to communicate via virtual contact details, with permissions managed through a data structure accessible via a communication network, ensuring only authorized parties can reach the individual using their updated contact information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If actual contact information is publicly accessible and disseminated, then communication efficiency is improved, but privacy protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a permissions module as an intermediary between contact information and communicating parties. This module acts as a gatekeeper that receives communication requests, checks permissions against stored authorization data, and only allows approved communications to proceed. The actual contact information remains protected in the database while the permissions module mediates all access attempts, thus maintaining both communication efficiency and privacy protection.
2Ease of operation
If contact information remains unchanged for long periods, then ease of operation is improved, but security deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic permission management where authorization status can be updated in real-time without changing the actual contact information. The permissions module checks current permission status dynamically before each communication attempt, allowing the system to adapt to changing security requirements while maintaining stable contact details. Users can add or revoke permissions at any time, and the system automatically enforces the updated permissions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If contact information is updated, then privacy protection is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The permissions module serves multiple functions: it stores contact information, manages permission authorization, validates communication requests, and enforces access control. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need to manually distribute updated contact information to multiple parties. The single centralized permissions module handles all communication routing and permission checking, so updates only need to be made in one location while automatically affecting all communications.
4Productivity
If contact information is disseminated to multiple entities, then communication efficiency is improved, but loss of information control worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the permission validation function from the communication process itself and places it in a separate permissions module. This modular approach allows the actual contact information to be stored centrally while the permissions module independently controls access. The extraction of control mechanisms from the core communication flow enables centralized information management without compromising communication efficiency, as the permissions module automatically handles authorization checks.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented communication management system and method includes storing a data structure that is linked to a user account associated with a member and includes protected contact information specific to the member. A search of the data store is conducted to identify the member; and an approval request is transmitted over a communication network to be reviewed by the member. An approval submitted by the member is received, granting the Initiator permission to communicate with the member. The data structure is modified to store the permission of the Initiator to communicate with the member, and is used in response to an attempt by the Initiator to communicate with the member to permit a communication to be routed from the Initiator to the member using the protected contact information specific to the member, without revealing the protected contact information to the Initiator.