Mobile Call Reminder Interface for Out-of-Coverage Retry

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mobile communication devices often experience poor or no service under degraded RF coverage conditions, leading to undetected voice call denials and forgotten reattempts when service is restored.

Innovation Solution

A user interface method that displays a call denial indication and offers a call reminder setup prompt on mobile devices, allowing users to reattempt voice calls when service is restored, with options to accept or decline reminders that include call details like phone number and time of the previous request.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If automatic reconnection is implemented without user intervention, then call completion rate improves, but user awareness and control over call attempts deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecall completion rateVSAvoiduser awareness and control
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides visual feedback through a display showing call denial indications and call reminder setup prompts, keeping the user informed about call status and service conditions while enabling optional automatic reconnection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts between manual and automatic call retry modes based on user preferences, allowing the user to choose the level of automation desired for different situations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If the user interface provides detailed call information and reminders, then user convenience improves, but interface complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidinterface complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The interface is segmented into distinct functional screens: call denial indication, service restoration detection, call reminder setup prompt with call details, and call retry confirmation, allowing detailed information to be presented in manageable steps

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically detecting service restoration and preparing call reminder information before presenting it to the user, reducing the cognitive load during the actual user interaction

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP1931120B1User interface methods and apparatus for processing voice call requests from mobile station based on communication conditions
Publication Date: 2014.03.05 MOTOROLA MOBILITY LLC
  • EP1931120B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1931120B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1931120B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

User interface methods and apparatus for processing voice call requests based on communication conditions of a mobile communication device are disclosed. The mobile communication device includes one or more processors, a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors, and a user interface which includes a visual display. A voice call request for a voice call is received through the user interface. If the voice call request is received during an out-of-coverage condition of the mobile communication device, the processor causes a call denial indication to be displayed in the visual display, which indicates that the voice call request could not be completed. The processor also causes a call reminder setup prompt to be displayed, which may be accepted or declined through the user interface. If an acceptance of the call reminder setup prompt is received, the processor causes a call reminder prompt for reattempting the voice call request to be displayed when an in-coverage condition of the mobile communication device is subsequently identified. The call reminder prompt, which may be accepted or declined through the user interface, reveals various call information regarding the previous voice call request such as the telephone number, name, and time of the previous request. If the call reminder prompt is accepted, the processor causes a voice call associated with the voice call request to be initiated. Additional call reminder techniques are disclosed to provide an even more flexible and easy-to-use interface.