Desynchronizing Notifications Across Multiple Devices

Solution Overview

Problem

Synchronized electronic devices often display notifications simultaneously, lacking the ability to differentiate between public and private notifications, leading to inconvenience and potential privacy issues.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for desynchronizing notifications across multiple electronic devices, where a primary device receives and transmits notifications to companion devices, allowing for delayed or incremental display based on privacy levels and user preferences, using communication units and controllers for wired or wireless connections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If notifications are displayed simultaneously on all synchronized electronic devices, then notification delivery is ensured, but user privacy is compromised and user convenience deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenotification deliveryVSAvoiduser convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making notification delivery timing flexible rather than fixed. The system allows dynamic control over when notifications are displayed on companion devices based on user preferences, context, and privacy settings. This transforms the static simultaneous delivery model into a dynamic adaptive model that can adjust timing to balance reliability with user convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local quality by allowing different notification delivery behaviors for different devices. Instead of uniform simultaneous delivery across all synchronized devices, the system enables selective delivery where the primary device displays notifications immediately while companion devices may display them later or under different conditions, tailoring the delivery quality to each device's specific context and user preferences.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If notifications are displayed simultaneously on all synchronized electronic devices, then notification delivery is ensured, but user privacy is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenotification deliveryVSAvoidprivacy violation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements local quality by allowing different notification delivery behaviors for different devices. Instead of uniform simultaneous delivery across all synchronized devices, the system enables selective delivery where the primary device displays notifications immediately while companion devices may display them later or under different conditions, tailoring the delivery quality to each device's specific context and user preferences.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies dynamics by making notification delivery timing flexible rather than fixed. The system allows dynamic control over when notifications are displayed on companion devices based on user preferences, context, and privacy settings. This transforms the static simultaneous delivery model into a dynamic adaptive model that can adjust timing to balance reliability with user convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If notification timing is made flexible and selective, then user privacy is protected and user convenience is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism in the form of a notification delivery controller that manages the complexity of selective timing. This intermediary component handles the coordination between primary and companion devices, abstracting the complexity from the user while enabling flexible, privacy-respecting notification delivery. The controller acts as a mediator that translates user preferences into appropriate delivery behaviors across multiple devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies universality by designing a multi-functional notification system that can operate in multiple modes (immediate delivery, delayed delivery, selective delivery) within a single unified architecture. The same notification infrastructure supports various delivery strategies, reducing the need for separate systems while providing flexible, privacy-protecting capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUSRE49497E1Apparatus, method, and system for desynchronizing notifications across multiple devices

Publication Date: 2023.04.18 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

An apparatus and method for desynchronizing notifications across multiple electronic devices are provided. The method includes receiving, by a primary electronic device, a notification, transmitting, by the primary electronic device, the notification to a companion electronic device with which the primary electronic device is synchronized, and desynchronizing a providing of the notification at the companion electronic device.