Location-Based Application State Restoration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face inconvenience in managing applications on their devices as they switch locations, requiring constant opening and closing of applications, and lack awareness of useful applications used by others at different locations.

Innovation Solution

An application manager on user devices determines the current location and restores the previous application state automatically or upon user selection, recommending applications based on location-specific usage patterns.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users manually manage applications when switching locations, then application availability is controlled, but user convenience deteriorates due to constant opening and closing operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidtime spent on manual application management
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically restoring applications based on location history before the user needs them. When the device detects a recognized location, it proactively reinstates previously used applications, eliminating the need for users to manually open or close apps when transitioning between locations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The application manager operates autonomously to manage application states without user intervention. It self-monitors location changes, self-determines which applications to restore based on stored usage patterns, and self-executes the restoration process, freeing users from manual application management tasks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If the system automatically restores application state based on location, then user convenience improves, but device complexity increases due to location monitoring and state management mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic application restorationVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The application manager serves multiple functions within a single system component: it monitors location changes, stores and retrieves application state information, determines restoration candidates based on usage patterns, and executes application reinstatement. This multi-functionality consolidates complexity into a unified management mechanism rather than分散 multiple separate systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The application manager acts as an intermediary layer between the device's location detection capabilities and the application execution environment. It mediates by translating location data into application restoration actions, managing the complexity of coordinating multiple subsystems through a centralized control mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of information

If the system monitors and stores application usage data for recommendations, then application discovery improves, but information processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapplication usage informationVSAvoidenergy for data processing
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system processes and analyzes application usage data locally on the device rather than transmitting all raw data to remote servers. This local processing approach maintains data privacy, reduces network energy consumption, and enables real-time generation of application recommendations based on stored usage patterns without continuous external communication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS10117047B1Location and time based application management
Publication Date: 2018.10.30 AMAZON TECH INC
  • US10117047B1 patent drawing
  • US10117047B1 patent drawing
  • US10117047B1 patent drawing

AI summary

An application manager on a user device determines a current time period and determines that the current time period corresponds to a previous time period when the user device has previously been used to access one or more application files. The application manager identifies previous state information for the user device corresponding to a previous state of the user device during the previous time period and restores a current state of the user device to the previous state based at least in part on the previous state information.