Centralized User Profile System for Privacy-Preserving Data Sharing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current systems lack a comprehensive and secure method to capture, organize, and share user data while preserving privacy, as users often have to repeat assessments and applications struggle to tailor experiences without domain-specific knowledge.

Innovation Solution

A digital profile system that creates a centralized user model with dynamic and expandable data capture, allowing users to control privacy settings and third-party access through unique identifiers and temporary pass codes, enabling secure and adaptable data sharing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If users share data with third-party applications, then applications can tailor experiences and improve service quality, but user privacy and data security are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapplication experience tailoringVSAvoiduser privacy risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a centralized user profile system as an intermediary between users and third-party applications. This system acts as a mediator that collects user data, stores it securely, and selectively shares only necessary information with authorized applications through controlled APIs. The intermediary architecture enables experience tailoring while maintaining user privacy by preventing direct data exposure to applications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The user profile system segments data access into distinct layers: user data is stored in a centralized profile, applications access only specific segments through authenticated API calls, and the system separates concerns between data storage, access control, and application logic. This segmentation enables selective data sharing and maintains security by isolating sensitive information from applications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If applications collect comprehensive user data, then they can provide personalized services, but system complexity and data management burden increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepersonalized service capabilityVSAvoiddata management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The centralized user profile system serves multiple functions: it stores user data, manages authentication, controls data sharing, provides user preferences, and enables application customization. By consolidating these functions into a single universal system, the patent reduces overall system complexity compared to having separate data management mechanisms in each application.

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

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of applications collecting and storing complete user profiles locally, the system creates a centralized master copy of user data that applications access as needed through API calls. This eliminates the need for applications to maintain comprehensive data stores, reducing their complexity while enabling personalized services.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Object-affected harmful factors

If users manually control data sharing permissions, then privacy is protected, but user experience and system ease of use deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata privacy protectionVSAvoiduser interaction complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically manages data sharing permissions based on user profile settings and application requests. When a user authorizes an application to access their profile, the system self-manages the authentication and data retrieval process without requiring continuous manual intervention. This maintains privacy through automated access control while improving ease of use by eliminating repetitive manual permission grants.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where applications communicate their data access needs to the user profile system, which then automatically determines appropriate data sharing based on pre-configured user preferences and privacy settings. This feedback loop enables privacy protection through intelligent access control while reducing manual user interaction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS9703984B2One way and two way data flow systems and methods
Publication Date: 2017.07.11 MARI LLC
  • US9703984B2 patent drawing
  • US9703984B2 patent drawing
  • US9703984B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A system may include a database, a processor coupled to the database, and a user module executed by the processor. The user module may be configured to receive a value for an attribute of a user and determine whether the value is derived from an assessment sponsored by an organization associated with the user. When the value is derived from the assessment sponsored by the organization associated with the user, the user module may store the received value in the database in a record associated with the user only and in a record associated with the organization and the user. When the value is derived from the assessment not sponsored by an organization associated with the user, the user module may store the received value in the database in the record associated with the user only.