Profile Aggregation Across Multiple Networking Services

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face the burden of accessing and viewing profiles across multiple networking services, as existing systems require traversing separate networks, which can be cumbersome and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

A system that aggregates and queries user profiles from multiple networking services by storing and merging data from secondary services into a primary service, allowing for simultaneous display and querying of profiles across different networks, using a primary networking service like 'Windows Live Spaces' to retrieve and display data from services like 'LinkedIn', and constructing graphs to traverse transitive connections between users.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users access profiles by traversing separate networking services, then data accuracy is maintained, but user convenience and access efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a profile aggregation service as an intermediary layer between users and multiple networking services. This service collects, stores, and manages profile data from various sources (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) in a unified database, allowing users to access aggregated profiles through a single interface without needing to traverse multiple separate services. The intermediary handles data synchronization and updates automatically, maintaining data accuracy while simplifying user access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The profile aggregation service provides universal access to profiles across multiple networking services through a single unified interface. Instead of requiring separate access methods for each service, the system consolidates profile viewing, searching, and interaction capabilities into one multi-functional platform that works with data from various sources simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Productivity

If profile data is aggregated from multiple services, then access efficiency improves, but data synchronization and update timeliness may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess efficiencyVSAvoiddata synchronization
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements periodic polling mechanisms that automatically check for updates from connected networking services at scheduled intervals. When changes are detected in source services (new profiles, updated information), the aggregation service retrieves and synchronizes this data to maintain accuracy. This periodic action ensures data remains current while allowing efficient batch processing that improves overall access efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The profile aggregation service incorporates feedback mechanisms where users can report outdated information or trigger manual synchronization. The system monitors access patterns and data freshness metrics, automatically initiating updates when discrepancies are detected. This feedback loop maintains data reliability while optimizing synchronization timing to balance freshness with system performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2158552B1Aggregating and searching profile data from multiple services
Publication Date: 2018.11.07 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP2158552B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2158552B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2158552B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Profile data from multiple networking services can be combined and queried from one networking service. A primary networking service may store user profile data for one or more secondary networking services and the primary networking service. When stored, the data from the multiple networks may be aggregated or merged. The stored data may include user profile data and relationship data for each networking service that a primary networking service has a profile account with. A graph of user-contact relationships existing over the primary networking service and one or more secondary networking services may be constructed and queried against.