Social Network Machine Permission Control via Connection Strength
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional social networking systems lack the ability to efficiently manage permissions for multiple users to access and control various machines remotely, limiting user interactions and requiring each user to have a dedicated application installed on their client device.
Innovation Solution
A social networking system that stores connections between users and machines, allowing users to authorize actions based on direct or indirect connections and connection strength, enabling permissions to be specified for different actions, and allowing compensation to be considered for authorized actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If each user has a dedicated application installed on their client device to control a machine, then the user can remotely configure and control the machine, but it becomes inconvenient for users to control multiple machines and requires multiple applications to be installed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges control of multiple machines into a single social networking system application. Instead of requiring separate applications for each machine, the system integrates machine control functionality within the social networking platform, allowing users to access and control multiple machines through one unified interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The social networking system application serves multiple functions: it provides social networking capabilities and simultaneously serves as a universal control interface for various machines. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for dedicated applications for each machine while maintaining full control capabilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional systems require each user accessing a machine to have an application associated with the machine installed, then users can access the machine, but it becomes impractical to regulate or limit interactions with the machine for other users
Solution Approach 1:
The social networking system acts as an intermediary between machine owners and users seeking to access machines. The system introduces a permission management layer that uses social connections to automatically determine and enforce access rights, eliminating the need for complex manual permission configurations while enabling fine-grained control over user interactions.
3Ease of operation
If the social networking system uses social connections to regulate machine access, then permission management becomes simplified, but the system must determine and verify connection types and strengths between users
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs connection verification and permission determination without requiring manual intervention. The social networking system leverages its existing connection data structures to self-determine user relationships, connection types, and connection strengths, automatically translating these into appropriate machine access permissions.
Data Source
AI summary
A social networking system includes information identifying a machine (e.g., a robot, a drone, a computer, a thermostat, etc.) and a connection between the machine and an owner of the machine, which is a user of the social networking system capable of authorizing an action by the machine. The owner of the machine associates permissions associated with various actions by the machine, where a permission associated with an action identifies one or more criteria for performing the action. Permissions may specify types of connections between social networking system users and the owner of the machine via the social networking system to allow social networking system users with specific types of connections to the owner of the machine to perform certain actions using the machine.