User Profile Segmentation for Privacy-Controlled Communication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing internet and network technologies fail to effectively protect user privacy and allow users to control access to their personal information, lacking granular controls to manage what information remains private and what is shared.

Innovation Solution

The system creates multiple identifiers for users, allowing them to manage their profile information through granular controls, enabling interaction while limiting sensitive information display to others, by using a first identifier for general reachability and a second identifier for specific applications, with options to modify and update information based on user preferences.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If users share personal information to enable communication, then communication reachability is improved, but user privacy is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reachabilityVSAvoiduser privacy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments user profile information into multiple granular fields (e.g., name, age, location, phone number, email) that can be independently controlled for sharing. Users can select which specific fields to make visible to different contacts, rather than sharing all information or none at all. This segmentation enables communication reachability while preserving privacy by allowing selective disclosure of information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local quality by allowing different privacy settings for different contacts or groups of contacts. Each user profile can have customized visibility settings where specific information fields are visible to certain contacts but hidden from others. This enables the system to provide tailored information disclosure for each interaction context, improving communication effectiveness while maintaining privacy control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Loss of information

If users control access to their personal information through granular settings, then user privacy is improved, but communication ease deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser privacy controlVSAvoidcommunication ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by requiring users to configure their privacy preferences and select which profile fields to share before initiating communication. The system pre-establishes visibility rules for different contacts, so that when communication occurs, the appropriate information is automatically displayed without requiring real-time decisions. This upfront configuration simplifies subsequent interactions while maintaining privacy control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements self-service by providing users with automated tools to manage their own privacy settings and information disclosure preferences. Users can independently configure which profile fields are visible to different contacts, update their settings at any time, and control their own information sharing without requiring manual intervention from the system or other parties. This empowers users to easily maintain privacy control throughout the communication process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3353987B1Enabling communication while limiting access to user information
Publication Date: 2019.12.04 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP3353987B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3353987B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3353987B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the system to create a first identifier associated with a first user and including profile information of the first user; determine a second identifier associated with the first user and with an application, the second identifier including a subset of the profile information of the first user; receive an interaction request from a second user, the interaction request including a third identifier associated with the first user; associate the third identifier with the first identifier associated with the first user and the application; enable the interaction between the first user and the second user on the application; and provide for display to the second user information associated with the first user based on the second identifier.