Opportunity-Based Reminder Presentation for PIM Records

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing reminders for Personal Information Management (PIM) records on portable devices are inadequate in identifying opportunities for personal interaction, often leading to missed opportunities due to lack of association between different PIM records and reliance on memory or periodic checks.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that present opportunity-based reminders by identifying PIM records through trigger conditions, obtaining identification information associated with these conditions, and matching it with relevant PIM records to facilitate interactions, even when no specific reminder is configured.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If time-based reminders and proximity-based reminders are used for PIM records, then users are notified of scheduled events and locations, but users miss opportunities for personal interaction that are not pre-scheduled

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveopportunity utilizationVSAvoidreminder accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by continuously monitoring PIM records, contacts, and trigger conditions in advance. When a trigger condition is detected (such as receiving a message from a contact), the system proactively identifies related PIM records and presents reminders before the user misses the interaction opportunity, rather than waiting for pre-scheduled reminder times.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system serves itself by automatically analyzing relationships between PIM records, contacts, and trigger conditions without requiring user configuration. The device autonomously identifies opportunities for interaction by matching contact information from trigger conditions with relevant PIM records, and presents reminders without user intervention or manual setup.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If users rely on memory or periodic checks to identify interaction opportunities, then no additional system complexity is required, but interaction opportunities are frequently missed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinteraction opportunity captureVSAvoidsystem processing requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces an intermediary mechanism that automatically analyzes and matches information between trigger conditions and PIM records. This intermediary process identifies relationships that would be difficult for users to detect manually, capturing interaction opportunities that memory or simple periodic checks would miss, while keeping the user interface simple.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring for trigger conditions and immediately responding by presenting relevant PIM record reminders. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that when an opportunity arises (such as receiving a message), the system detects it and presents the appropriate reminder, creating a responsive system that adapts to user needs in real-time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If reminders are presented for all PIM records continuously, then no opportunities are missed, but users experience information overload and distraction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveopportunity detection completenessVSAvoiduser distraction

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by presenting reminders selectively based on the specific trigger condition detected and the relevance to individual PIM records. Rather than uniformly reminding about all PIM records, the system analyzes the local context of each trigger condition and presents only the most relevant reminders, reducing information overload while maintaining comprehensive opportunity detection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses partial action by presenting reminders for only those PIM records that are relevant to the detected trigger condition, rather than presenting all possible reminders. This selective approach provides sufficient reminder coverage to capture opportunities while avoiding the excessive action of presenting all PIM records, thus reducing user distraction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS9213963B2Identifying and presenting reminders based on opportunity for interaction

Publication Date: 2015.12.15 MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LTD

AI summary

A method and apparatus are provided for presenting a reminder for a PIM record when there may be an opportunity for personal interaction regarding the PIM record. The opportunity for personal interaction regarding the PIM record may be identified in response to a trigger condition not associated with the PIM record. In one embodiment, an opportunity for interaction regarding a PIM record may be identified using identification information associated with the trigger condition. In another embodiment, an opportunity for interaction regarding a first PIM record may be identified when there is a contact associated with the first PIM record and a second PIM record, and there is an occurrence of a trigger condition associated with a second PIM record. In some embodiments, the portable electronic device may utilize additional information to identify or verify opportunities for interaction regarding a PIM record.