Presence Objects for Granular Access Control in Instant Messaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Instant messaging systems manage presence information on an all-or-nothing basis, lacking granularity in access control and relevance to users, leading to ineffective utilization of presence data.
Innovation Solution
Implementing multiple presence objects within an instant messaging system to manage presence information, allowing for granular access control and selective dissemination of presence data to different user groups based on permission and subscription information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single collection of presence information is maintained for all users, then the system structure is simple, but access control granularity is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single collection of presence information into multiple separate presence information collections, each associated with different sets of users. This segmentation allows the system to control access to different portions of presence information independently, resolving the contradiction by maintaining simple system structure while achieving fine-grained access control through multiple specialized collections rather than one complex unified collection.
2Loss of information
If all presence information is disseminated to all subscribers, then information completeness is high, but relevance to individual users deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates different presence information collections with different qualities and contents tailored to specific user groups. Each collection contains presence information that is locally optimized for its intended audience, ensuring that each user receives complete and relevant information for their specific context rather than a generic comprehensive set, thus resolving the contradiction between information completeness and relevance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple presence information collections are maintained for different user groups, then access control granularity is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the presence information system into multiple independent collections, each managed separately with its own access control rules. This segmentation approach actually reduces system complexity by avoiding the need for a single complex unified system with intricate permission settings, instead using multiple simple specialized collections that are easier to manage and configure.
4Loss of information
If users receive notifications for all presence changes, then notification completeness is high, but user experience deteriorates due to irrelevant notifications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements notification systems with local quality characteristics, where each user group receives notifications tailored to their specific needs and context. Users receive complete notifications for presence changes relevant to their group while filtering out irrelevant notifications from other groups, thus improving user experience by eliminating noise while maintaining completeness of relevant information.
Data Source
AI summary
An approach is described for maintaining multiple presence objects associated with a single entity. The different presence objects correspond to different respective aspects of the entity's presence. Each presence object includes subscriber information and permission information associated therewith. The subscriber information identifies the subscribers that subscribe to receive notifications for a particular presence object. The permission information identifies the users who are entitled to receive notifications for the particular presence object. By virtue of the use of multiple objects, the entity can control access to its presence information with a high degree of granularity.