Biometric Sleep Detection for Software Update Scheduling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional personal electronic devices perform software updates based solely on time of day, which can deteriorate the user's experience when the assumption of the user being asleep fails, leading to suboptimal scheduling.

Innovation Solution

The device uses biometric data from sensors to determine the user's sleep status and schedules updates accordingly, either installing the update when the user is sleeping or delaying it when they are awake.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If software updates are performed during the night based on time assumption, then system maintenance is achieved, but user experience deteriorates when the user is actually awake

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveupdate scheduling accuracyVSAvoiduser experience

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical time-based scheduling system with a biometric sensing system. Instead of using clocks and time-based rules to determine when to update, the system uses accelerometers, gyroscopes, and other sensors to detect user physiological states (sleeping vs. awake) and makes update decisions based on this biological data, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliable scheduling and user experience

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors biometric data from sensors and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust update scheduling decisions. The feedback loop collects real-time information about user state and modifies the update timing accordingly, ensuring updates occur only when the user is actually sleeping rather than relying on predetermined time assumptions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If software updates are delayed to preserve user experience, then user experience is maintained, but system productivity decreases due to postponed maintenance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser experienceVSAvoidupdate execution efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The update scheduling system transitions from a static time-based approach to a dynamic biometric-responsive approach. The system continuously adapts its update timing based on real-time detection of user sleep states through sensors, allowing updates to be executed as soon as the user is actually sleeping rather than following a fixed schedule, thus maintaining both user experience and update efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10572238B2Computer update scheduling based on biometrics

Publication Date: 2020.02.25 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention relate to scheduling updates on a personal electronic device based on biometric data gathered from a user. The personal electronic device, or another computing device, may receive a pending software update. The personal electronic device, or another computing device, may receive biometric data of the user from one or more biometric sensors. The biometric data may provide sufficient information to determine a sleep status of the user. The personal electronic device, or another computing device, may determine a sleep status of the user. The personal electronic device, or another computing device, may install the pending software update in response to determining that the user is sleeping. The personal electronic device, or another computing device, may delay the pending software update in response to determining that the user is not sleeping.