Attribute Discovery via Hashing in Social Mobile Applications
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing social networking applications lack the ability to privately discover selected information and filter out communications before users engage in social interactions, failing to ensure user privacy and efficient interest matching.
Innovation Solution
A method where a source device sends a target attribute to a destination device for comparison, using attribute modules to determine matching interests while maintaining user anonymity, with the option to reveal identities only after confirmation, and employing hashing or coding techniques to conceal the target attribute during transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If users directly exchange personal information and attributes to discover mutual interests, then the accuracy of interest matching is improved, but user privacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces hash values as an intermediary representation of user attributes. Instead of directly comparing personal information, users exchange hashed versions of their attributes. The hash function acts as a mediator that preserves the ability to detect matching interests while preventing direct exposure of sensitive personal data. This resolves the contradiction by enabling accurate interest matching through the intermediary hash comparison mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of user attributes in the form of hash values that can be exchanged and compared without revealing the original sensitive information. The hash copy contains sufficient information to identify matching interests but deliberately loses the ability to reconstruct the original personal data, thus protecting privacy while maintaining matching accuracy.
2Reliability
If users exchange detailed attribute information to confirm mutual interests, then the reliability of social interaction matching is improved, but the complexity of information processing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential matching information from complete user profiles by converting attributes to hash values. This extraction process removes unnecessary personal details while retaining the core information needed for interest matching. The result is a simplified data exchange process that maintains matching reliability without requiring complex processing of full attribute sets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms user attributes from their original complex form into a standardized hash parameter representation. This parameter transformation simplifies the comparison operation from complex multi-attribute matching to simple hash value equality checks, thereby reducing processing complexity while maintaining the reliability of interest detection.
3Ease of operation
If users reveal their identities early in the interaction process, then the ease of social connection is improved, but the security of private information is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary interest matching using hash values before users reveal their identities. This preliminary action allows users to verify mutual interests and assess compatibility before committing to full identity disclosure. By separating the interest verification step from the identity revelation step, the system enables easy social connections for compatible users while maintaining security by allowing users to opt out before exposing sensitive information.
Data Source
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AI summary
In one general aspect, a computer-readable storage medium can be configured to store instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform a process. The instructions can include instructions to receive, at a first device, a target attribute associated with a first user account and to access a code representing the target attribute and including a plurality of values. The instructions can include instructions to send, to the second device, a portion of the code and an indicator of a relative location within the code of the portion of the code, and to receive an indicator from the second device that the portion of the code is included at the relative location within at least one code from a plurality of codes associated with a plurality of attributes associated with a second user account.