Acoustic Tone Feedback for Mobile Devices

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for monitoring consumer preferences and trends are costly and often provide outdated or inaccurate information due to consumer reluctance in providing feedback, leading to inefficient marketing strategies.

Innovation Solution

A system and method utilizing mobile devices to receive tones with location identifiers, which extract and transmit this information to display user prompting data, allowing for efficient collection of feedback information from consumers through tones transmitted via various devices such as TVs and radios.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If conventional surveys and feedback methods are used to monitor consumer preferences, then feedback information can be collected, but the cost and implementation complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconsumer feedback informationVSAvoidimplementation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical survey systems with acoustic tone transmissions. Instead of requiring consumers to actively participate in surveys through multiple interaction steps, the system transmits feedback prompts via audio tones that can be passively received by mobile devices, dramatically simplifying the implementation while maintaining information collection capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces acoustic tones as an intermediary medium between marketers and consumers. These tones serve as a universal language that can carry feedback prompts across different devices and platforms, eliminating the need for complex direct interaction systems and reducing implementation barriers

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If conventional feedback collection methods require significant consumer interaction, then more accurate feedback can be obtained, but consumer participation decreases due to reluctance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeedback accuracyVSAvoidconsumer participation
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables consumers to provide feedback through passive reception of tone-based prompts on their existing mobile devices. Consumers don't need to actively initiate feedback or navigate complex survey interfaces - the tones automatically deliver prompts and collect responses using the consumer's own device capabilities, making feedback provision effortless while maintaining accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the delivery parameter of feedback information from active survey interfaces to passive acoustic tone transmissions. This parameter change transforms the feedback collection process from a deliberate consumer action into an automatic reception process, significantly improving ease of operation while preserving measurement precision through structured tone-based prompt-response mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of information

If conventional feedback methods are used, then consumer preferences can be monitored, but the information becomes stale or outdated due to processing delays

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetimeliness of consumer dataVSAvoidprocessing delay
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The tone-based feedback system operates continuously without requiring discrete survey initiation. Acoustic tones can be transmitted and processed in real-time as consumers encounter them in their environment, eliminating the batch processing delays inherent in conventional survey methods and ensuring consumer preference data remains current and timely

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

4Loss of information

If conventional survey methods are implemented, then feedback information can be gathered, but the cost of implementation becomes significant

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconsumer preference dataVSAvoidimplementation cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses inexpensive acoustic tone transmissions as the primary feedback carrier, replacing expensive survey infrastructure. The tones themselves are minimal in cost to produce and transmit, and the system leverages consumers' existing free mobile devices for processing, dramatically reducing implementation costs while maintaining effective feedback data collection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach simplifies the collection of consumer feedback, reduces costs, and provides real-time, accurate consumer data for marketers, enabling more effective marketing strategies.

Implementation Method 1

receive, by the microphone, a tone, where the tone includes a location identifier

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAcoustic signal detection: Sound

Data Source

PatentUS8725121B2Systems, methods, and devices for prompting mobile device users for feedback information using tone transmissions
Publication Date: 2014.05.13 FIRST DATA CORP
  • US8725121B2 patent drawing
  • US8725121B2 patent drawing
  • US8725121B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Systems, methods, and devices for prompting mobile device users for feedback information using tone transmissions are provided. One device may include a network interface, a display, a microphone, and a processor in communication with the network interface, display, and microphone, where the processor is configured to execute computer executable instructions to receive, by the microphone, a tone, where the tone includes a location identifier. The processor is further configured to execute computer executable instructions to extract the location identifier from the tone, and transmit, via the network interface, a signal that includes at least a portion of the location identifier. Moreover, the processor is further configured to execute computer executable instructions to receive, via the network interface, user prompting information associated with the location identifier, and display at least a portion of the user prompting information on the display.