Universal Address Book Synchronization via Intermediary Mediator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face challenges in managing multiple contact methods across different communication platforms on wireless devices and in synchronizing contact information across various devices and networks, leading to outdated and inaccurate contact data.
Innovation Solution
A universal address book system that allows users to synchronize contact information across devices and networks using pull and push technologies, enabling seamless updates and access to current directory information, with permission controls and integration with various communication methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users store contact information locally on individual devices, then contact management is simple and device-specific, but contact information becomes outdated and inaccessible across multiple devices and networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a universal address book system that acts as an intermediary between multiple devices and networks. This central address book stores and synchronizes contact information, allowing users to access accurate contact data across different devices without managing multiple local copies. The system mediates between local device storage and network-wide accessibility, resolving the contradiction between information accuracy and management complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The universal address book provides multi-functional capabilities by serving as a centralized repository that works across multiple devices, networks, and communication platforms simultaneously. It enables contact synchronization, shared access, and unified management functions that benefit all connected devices, transforming the contact management system from device-specific to universally accessible while maintaining information accuracy.
2Ease of operation
If contact information is synchronized across all devices and networks, then accessibility and accuracy improve, but system complexity and synchronization overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The universal address book serves as a central intermediary that handles all synchronization operations. Instead of requiring complex peer-to-peer synchronization between multiple devices, the system mediates all contact data exchanges through the centralized address book, simplifying the synchronization architecture while ensuring consistent accessibility across all connected devices and networks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where devices periodically check for updates from the universal address book and automatically synchronize changes. This feedback-driven approach ensures that contact information remains accessible and accurate across all devices without requiring constant active synchronization, reducing the overall system complexity while maintaining ease of access.
3Loss of information
If a centralized address book is implemented across networks, then contact data accuracy and sharing improve, but network dependency and system vulnerability increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by maintaining local caches of contact information on devices before network connectivity is lost. This allows devices to continue accessing recently synchronized contact data even when the universal address book is temporarily unavailable, reducing system vulnerability to network failures while maintaining data consistency when connectivity is restored.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements cushioning mechanisms through local storage and offline access capabilities. Devices store copies of contact information locally as a buffer, protecting against potential network failures or universal address book unavailability. This beforehand cushioning ensures that contact data consistency is maintained from the user's perspective, as local caches provide continuity even when the centralized system is temporarily inaccessible.
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment is directed to synchronizing a universal address book located in a database amongst a first user and a second user. The first user sends an initialization message to the database and an invitation message to the second user. The first user receives an acceptance message from the second user and sends an update message to the database. The initialization message includes current personal data of the first user, the invitation message includes a database pointer, and the update message changes the personal data of the first user in the database and prompts the database to inform the second user of the changed data of the first user.