Social Media Post Visibility Filtering for Amicable Disconnection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for disconnecting relationships in social media services are either abrupt, leading to unintended reconnections, or non-display of posts, which can be perceived as suspicious and unpleasant.

Innovation Solution

An information processing system that filters and gradually reduces the visibility of posts from users the user wants to disconnect from, allowing for a loose disconnection without the other party noticing, by storing disconnection candidate user information and filtering posted information based on predetermined criteria.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If the contact is suddenly deleted, then the disconnection is achieved quickly, but the method is not amicable and may cause harm to the relationship

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisconnection speedVSAvoidrelationship harm

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by gradually filtering and reducing the display of posted information before the actual disconnection. The control unit progressively decreases the visibility of the other user's posts over time, allowing the relationship to naturally fade before complete disconnection, thus avoiding abrupt harmful effects

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides beforehand cushioning by implementing a gradual filtering mechanism that cushions the impact of disconnection. The accumulation unit stores disconnection candidate information, and the control unit gradually reduces post visibility, cushioning the emotional impact on both parties before the relationship is fully severed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Reliability

If the posted information is set to non-display, then the disconnection is achieved, but it is not an essential solution and may be perceived as suspicious

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisconnection effectivenessVSAvoidsuspicious perception

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies dynamics by making the filtering process adjustable and progressive rather than static and abrupt. The control unit dynamically adjusts the degree of filtering over time, allowing posted information to gradually become less visible rather than suddenly disappearing, which eliminates suspicious perceptions while maintaining disconnection effectiveness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes parameters by progressively modifying the display parameters of posted information. The control unit adjusts visibility parameters over time, transitioning from full display to gradual filtering to complete disconnection, making the process appear natural rather than suspicious while achieving reliable disconnection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the posted information is filtered according to passage of time, then the disconnection becomes amicable and less noticeable, but the process takes longer

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverelationship harmVSAvoiddisconnection time

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary filtering actions that gradually reduce post visibility before complete disconnection. The accumulation unit stores disconnection candidate information and the control unit progressively filters posts, preparing the relationship for disconnection in advance and making the process smoother despite the extended timeline

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11190472B2Changing display probability of posted information according to relationship disconnection request

Publication Date: 2021.11.30 SONY GROUP CORP

AI summary

Proposed is an information processing system including an accumulation unit that accumulates friend information indicating a friend relationship between users registered in a social media service and posted information, and a control unit that performs, when receiving disconnection candidate user information from a specific user, the disconnection candidate user information indicating a user with which the specific user wishes to disconnect a relationship, control to store the disconnection candidate user information in association with the specific user, and performs, when receiving the posted information request from the user of the client device, control to reply to the user of the client device after filtering posted information posted by the specific user according to passage of predetermined time, depending on whether or not the user of the client device is included in disconnection candidate users indicated by the disconnection candidate user information stored in association with the specific user.