Virtual Assistant User Profile Sharing Across Devices

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional virtual assistants lack access to comprehensive user information, leading to inconsistent user experiences across multiple devices and requiring separate customization on each device, which is inconvenient and results in inconsistent interactions.

Innovation Solution

A system that allows virtual assistants on different devices to access and share user profile information, enabling them to customize their behavior based on the user's preferences and settings, providing a consistent experience across devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If virtual assistants are implemented on multiple devices independently, then each device can operate autonomously, but user experience consistency deteriorates across devices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevirtual assistant customizationVSAvoiduser experience consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The user profile is designed as a universal data structure that can be accessed by multiple virtual assistants across different devices. The profile contains standardized fields (preferences, personality traits, conversation history) that enable consistent customization behavior regardless of which device or virtual assistant instance is being used, achieving multi-device universality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces a profile management service as an intermediary between devices and virtual assistants. This mediator handles profile storage, retrieval, and synchronization, allowing virtual assistants on different devices to access the same user profile data without direct device-to-device communication, thus maintaining experience consistency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Stability of the object's composition

If user profile information is shared across multiple devices, then user experience consistency improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser experience consistencyVSAvoidprofile management system

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts profile management functionality from individual devices and consolidates it into a separate profile management service. This extraction reduces device complexity by removing profile storage and synchronization responsibilities from devices, while centralizing these functions in a dedicated service that handles multiple device connections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from local profile storage (single-device dimension) to cloud-based profile storage (network dimension). By moving profile data to a remote server accessible via network, the system adds a new dimensional layer that enables multi-device access without increasing individual device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Adaptability or versatility

If comprehensive user profile information is stored, then virtual assistant personalization improves, but information security risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevirtual assistant personalizationVSAvoiduser information security

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The profile management service implements local quality control by storing different types of user information with appropriate security measures tailored to each data category. Sensitive information (personal details, contacts) receives enhanced protection compared to less sensitive data (preferences, conversation history), allowing comprehensive personalization while managing security risks differentially.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The profile management service acts as a secure intermediary between users and virtual assistants. It implements authentication, authorization, and data encryption mechanisms, allowing virtual assistants to access necessary profile information for personalization while maintaining security controls that protect sensitive user data from unauthorized access.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9479931B2Systems and methods for providing a virtual assistant

Publication Date: 2016.10.25 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

A mobile device comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium configured to store user profile information of a user of the mobile device; and at least one processor, coupled to the at least one computer-readable storage medium, configured to perform an act of: providing a second device, which is configured to execute a first virtual assistant, with access to at least some of the user profile information so that the first virtual assistant is able to customize, based on the at least some user profile information, its behavior when interacting with the user.