Persona Manager for Multi-Context Communication Identity Routing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face increasing complexity in managing multiple personas and public presences across various communication contexts, leading to a burden in managing different identities, information sharing, and behavior preferences across numerous online activities.

Innovation Solution

A persona manager system that authenticates users and automates communication activities based on user-defined preferences, managing public presences by storing identifiers, permissions, and behavior settings, and prioritizing or routing communications accordingly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If users manage multiple personas and identities across different communication contexts, then users can engage in diverse online activities with appropriate identities, but the complexity of managing identifiers, passwords, and information increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveAbility to engage in diverse online activities with appropriate identitiesVSAvoidComplexity of managing identifiers, passwords, and information

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a persona manager as an intermediary system between the user and multiple communication services. This mediator automatically manages multiple personas, identifiers, and passwords, reducing the user's direct management burden while enabling diverse online activities through appropriate identity selection and information sharing control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If users present different personas in different communication contexts, then users can control information sharing appropriately, but the burden of managing multiple sets of user ids and passwords increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveControl over information sharingVSAvoidTime spent managing multiple identifiers and passwords

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The persona manager allows users to pre-configure multiple personas with their respective identifiers, passwords, and information sharing preferences before actual communication needs arise. This preliminary setup enables automatic selection and application of appropriate personas during communication activities, eliminating the need for manual management of multiple credentials in real-time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Extent of automation

If a persona manager automates communication activities, then user control over public presence is enhanced, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveAutomation of communication activitiesVSAvoidSystem complexity for managing personas and preferences

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The persona manager is designed as a universal system that handles multiple functions including authentication, presence management, information sharing control, and communication routing across different services. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single multi-functional platform, the system manages complexity through integration rather than proliferation of separate tools.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS8838803B2Methods and apparatus for management of user presence in communication activities

Publication Date: 2014.09.16 AT&T LABS INC

AI summary

Systems and techniques for mediating user communications. A user persona manager maintains one or more user profiles and manages user interactions with other parties and with service providers based on user preferences associated with the user profile or profiles selected for a particular interaction. The persona manager receives a single set of user authentication information to establish the user identity, and provides previously stored information to other parties and service providers as appropriate, and otherwise conducts user interactions involving communications initiated by or on behalf of the user. The persona manager also examines interactions initiated by others, selects user profiles appropriate to the interactions, and routes and responds to the interactions based on information stored in the user profiles.