Two-Dimensional Code Friend Addition Preventing Information Leakage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for adding friends in instant messaging applications, such as searching by nickname or user account, can lead to user information leakage, resulting in harassment.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that utilize two-dimensional codes for adding friends, where a user identifier is parsed from the code, and relationships are judged to determine if the user is a friend, allowing for secure friend addition without exposing personal information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If user searches for friends by inputting nickname or user account, then friend addition function is achieved, but user information leakage occurs causing harassment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefriend addition operationVSAvoiduser information leakage and harassment
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a two-dimensional code as an intermediary element that replaces direct exposure of user information (nickname, user account). The two-dimensional code encodes only a user identifier, serving as a mediator that enables friend addition while preventing information leakage. When scanned, it triggers a friend relationship judgment based on the encoded user identifier without exposing personal details to the scanning user.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts only the necessary minimum information (user identifier) from complete user profile data and encodes it in the two-dimensional code. This extraction principle separates the identification function from the personal information, allowing the system to perform friend addition operations while leaving sensitive information (nickname, account details) hidden and protected on the server side.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If two-dimension code is used to hide user information, then user information security is improved, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser information securityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a two-dimensional code as a simplified copy or representation of the user identifier. Instead of handling complex user profile data directly, the system creates a compact two-dimensional code copy that contains only the essential user identifier. This copying approach simplifies the interaction layer while maintaining security, as the two-dimensional code can be easily scanned and processed without exposing the underlying complex user information structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Object-affected harmful factors

If friend relationship judgment is performed through two-dimension code scanning, then information security is improved, but operation time increases due to parsing and judgment steps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation securityVSAvoidfriend addition time
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary encoding of the user identifier into a two-dimensional code format in advance. This preliminary action prepares the data in a secure, compact form that can be quickly scanned and processed. The two-dimensional code structure is pre-optimized for rapid decoding, allowing the system to efficiently extract the user identifier and perform relationship judgment without significant time overhead, thus balancing security with operational speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2814212B1Method and apparatus for adding friend, and storage medium
Publication Date: 2020.05.20 TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) CO LTD
  • EP2814212B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2814212B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP2814212B1 patent drawingFigure 6

AI summary

A method and apparatus for adding friend are described. The method includes: scanning to acquire a two-dimension code shared by a two-dimension code sharing user; parsing the two-dimension code to obtain a responsive user identifier; judging a relationship between the user identifier and a user identifier of the two-dimension code sharing user; and if the relationship is a stranger relationship, entering a friend adding interface and adding the two-dimension code sharing user as a friend. The present method is capable of avoiding leakage of user information.