Notification Sharing Across Intermittent Connectivity Devices

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing devices do not effectively share time-sensitive notifications across multiple devices, especially when they have intermittent connectivity, leading to missed important events like phone calls or messages.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus and method for sharing notifications between devices with intermittent connectivity, featuring a communication unit, display unit, and controller that manage notification messages and trusted device lists, utilizing a server for registration and message forwarding to ensure timely notification across connected devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If devices operate independently with their own notification mechanisms, then each device can notify users of important events reliably, but users cannot receive notifications on multiple devices simultaneously

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenotification deliveryVSAvoidmulti-device notification

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The notification system is designed to function across multiple device types (mobile phones, tablets, televisions, set-top boxes) with a unified architecture. Each device can both generate and receive notifications through a common protocol, allowing the same notification infrastructure to serve multiple functions and device categories simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

A server acts as an intermediary between devices, receiving notification messages from one device and forwarding them to other devices in the trusted list. This mediator enables cross-device notification delivery without requiring direct peer-to-peer connections between all devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If devices are always connected to share notifications, then notification sharing is reliable, but connectivity requirements increase system complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenotification sharingVSAvoidconnectivity management

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Devices perform preliminary actions by registering with the server and building a trusted device list before notification sharing is needed. This pre-configuration stores connectivity information and trust relationships in advance, so that when a notification needs to be shared, the path is already established without requiring real-time connectivity verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The server mediates connectivity management by maintaining records of trusted devices and their connectivity status. When a device goes offline or connectivity changes, the server manages these updates centrally, relieving individual devices from complex peer-to-peer connectivity tracking and handshaking protocols.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If notification messages are broadcast to all devices, then no important events are missed, but unauthorized devices could receive sensitive notifications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenotification deliveryVSAvoidunauthorized access

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The notification system implements local quality control by assigning different access permissions to different devices. Each device in the trusted list has specific authorization to receive certain types of notifications from specific source devices. This selective permissioning ensures that only authorized devices receive sensitive notifications while maintaining reliable delivery to all legitimate recipients.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where devices must be explicitly added to a trusted list through user confirmation or authentication. This feedback loop ensures that only authorized devices are granted notification access, preventing unauthorized access while maintaining comprehensive coverage of all permitted devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Ease of manufacture

If devices use unique notification mechanisms, then each device optimizes for its specific function, but cross-device notification compatibility is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice optimizationVSAvoidnotification compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The notification system employs a universal message format and protocol that can be implemented across diverse device types. Each device maintains its own optimized notification presentation (visual, auditory, haptic) but all communicate through a common standardized interface, allowing devices to be optimized for their specific functions while maintaining full cross-device compatibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9628424B2Apparatus and method for sharing time-sensitive data between devices with intermittent connectivity

Publication Date: 2017.04.18 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

An apparatus and method for sharing time-sensitive data between devices are provided. The apparatus includes a communication unit for communicating with other devices, a display unit for displaying a notification of a network event originating from another device, and a controller for, when the communication unit receives a first notification message about the network event from the other device, controlling the display unit to present the notification to the user.