Local ML Model for Device Usage Insights

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Solution Overview

Problem

Parents face challenges in monitoring and managing their children's digital habits effectively due to unreliable intuition and the need for data-scientist-level analysis to identify healthy or unhealthy device usage patterns from raw data on screen time and online activities.

Innovation Solution

A system utilizing machine learning models processes device data to generate insights and provide actionable recommendations on device usage behaviors, including identifying healthy habits, abnormalities, and unhealthy usage patterns, while maintaining user privacy by processing data locally on user devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If parents use intuition to monitor device usage, then monitoring is simple, but reliability is poor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitoring simplicityVSAvoidmonitoring accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces machine learning models as an intermediary between raw device data and parental interpretation. The ML models process device usage data locally on user devices, generating insights about healthy or unhealthy usage patterns without requiring parents to directly analyze raw data or perform complex research, thus maintaining simplicity while improving reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service by having the device automatically generate usage insights and recommendations through locally-running machine learning models. The device monitors its own usage patterns, compares them against learned norms, and provides actionable insights without requiring external analysis or parental expertise in data interpretation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Loss of information

If parents research statistics about screen time, then data availability improves, but time consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoidresearch time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-training machine learning models on aggregated device data from multiple users before deployment. This pre-processing of data and model training occurs in advance, so when the model runs locally on individual devices, it immediately provides contextualized insights without requiring parents to perform research or data analysis at runtime

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The machine learning model acts as an intermediary that has already processed and synthesized information from aggregated device data during training. Parents interact with the model's pre-digested insights rather than raw statistics, eliminating the need for them to conduct their own research while maintaining access to comprehensive information

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If device data is processed centrally, then analysis capability improves, but data privacy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanalysis capabilityVSAvoiddata privacy risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the data processing function by distributing machine learning models to individual user devices. Each device independently processes its own usage data locally, eliminating the need to transmit sensitive personal information to central servers. This segmentation maintains analysis capability through localized ML inference while protecting privacy by keeping data processing distributed and local

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The machine learning model serves as an intermediary that enables sophisticated analysis capability while protecting privacy. The model, trained on aggregated data from multiple users, processes individual device data locally without requiring the actual personal data to be transmitted or stored centrally, thus providing analytical power without compromising data privacy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12061531B2Insight-led activity reporting and digital health management
Publication Date: 2024.08.13 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • US12061531B2 patent drawing
  • US12061531B2 patent drawing
  • US12061531B2 patent drawing

AI summary

The systems and methods may use machine learning models to process device data of user devices and determine device usage behaviors for the users of the user devices based on the device data. The systems and methods may provide relatable insights for the device usage behaviors in a user-friendly manner. The systems and methods may provide actional recommendations that users may take in response to the insights provided to promote healthy device usage behaviors or to prevent or reduce the device usage behavior. The systems and methods may also provide recommendations with access to information or other content related to the device usage behavior.