Context-Aware Companion App for Cross-Application Data Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of mobile computing devices face inefficiencies when performing tasks that require switching between applications and manually navigating to retrieve relevant information, leading to increased time and user input requirements.
Innovation Solution
A computing device executes a companion application that identifies and displays relevant information from other applications based on contextual information, allowing users to access necessary data without switching applications or navigating manually, by determining the context of the currently executing application and retrieving related objects from other applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a user manually navigates between applications to retrieve relevant information, then the user can access data from multiple applications, but the time and number of user inputs required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a companion application as an intermediary that automatically monitors the currently executing application and retrieves relevant information from other applications without requiring user navigation. The companion application acts as a mediator between the active application and other applications, automatically extracting and presenting relevant data such as contact information, calendar events, and documents based on the context of the active application.
Solution Approach 2:
The companion application performs preliminary actions by proactively retrieving and organizing relevant information from other applications before the user needs it. The system continuously monitors the active application's context and pre-loads relevant data, so when the user needs information, it is already prepared and presented, eliminating the need for manual navigation and search.
2Ease of operation
If a user manually navigates between applications to retrieve relevant information, then the user can access data from multiple applications, but the number of user inputs required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The companion application provides self-service functionality by automatically detecting the context of the active application and retrieving relevant information from other applications without requiring user inputs. The system monitors application states, extracts relevant data based on contextual analysis, and presents the information automatically, eliminating the need for users to manually navigate through multiple applications or provide repeated inputs.
3Reliability
If applications execute as isolated instances, then each application maintains its own state independently, but the ability to automatically exchange data between applications is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The companion application serves as an intermediary layer that enables automatic data exchange between isolated applications while preserving their independence. It monitors the active application's context and automatically retrieves relevant information from other applications, bridging the gap between isolated application instances without requiring them to be directly connected or share state.
Data Source
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AI summary
In general, the disclosure is directed to a computing device configured to identify and display information determined to be relevant to a current task. The computing device receives information associated with a content page for a second application, at least a portion of which is included in a graphical user interface. The computing device determines, based on the information, a context of the second application. The computing device determines, based on the context, a set of objects for each of one or more applications related to the second application. The computing device generates a content page for the first application including graphical indications of at least one object from at least one of the respective sets of objects. The computing device outputs, for display, at least a portion of the content page for the first application within the graphical user interface.