Location- and Direction-Aware Reminders for Nearby Goods and Services
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals often forget to complete tasks or are unaware of where to find desired goods or services when they are in proximity, leading to frustration.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilizes a computing device to provide reminders based on location and direction of travel, and identifies availability of goods or services by comparing user requests with proximity and travel data to trigger reminders and provide relevant information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a user relies on manual memory to remember tasks, then no additional system complexity is introduced, but task completion reliability deteriorates due to forgetfulness
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows users to program reminder criteria and destinations in advance, enabling the system to automatically trigger reminders and provide directions without requiring continuous user intervention or monitoring. The pre-programmed criteria include location-based triggers and directional indicators that automatically activate when conditions are met.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback to users by monitoring their location and direction of travel, comparing this data against pre-programmed reminder criteria, and automatically triggering appropriate reminders when conditions are satisfied. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures tasks are reminded at the optimal moment.
2Measurement precision
If a user manually tracks location and tasks, then device complexity remains low, but information accuracy deteriorates due to human error
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual human tracking and memory with automated electronic monitoring using GPS and computational algorithms. The computing device continuously monitors location coordinates and directional data, eliminating human error in tracking while providing precise location-based trigger detection for reminders.
3Reliability
If the system provides frequent reminders, then task completion reliability improves, but user convenience deteriorates due to potential annoyance
Solution Approach 1:
The system triggers reminders with specific local conditions rather than universally or continuously. Reminder criteria include specific location proximity thresholds and directional requirements, ensuring reminders are provided only when the user is in the appropriate local context and likely to act on them, rather than at random intervals.
Solution Approach 2:
The reminder system dynamically adjusts its behavior based on real-time conditions, triggering reminders only when both location and direction of travel criteria are satisfied. The system adapts to the user's actual movement patterns and location changes, providing reminders at optimal moments rather than following a fixed schedule.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples are generally described that include methods and systems for providing a reminder and/or identifying availability of a good or service, or both. In many examples, a reminder may be provided when a computing device satisfies one or more criteria associated with a reminder request. For instance, a reminder may be provided when the location associated with a computing device is proximate a destination and when the direction of travel associated with a computing device indicates that the proximity of the computing device is increasing or decreasing relative to a predetermined location. In other examples, a computing device may be utilized to identify an entity that associated with a requested good or a requested service, or both. In some examples, a location associated with the computing device may be determined and servers associated with an entity within a range of the location may be searched to identify the request good or the requested service, or both.