Context-Sensitive Contact Substitution for Mobile Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current contact management systems in mobile devices rely on manual, brute force methods to select alternative contacts based on context, which can be inefficient when the desired contact is deep in the list, and do not consider location or time-based contexts for selecting appropriate phone numbers.
Innovation Solution
A context-sensitive contact substitution method and system that selects a contact from a list based on the device's location or time of day, identifying an alternate contact if permitted and establishing the call with that contact instead of the original one, using a mobile computing device with a context-sensitive contact substitution module and phone dialer application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual brute force method is used to select contacts from the beginning of the list, then the system can reach any contact, but the time required increases dramatically when the desired contact is deep in the list
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary organization of contacts by assigning roles and grouping them accordingly. When a contact is needed, the system has already pre-organized alternative contacts by role, so no manual searching through the entire list is required. This preliminary structuring enables instant retrieval of appropriate contacts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (role-based contact groups) between the user and the contact list. Instead of directly searching through all contacts, the user selects a role, and the system mediates by presenting only the relevant contacts for that role, dramatically reducing search time while maintaining reliable contact access.
2Productivity
If the contact list is organized by role with alternate contacts, then alternative contacts can be reached quickly, but the system cannot determine which alternate contact is most appropriate without manual user judgment
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms by analyzing communication patterns, location data, and time information. This feedback loop allows the system to learn which contacts are most appropriate for specific contexts and automatically select them, eliminating the need for manual user judgment while maintaining high accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically selecting the most appropriate contact based on contextual information such as location, time, and communication history. Instead of requiring manual user judgment, the system autonomously determines which alternate contact to reach, saving time while maintaining accuracy.
3Ease of operation
If the system automatically selects contacts based on context, then manual effort is reduced, but the system complexity increases due to additional context analysis requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system leverages existing multi-functional components already present in mobile devices, such as location services, time tracking, and communication history databases. By reusing these existing components for contact selection, the system achieves automated context-based selection without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes parameters by utilizing existing data parameters (location, time, communication frequency) in new ways for contact selection. Rather than introducing entirely new complex systems, the patent repurposes existing parameters and data structures to enable intelligent contact selection, minimizing the increase in system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for context sensitive contact substitution for mobile communications. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for context sensitive contact substitution for mobile communications includes selecting a contact disposed within a list of contacts in memory of a mobile computing device for use in establishing a telephone call with the selected contact through the mobile computing device. The method also includes determining a context of the telephone call and identifying in the list of contacts an alternate contact to the selected contact based upon the determined context. In this regard, the context may be a location of the mobile computing device, or a time of day of establishing the telephone call, to name two examples. Finally, the method includes establishing the telephone call through the mobile computing device with the alternate contact instead of the selected contact.