Person-Centric Social Network Data Aggregation System

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Users and service providers in social networks are unable to leverage the full potential of social connections due to data exclusivity and fragmentation across multiple networks, resulting in incomplete and inaccessible social network data.

Innovation Solution

Techniques for identifying and aggregating social relationships across multiple network contexts by generating user identities from both internal and external data sources, determining relevancy measures, and employing permissioning models to access and display vitality and connections, shifting from a network-centric to a person-centric model.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If service providers exercise exclusive control over their network data, then data security and network integrity are maintained, but social network data becomes fragmented and inaccessible across multiple networks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoidsocial network data accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary system that acts as a mediator between users and multiple network service providers. This intermediary aggregates social network data from various sources while maintaining appropriate access controls and permissioning models, allowing users to access their social connections across networks without compromising the security and integrity of individual network data sources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Quantity of substance

If social network data is aggregated from multiple external sources, then comprehensive social relationships are identified, but system complexity and data integration challenges increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesocial relationship dataVSAvoiddata aggregation system
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the data aggregation system into modular components that handle different aspects of social network data collection and integration separately. Each component manages specific data sources or relationship types independently, reducing overall system complexity while enabling comprehensive data aggregation from multiple external sources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal data aggregation framework that can handle multiple types of social network data sources through standardized interfaces and permissioning models. This multi-functional system reduces complexity by providing a unified approach to aggregating diverse social relationship data rather than requiring separate systems for each data source.

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

3Measurement precision

If user identities are generated with reference to multiple data sources, then accurate social relationship identification is achieved, but processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser identity accuracyVSAvoididentity generation time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-processing and indexing data from multiple sources before actual identity matching is needed. User profiles and relationship data are prepared in advance with standardized formats and pre-computed relationship indicators, significantly reducing the time required for accurate identity generation and social relationship identification when queries are executed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8954500B2Identifying and employing social network relationships
Publication Date: 2015.02.10 VERIZON PATENT & LICENSING INC
  • US8954500B2 patent drawing
  • US8954500B2 patent drawing
  • US8954500B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Methods and apparatus are described for detecting social relationships across multiple networks and/or communication channels. These social relationships may then be utilized in a wide variety of ways to support and enhance a broad range of user services.