Mobile Device Cellular Congestion Warning System

Solution Overview

Problem

Increased usage of mobile devices strains cellular networks, leading to congestion and reduced data transfer speeds, causing user dissatisfaction due to slow or interrupted video playback, especially when data allowances are exceeded, resulting in throttled speeds.

Innovation Solution

A method implemented in mobile devices to monitor and detect high-data-rate applications, query the cellular network for congestion and data availability, and display warnings to users when performance is likely to be impaired, offering options to postpone data-intensive activities or upgrade data plans.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If mobile device usage increases, then user experience and data access improve, but network congestion increases and data transfer speeds decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transfer speedVSAvoidnetwork congestion

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by monitoring network conditions and proactively notifying users before they initiate data-intensive activities. The notification system alerts users to potential network impairment before it affects their experience, allowing them to postpone or adjust their data usage timing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring network performance metrics and user data usage patterns. This feedback loop enables the system to assess current network conditions, predict potential congestion issues, and provide real-time notifications to users about their data allowance status and network quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If data-intensive applications are used, then user functionality and service quality improve, but network resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication functionalityVSAvoidnetwork resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by monitoring network conditions and proactively notifying users before they initiate data-intensive activities. The notification system alerts users to potential network impairment before it affects their experience, allowing them to postpone or adjust their data usage timing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring network performance metrics and user data usage patterns. This feedback loop enables the system to assess current network conditions, predict potential congestion issues, and provide real-time notifications to users about their data allowance status and network quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If network capacity is limited, then network stability is maintained, but user satisfaction decreases due to slow video playback

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork stabilityVSAvoiduser satisfaction

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by monitoring network conditions and proactively notifying users before they initiate data-intensive activities. The notification system alerts users to potential network impairment before it affects their experience, allowing them to postpone or adjust their data usage timing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring network performance metrics and user data usage patterns. This feedback loop enables the system to assess current network conditions, predict potential congestion issues, and provide real-time notifications to users about their data allowance status and network quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3400697B1User notification of cellular service impairment

Publication Date: 2020.03.11 T MOBILE US INC

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AI summary

When a user of a mobile device attempts to use an application having high data demands, the mobile device queries its cellular data provider to determine currently available data transfer rates, based on the geographic location of the mobile device and the demands on the cellular base station from which the mobile device is being served. If the base station is experiencing data congestion, which is likely to result in a less than optimum user experience, the mobile device displays a warning to the user suggesting that the user postpone usage of the application or try using the application in a different geographic location that is experiencing less congestion.