Dynamic Feature Set Adaptation for Mobile Applications
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional software applications provide the same functionality to all users, regardless of their varying backgrounds, circumstances, knowledge bases, and needs, leading to resource inefficiency and potential security issues due to unnecessary features and increased complexity.
Innovation Solution
A mobile computing device and method that dynamically adjust the feature set of a provider application based on the user's level of sophistication, determined by their activities and behaviors, to provide only relevant functionalities, reducing resource usage and enhancing security by limiting access to sensitive information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an application provides all possible functionality to all users, then the application is comprehensive and meets diverse needs, but the application becomes larger, more complex, and more resource-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The application functionality is segmented into multiple feature sets corresponding to different user sophistication levels. Each feature set contains only the functionalities appropriate for that level, allowing the application to provide comprehensive coverage across all users while keeping each individual user's experience simple and focused.
Solution Approach 2:
The application dynamically adjusts which feature set is presented to each user based on their determined sophistication level. This dynamic adaptation allows the same application to provide different functionality configurations to different users, achieving versatility without requiring each user to access the full complexity of all possible features.
2Adaptability or versatility
If an application provides comprehensive functionality, then it can serve all user needs, but it requires more computing power, memory, and storage resources
Solution Approach 1:
The application extracts and removes functionalities that are not appropriate for a user's sophistication level from the active feature set. By taking out unnecessary features, the application reduces computational resource usage, memory requirements, and processing overhead while still maintaining the capability to provide comprehensive functionality to users at higher sophistication levels.
3Adaptability or versatility
If an application provides more functionality, then it can handle diverse user needs, but it requires more frequent and stringent authentication and authorization protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The application applies different authentication and authorization protocols locally to each feature set based on the user's sophistication level. Rather than applying uniform stringent security protocols to all functionalities for all users, the system tailors the security measures to match the sensitivity and complexity of the specific features being accessed, reducing unnecessary security overhead while maintaining appropriate security levels.
Data Source
AI summary
A computing device may include a provider application and data defining perceptible elements that provide users with various functionalities in more easily consumable stages. The application may determine that the user is at a first level of sophistication based on user activities and/or circumstances, and present a first set of perceptible elements in response thereto to provide a first set of functionalities. The application may then determine the user is at a second, higher level of sophistication based on subsequent activities and/or circumstances, and present a second set of perceptible elements to provide a second set of functionalities that includes at least one new functionality not provided via the first set of perceptible elements. Applications can be less resource intensive by evolving to strategically tailor available functionality to the circumstances and needs of particular users.