Notification System with Automated Delivery and Receipt Confirmation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current communication methods for notifying large groups of people, such as a youth sports team coach, are time-consuming and inefficient, requiring multiple phone calls, text messages, or emails, and can be disrupted by changes in status, necessitating recommunication to the entire group.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for sending and verifying receipt of notification messages over a computer network, which includes modules for storing contact details, assembling notification packages, converting voice recordings to appropriate formats, and confirming message receipt, allowing efficient delivery via various communication channels like email, text, or voicemail, and enabling confirmation from recipients.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual communication methods (phone calls, text messages, emails) are used to notify large groups, then individual communication can be established, but the time and effort required increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication efficiencyVSAvoidtime to contact all recipients
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the communication process into distinct modules: a notification service server that manages message distribution, recipient contact information storage, format conversion, and confirmation collection. This segmentation allows automated bulk communication while maintaining individual recipient tracking, resolving the contradiction between reaching many people efficiently and managing communication systematically.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The notification service server acts as an intermediary between the sender and multiple recipients. It receives a single notification message, automatically distributes it to all recipients through appropriate channels (email, text, voice), and collects confirmations. This intermediary eliminates the need for manual one-by-one communication while ensuring reliable delivery to all recipients.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If manual communication processes are used, then flexibility in communication method can be maintained, but the complexity of managing multiple communication channels increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesimplicity of sending notificationVSAvoidsystem complexity for managing recipients and formats
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The notification service server provides universal functionality by handling multiple communication formats (email, text messages, voice mail) through a single system. It automatically detects recipient preferences and converts the notification message into appropriate formats, eliminating the need for the sender to manage multiple communication channels manually while maintaining flexibility in delivery methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service by automatically managing the entire notification process including recipient identification, message format conversion, multi-channel distribution, and confirmation collection. The sender simply initiates the notification, and the system autonomously handles all complex tasks of distributing to various recipients through different channels and tracking responses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If communication status changes occur during manual notification process, then real-time information can be updated, but the entire communication process must restart

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage delivery confirmationVSAvoidtime to restart communication process
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by automatically collecting confirmation messages from recipients and returning them to the sender through the notification service. This feedback loop provides real-time information on message delivery status without requiring the sender to manually track each recipient, maintaining reliability while eliminating the need to restart the process when status changes occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The automated notification system maintains continuous operation by independently managing message distribution and confirmation collection. If status changes occur or recipients fail to confirm, the system continues its useful action by tracking undelivered messages and prompting for confirmations, rather than requiring the entire process to restart. This ensures reliable delivery confirmation without time loss from process interruption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentEP2204020B1System and method for distributing notifications to a group of recipients
Publication Date: 2017.12.27 VESTA SOLUTIONS INC
  • EP2204020B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2204020B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2204020B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Systems and methods by which a user 10 may use a client computing device 40 (such as a mobile phone, for example) to initiate and send a notification message to a selected group of recipients 28 are provided. The notification message may be an audio message that is delivered by various electronic methods including e-mail, text message, and/or voicemail. In defining the notification message, the user 10 is provided with the ability to request a confirmation that the notification message has been received and/or understood by the selected recipients 28. In some embodiments, recipients 28 are asked to respond to the notification message indicating that they have received and understood the message.