Location-Based Conference Call Automation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Establishing conference calls on cellular phones is a cumbersome process requiring manual dialing and participant management, which can be challenging, especially when the initiator is not available or in situations like driving, and existing geospatial telephony systems do not automate interactions based on user locations.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that automatically initiate multi-participant interactions and conference calls by installing an interaction-establishing application on mobile devices, which monitors user locations and triggers such as entering predefined polygons or sharing contexts to automatically dial and connect users based on predefined conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual dialing and participant management is used for conference calls, then the system can establish calls between users, but the process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of establishing conference callVSAvoidtime required for manual dialing and participant management

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-defines polygons with location data of vertices and pre-establishes friend relationships in the database before users need to make calls. When users enter predefined polygons, the system automatically identifies friends within those polygons and initiates calls without requiring manual dialing or participant management, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and time consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service by automatically monitoring user locations, detecting when users enter predefined polygons, identifying friends within those polygons, and initiating calls autonomously. The system serves itself by managing the entire call establishment process without human intervention, eliminating the cumbersome manual operations and time loss associated with traditional conference call setup

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If the initiator manually manages each participant sequentially, then all participants can be connected, but the process becomes complex and difficult when the initiator is busy or unavailable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of establishing conference callVSAvoidcomplexity of manual participant management process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces an intermediary automated calling system that acts as a mediator between users and the conference call establishment process. Instead of requiring the initiator to manually manage each participant, the automated system monitors locations, identifies friends in predefined polygons, and sequentially connects participants without human intervention, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces the mechanical manual process of dialing and participant management with an automated electronic system that monitors GPS locations, queries the database for friends in predefined polygons, and initiates calls automatically. This substitution eliminates the complexity of manual operations while ensuring reliable call establishment even when the initiator is busy or unavailable

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Extent of automation

If existing geospatial telephony systems are used, then location-based calls can be initiated, but automatic interactions based on user locations are not implemented

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomation of location-based interactionsVSAvoiduser effort required for call initiation

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements full automation by enabling the mobile system to autonomously monitor user locations via GPS, detect when users enter predefined polygons, query the database for friends within those polygons, and initiate calls without any user action. This self-service approach maximizes the extent of automation while completely eliminating user effort for call initiation, resolving the contradiction between automation and ease of operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2993879B1Method for automatically establishing location-based conference calls

Publication Date: 2017.11.22 DEUTSCHE TELEKOM AG

Figure 1~2

AI summary

A method for automatically establishing multi-participant interactions and/or conference calls between users of mobile devices, according to which an interaction establishing application is installed on the mobile device of each participating user and receives for each user, phone numbers of other users defined as his friends and a list of predetermined triggers as conditions for initiating an interaction between users. The application constantly monitors the location of each user's mobile device and upon detecting that one or more of the triggers are met, the application automatically initiates one or more interactions between users that comply with the triggers that are met.