Co-located Device Alert Selection via Location Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems fail to selectively generate ringtones or audible alerts on multiple user devices configured to receive communications using a single user address, leading to unnecessary alerts and user confusion, especially when devices are co-located.
Innovation Solution
A communication infrastructure that determines the location of multiple devices associated with a single user address and selectively designates one device to produce an audible alert based on user configuration and priority, while others only display a visual alert, using location information from GPS, IP addresses, or cellular network data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple devices are configured to receive communications using a single user address, then the user can access communications on any device, but unnecessary audible alerts are generated on co-located devices causing user confusion
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different alert characteristics (audible vs. visual only) to different devices based on their location characteristics. Co-located devices receive visual-only alerts while non-co-located devices receive full audible alerts, creating local quality differentiation based on spatial relationships.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication infrastructure acts as an intermediary that receives location information from multiple devices, determines co-location relationships, and selectively controls alert generation. This intermediary processing resolves the contradiction by intelligently routing alert types based on spatial analysis.
2Reliability
If all devices generate audible alerts for incoming communications, then the user is notified on every device, but this creates unnecessary distraction when devices are in the same location
Solution Approach 1:
The system differentiates alert delivery based on local conditions at each device location. Devices determined to be co-located receive suppressed audible alerts (visual only), while isolated devices receive full audible notifications, optimizing the balance between reliable notification and minimizing distraction.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying uniform alert suppression or generation across all devices, the system applies partial action by selectively suppressing audible alerts only on co-located devices while maintaining full alert functionality on non-co-located devices, achieving optimal notification without excessive suppression.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the system determines location of multiple devices to selectively control alerts, then unnecessary alerts are reduced, but this increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
User devices self-report their location information to the communication infrastructure, eliminating the need for complex centralized tracking systems. The infrastructure simply receives and processes location data provided by devices themselves, reducing overall system complexity while achieving the desired alert control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system obtains location information in advance of communication delivery and pre-determines which devices should receive audible versus visual-only alerts. This preliminary classification based on location data simplifies the alert generation process by establishing alert types before communications are delivered to devices.
Data Source
AI summary
A user may have multiple devices that are associate with a single user address such as an email address, a telephone number, a user name, a user ID, etc. When a communication is addressed to the single user address, a location of each of the devices is determined, and any devices that are co-located within a common geographic area are identified. For those devices within the common geographic area, one of the devices is selected and instructed to play an audible alert. The other devices within the common geographic area are not instructed or are specifically instructed not to play the audible alert. All of the user's multiple devices may present a visual alert.