Social Networking via Short-Range Wireless Beacons

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Solution Overview

Problem

Social networking services are slow to update user connections when users move to new locations, leading to missed opportunities for new users to connect with others at their new workplace or residence.

Innovation Solution

Utilizing short-range wireless devices, such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or LTE Direct, to detect user proximity to location-specific beacons, which enables communication between the user's device and devices associated with that location, allowing a server to determine the user's location and suggest social networking connections with nearby users.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If social networking services rely on user-provided information to update location data, then user privacy and control are maintained, but the speed of updating connection recommendations slows down significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetime to update connection recommendationsVSAvoiduser effort to provide location information

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary location detection using short-range wireless devices before the user needs connection recommendations. By continuously monitoring proximity to location beacons in advance, the system has location data ready when the user arrives at a new place, eliminating the delay of manual profile updates.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables automatic location tracking and connection recommendation generation without requiring user intervention. The short-range wireless devices and beacons work autonomously to detect presence, determine location, and generate recommendations, freeing the user from manual information provision while maintaining accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If social networking services use manual profile updates to track user locations, then data accuracy is maintained, but the system fails to capture real-time location changes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of location dataVSAvoidreal-time location detection speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces short-range wireless devices and location beacons as intermediaries between the user and the social networking service. These intermediaries continuously monitor proximity and transmit location data automatically, providing both real-time speed and reliable accuracy without requiring direct user action for each update.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous feedback loops where short-range wireless devices constantly monitor proximity to beacons, immediately detect location changes, and trigger updated connection recommendations. This real-time feedback mechanism ensures both speed and reliability by automatically responding to any location change as it occurs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of information

If users must manually update their profiles with new location information, then data privacy is protected, but valuable networking opportunities are lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemissed networking connectionsVSAvoidsystem infrastructure for automatic detection

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces the mechanical process of manual profile updating with automated electronic detection using short-range wireless technology. Bluetooth Low Energy devices and beacons electronically monitor proximity and automatically trigger location-based recommendations, capturing networking opportunities in real-time without user action while the added infrastructure complexity is offset by the value of captured connections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS10212549B2Social networking connections through short range wireless devices

Publication Date: 2019.02.19 PAYPAL INC

AI summary

There are provided systems and methods for social networking connections through short range wireless devices. A user may become associated with a new location based on one or more connections made by the user's communication device and a device at the location, such as a communication device of another user at the location or a wireless beacon established at the location. The user may previous have been associated with another location, such as a previous workplace, apartment building, or other commonplace for users. Once the user is associated with the new location, other nearby users associated with that location may be determined. The nearby users may be detected using similar devices at the location or may provide information that associates them with the location. Using social networking connections between the user and nearby users, the users may receive contact recommendations proposing new social networking connections between the users.