Coordinator-Based Device Activity Synchronization Across Groups
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current techniques for coordinating device activity among interconnected electronic devices are inefficient and lack comprehensive synchronization, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for enhanced collaboration.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a coordinated mechanism for activity synchronization among a group of devices, including techniques for generating a cluster list of activities, synchronizing information, changing device states, and selectively sending state change requests, with a coordinator device managing the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If devices function individually and independently manage their own activities, then each device can operate autonomously, but coordination efficiency and collaboration among devices deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A coordinator device is introduced as an intermediary among member devices. The coordinator receives activity information from all member devices, determines a coordinated activity list, and distributes it back to members. This mediator resolves the contradiction by enabling autonomous devices to work together efficiently through centralized coordination, improving overall system productivity while preserving individual device autonomy.
2Productivity
If a coordinator device manages all activity coordination centrally, then coordination efficiency improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides coordination responsibilities by designating one device as coordinator while others function as members. This segmentation allows the coordinator to handle centralized decision-making for activity coordination, improving efficiency without requiring all devices to have complex coordination logic. The complexity is isolated to the coordinator device rather than distributed across the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple member devices are merged into a unified group managed by a single coordinator. The coordinator consolidates activity information from all members, processes it centrally, and distributes the coordinated result. This merging approach improves coordination efficiency by eliminating redundant communication and conflict resolution among individual devices, while the coordinator handles the complexity of managing the entire group.
3Measurement precision
If devices synchronize all information frequently, then synchronization accuracy improves, but communication overhead and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of all devices synchronizing all information frequently, the system uses partial action by having only the coordinator device perform centralized coordination. Member devices send their activity information to the coordinator and receive the coordinated activity list, reducing the frequency and scope of communications. This approach maintains sufficient synchronization accuracy for coordinated operations while significantly reducing overall communication overhead and energy consumption compared to full peer-to-peer synchronization.
Data Source
AI summary
Some techniques are described herein for coordinating device activity, with devices included in one or more different groups of devices. One technique includes coordinating activities among a group as coordinator. For example, in a group of devices, a coordinator device obtains a cluster list of activities from each member device in the group. The coordinator device establishes a new cluster list of activities based on each received cluster list of activities and sends the new cluster list to the member devices. Another technique includes coordinating changes of the coordinator role as a member. Another technique includes changing state of activities via an assertion system. Another technique includes selectively sending requests to change states of local activities. Yet another technique includes a distributed mechanism for selecting a primary device to interact with a user.