Protected Account Friend Approval via Guardian-Mediated Server Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing instant messaging services lack effective mechanisms for managing friend lists and block lists for protected accounts, particularly for minors or individuals requiring guardianship, to ensure safe online interactions.
Innovation Solution
A server-based method for managing friend lists and block lists for protected accounts, involving approval requests from protector accounts, guidance messages, and profile inquiries to control interactions, ensuring safe communication by integrating protector accounts to manage and approve friend and block list additions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protected account system is implemented to ensure safety for minors, then user safety is improved, but system complexity increases due to protector account management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a protector account as an intermediary between the minor's account and external users. The protector account receives and processes friend add requests, blocking requests from unauthorized users and approving only safe connections. This mediator structure protects minors while maintaining a manageable approval workflow through the guardian's account.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the account system into three distinct types: minor accounts (protected), protector accounts (guardian), and general accounts (regular users). This segmentation allows different permission levels and interaction rules for each account type, enabling safety controls without requiring complex configurations within a single account structure.
2Reliability
If all friend add requests require protector approval, then user safety is improved, but interaction efficiency deteriorates due to additional approval steps
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides feedback to users when a friend add request requires protector approval, clearly indicating the additional step needed. The protector receives notifications of approval requests and can efficiently review and respond. This structured feedback loop manages user expectations while maintaining safety through necessary approvals.
3Reliability
If protector approval is required for friend adds, then control over protected accounts is improved, but ease of operation worsens due to additional approval requests
Solution Approach 1:
The protector account automatically receives and manages friend add requests for the minor's account without requiring additional manual intervention. The system self-services the approval workflow by routing requests to the appropriate protector account, which can then review and approve or block connections based on pre-established safety criteria.
Data Source
AI summary
A server according to an embodiment includes a processor configured to receive a friend add request for a target account from a user terminal accessed with a user account; based on one of the user account and the target account being a protected account, transmit an approval request for the friend add request to a protector account connected to the protected account; and based on receiving a reply to the approval request from the protector terminal, add the target account to a friend list of the user account.