Unified Notification Broker for Conflict Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing notification systems in computer systems are not aware of other notifications, leading to conflicts and inappropriate delivery of notifications, and lack a shared notion of user context, resulting in interruptions during inappropriate times without adequate feedback to senders.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for public consumption of communication events between arbitrary processes that allow processes to assess and act on notification events, using user-defined contexts and rules to determine appropriate notification delivery, including deferring or denying notifications based on user availability and importance of senders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple programs independently send notifications to the user, then each program can deliver its notifications, but notifications may be drawn on top of each other and conflicts occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple independent notification systems into a unified notification system managed by the operating system. Multiple programs send notifications through a common interface, and the OS consolidates them into a single notification area, preventing overlapping and conflicts while maintaining the ability to deliver notifications from multiple sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The operating system acts as an intermediary between multiple notification-sending programs and the user. The OS receives notifications from various programs, manages their display in a coordinated manner, and prevents conflicts by controlling the notification area, thus mediating between multiple senders and the user.
2Speed
If notifications are delivered immediately when they arrive, then the user receives real-time information, but interruptions may occur at inappropriate times such as during presentations
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system dynamically adjusts its behavior based on the user's current activity state. The OS monitors whether the user is engaged in activities like presentations and temporarily suppresses or modifies notification delivery during these periods, while allowing immediate delivery during normal states, thus making the system adaptive to contextual conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback about the user's current state (e.g., whether a presentation is active) to modulate notification delivery. The OS receives feedback regarding user activity and adjusts notification behavior accordingly, delaying or suppressing notifications during presentations while maintaining real-time delivery during appropriate times.
3Device complexity
If the notification system operates without feedback to senders, then the system remains simple, but senders are unaware of inappropriate timing and cannot adjust
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system implements feedback mechanisms that inform senders about the appropriateness of their notification timing. The OS provides feedback to programs attempting to send notifications during inappropriate times (e.g., presentations), allowing senders to adjust their behavior or inform the user appropriately.
4Device complexity
If all notifications are treated equally, then the system remains simple, but important notifications may be missed during busy periods
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system applies different handling rules to different notifications based on their importance or type. Critical notifications receive preferential treatment (e.g., immediate delivery, prominent display) even during busy periods, while less important notifications are delayed or suppressed, thus applying local quality differentiation to ensure reliable delivery of important information.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for public consumption of communication events between arbitrary processes. In one embodiment, mechanisms are provided by which the system can effectively act to broker a user's communications and thus act as a type of automated assistant. The invention is provided in a notification user context system which determines when it is appropriate or not appropriate to interrupt a user with a notification based on the user's context (i.e., availability to interruption). The system provides for processes to be informed when these notification events are occurring, thus allowing the processes to act on these types of events on the user's behalf. In one example embodiment, a calendaring program may be a type of process that is registered to be informed when communication events occur. When the calendaring program is informed that a notification from another program (e.g., e-mail, instant messaging, etc.) has been refused due to the user being busy, the calendaring program may evaluate the sender, and if appropriate respond with a customized busy announcement that indicates a time when the user may next be available.