Intelligent Notification Routing in Multi-User Smart Home Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-user environments, existing notification systems fail to consider the location and activity of users, leading to redundant and disruptive notifications, as they do not effectively differentiate between interested and non-interested users, especially in smart home settings where multiple devices and users are present.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize presence sensors and central controllers to determine user locations and activities, selectively routing notifications to preferred devices based on user proximity and activity, incorporating beam steering and volume adjustments to minimize disruption to non-interested users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If notifications are sent to multiple devices in a multi-user environment, then all users receive the notification, but redundant and disruptive notifications are created for users not interested in the alert
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by determining user-specific notification preferences and characteristics for different users in the multi-user environment. Each user is assigned specific notification characteristics based on their interest in particular devices or alert types, allowing notifications to be tailored locally to each user rather than applying a uniform notification approach to all users.
Solution Approach 2:
The central controller acts as an intermediary that receives notifications from electronic devices and intelligently routes them to appropriate users based on user characteristics, device proximity, and user interest. The central controller mediates between the notification source and multiple potential recipients, filtering and directing notifications to prevent redundant delivery to uninterested users while ensuring reliable delivery to interested users.
2Reliability
If notifications are broadcast to all devices, then no user is missed, but users engaged in activities like sleeping or exercising are disturbed
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamics by making notification delivery adaptive and dynamic rather than static. The central controller continuously monitors user characteristics, device proximity, and contextual information to dynamically determine whether and how to deliver notifications. This allows the notification system to adapt to changing user states (such as sleeping or exercising) and environmental conditions, ensuring reliable notification coverage while minimizing disturbance to users in sensitive states.
3Device complexity
If a single user is associated with a single device, then notification routing is simple, but the system cannot handle multi-user environments where devices are shared or moved
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies universality by enabling the central controller to handle multiple user-device associations and multiple notification routing scenarios through a single unified platform. The central controller is designed to manage complex multi-user environments where devices can be shared or moved, supporting various notification delivery modes (proximity-based, user-interest-based, device-associated) within a single system architecture, rather than requiring separate systems for different notification scenarios.
4Device complexity
If notifications are sent without considering user location and activity, then the notification process is simple, but redundant messages are sent to uninterested users
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies feedback by utilizing user characteristic information and device proximity data to inform notification routing decisions. The central controller receives feedback about user locations, user interests in specific devices, and contextual information, then uses this feedback to intelligently determine which users should receive notifications and through which devices. This feedback mechanism ensures that user interest information is preserved and utilized to prevent redundant notification delivery.
Data Source
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AI summary
Techniques for providing a notification to a user in a home network are provided. An example method according to the disclosure includes receiving an alert for the user, determining a location of the user, determining one or more proximate devices based on the location of the user, determining a location of one or more proximate non-interested users based on the proximate devices, determining an activity of the user, determining a preferred notification device based at least in part on the location of the user, the location of one or more proximate non-interested users, and the activity of the user, generating a notification message based at least in part on the preferred notification device, and sending the notification message to the preferred notification device.