Network Element Notification Filtering and Aggregation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users face an influx of unsolicited and intrusive notifications across various communication channels, leading to difficulty in managing and controlling communications, especially on mobile devices which receive notifications from both traditional networks and internet-based services.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that aggregates and filters communications, allowing users to define acceptable characteristics for each channel and sender, enabling selective notification management through a network element that compares communication channels and users with predefined filters, determining whether to transmit notifications based on type, identity, and timing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users subscribe to multiple communication channels and services to expand their social circles and increase communication opportunities, then the number of contacts and communication channels increases, but the number of unsolicited notifications and intrusive communications increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary between multiple service providers and the user's mobile device. This server aggregates communications from various channels and selectively transmits only relevant communications to the device, filtering out unsolicited notifications. The server acts as a mediator that manages the proliferation of communication channels while preventing harmful notifications from reaching the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the notification filtering and aggregation function from the mobile device itself and places it on a separate server. By taking out this functionality, the mobile device is relieved of the burden of managing multiple communication channels and filtering notifications, while the server performs the extraction of relevant communications from the broader set of all communications.
2Loss of information
If users receive notifications from multiple services on their mobile device, then they stay informed about various communications, but they experience distractions and loss of control over who contacts them and when
Solution Approach 1:
The server acts as an intelligent intermediary that selectively filters and aggregates communications before transmitting them to the mobile device. It maintains information from multiple channels while exercising control over what reaches the user, thereby preventing information loss while preserving user control. The server mediates between the need for comprehensive information and the need for user control.
Solution Approach 2:
The server performs preliminary filtering and aggregation of communications before they reach the mobile device. By taking action in advance to filter out unwanted notifications and aggregate relevant communications, the system prevents distractions at the source rather than requiring the user to manage them on the device.
3Ease of operation
If users manage communications across various channels directly on their mobile device, then they have direct access to all communications, but the device complexity and difficulty of managing different channels increases
Solution Approach 1:
The server serves as an intermediary that handles the complexity of managing multiple communication channels, service providers, and notification filters. This externalizes the complexity from the mobile device, allowing the device to remain simple while still providing access to aggregated communications from numerous channels through a single interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple communication channels and service providers into a single aggregated communication stream that is transmitted to the mobile device. By combining numerous separate communications into one unified feed, the system simplifies device complexity while maintaining access to information from all channels.
4Ease of operation
If the mobile device aggregates and filters all communications from multiple service providers, then user control is improved, but the device requires significant processing power and memory resources
Solution Approach 1:
The server acts as an intermediary that performs the computationally intensive aggregation and filtering operations remotely, relieving the mobile device of heavy processing requirements. The device only needs to receive and display the already-filtered aggregated communications, significantly reducing its energy and processing resource consumption while maintaining effective notification management.
Data Source
AI summary
In a communications network including a plurality of communication channels through which communications are configured to be transmitted between a plurality of network users, a method of managing communications to be transmitted to a particular user from the plurality of communication channels and/or network users, the method including: receiving a communication from a particular communication channel or another network user, the communication intended for transmission to a particular user; determining whether or not to transmit the communication to the particular user, based upon whether or not the communication satisfies one or more predefined characteristics relating to the particular communication channel and/or the other network user; and transmitting the communication to the particular user when the communication satisfies the predefined characteristics.