Cloud-Based Device Interaction via Intermediary Service
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in managing and synchronizing data and applications across multiple devices due to proprietary formats, different protocols, and lack of common communication channels, requiring manual processes and multiple purchases for each device.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based system that dynamically determines the appropriate format and version of content for each device based on its capabilities, allowing for seamless synchronization and interaction between disparate devices, and enabling users to purchase licenses for multiple formats and versions without needing separate installations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If devices use proprietary data formats and protocols, then each device can optimize for its specific requirements, but devices cannot communicate or synchronize data across different platforms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud-based service as an intermediary between devices with different proprietary formats. The service receives data from devices in their native formats, converts it to a unified representation, and then delivers it to target devices in appropriate formats. This mediator approach resolves the compatibility issue without requiring devices to directly understand each other's protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The cloud service provides universal access to data and applications across multiple device types through a single interface. Users can access the same service from smartphones, tablets, and computers without needing device-specific configurations, achieving multi-functionality that bridges different ecosystems.
2Productivity
If users manually export and synchronize data between devices, then data can be transferred, but the process is time-consuming and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic self-service synchronization where devices autonomously exchange data through the cloud service without user intervention. The service automatically detects data changes, initiates transfers, and manages formatting conversions, eliminating manual export and import operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Data is pre-processed and converted into universal representations in the cloud before being delivered to devices. This preliminary action of normalization and formatting preparation eliminates the need for users to manually handle format conversions during synchronization.
3Adaptability or versatility
If users repurchase applications for each new device, then device-specific applications can be optimized, but the cost and effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal application model where a single application purchase provides access across multiple device types. The cloud service maintains a library of applications in various formats and automatically serves the appropriate version to users based on their device capabilities, eliminating the need to repurchase for each device.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring users to buy new applications for each device, the system creates and distributes copies of applications in device-specific formats through the cloud. Users access applications via the service rather than owning physical copies for each device, reducing the quantity of purchases needed.
4Ease of operation
If devices are designed to work together through pre-configured channels, then communication is efficient, but the system lacks flexibility for new or disparate devices
Solution Approach 1:
The cloud service acts as a flexible intermediary that accommodates any device type without requiring pre-configured communication channels. Devices simply need network connectivity to interact with the service, which handles all protocol translation and data formatting, enabling ease of operation for new or disparate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts to different device capabilities and protocols rather than relying on static pre-configured channels. The cloud service can adjust data formats, compression methods, and communication protocols based on the specific devices involved, providing both ease of operation and flexibility for interoperability.
Data Source
AI summary
A logically centralized system or service, such as a cloud-based content management service, enables intelligent communication between disparate devices. Such communication enables content such as applications and data to be synchronized between various devices, where the synchronization takes into account the capabilities of each device to provide versions and/or formats of that content that are appropriate for each device. A user purchasing an additional device, for example, can have various applications and other content automatically installed or copied over to the additional device, but with versions or formats that take advantage of, and are appropriate for, the capabilities of that additional device. Further, the intelligent communication via a logically centralized service can enable such devices to interact even though those devices might utilize different protocols and/or formats, and might otherwise not be able to communicate or have ever have been tested together.