Peripheral Notification Device for Locked Communication Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users of communication devices face inconvenience when trying to manage communication events, such as incoming calls or meetings, while the device is in a locked or sleep state, as they need to manually navigate through multiple steps to respond, which disrupts the use of VoIP applications and other communication services.

Innovation Solution

A peripheral device that connects to the user terminal via a wireless or wired connection, providing notifications and control signals to manage communication events, allowing users to respond to events like incoming calls or meetings with simple gestures or voice commands, even when the device is locked or in sleep mode, by interacting with the peripheral's actuator and using embedded control logic to execute contextual functions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If the device is in a locked or sleep state to save energy and maintain security, then power consumption is reduced and security is improved, but the user cannot efficiently manage communication events such as incoming calls

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidease of managing communication events

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments communication event management into two parts: native communication events (handled by the operating system through the user interface) and non-native communication events (handled by the peripheral device through its own notification system). This allows the peripheral to independently notify users of VoIP calls and other application-specific events without requiring the device to be unlocked, resolving the contradiction between power saving and ease of operation for communication events.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The peripheral device acts as an intermediary between the communication applications and the user. It receives notifications from applications about non-native communication events and independently generates its own notifications to alert users, eliminating the need for users to interact with the locked device screen and enabling communication event management while the device remains in a low-power state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the user navigates through the graphical user interface to respond to communication events, then the user can control the communication, but the process requires multiple steps and disrupts the use of communication services

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to control communicationVSAvoidtime to respond to communication events

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The peripheral device performs preliminary action by generating notifications for communication events in advance, before the user needs to respond. The peripheral independently detects communication events and alerts the user immediately, eliminating the time delay associated with navigating through the graphical user interface after the device has been unlocked.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system extracts the notification function for non-native communication events from the main device operating system and places it in the peripheral device. This separation allows the peripheral to notify users of communication events independently, reducing the time required to respond to calls and messages by eliminating the need to navigate through multiple screens of the graphical user interface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Loss of information

If the peripheral device generates notifications for non-native communication events, then the user can be alerted to all communication events, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenotification coverage of communication eventsVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The peripheral device is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a notification device for communication events and as a control interface for responding to those events. By combining multiple functions into a single peripheral device, the system achieves comprehensive notification coverage without proportionally increasing overall system complexity, as the peripheral leverages existing hardware components for multiple purposes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11044357B2User peripheral

Publication Date: 2021.06.22 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

A device including a peripheral interface, user interface, processor and memory in communication with the processor, in which the memory stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control the device to perform functions of detecting an occurrence of a native communication event via a first communication network while the device is in a sleep or locked state; based on the occurrence of the native communication event, generating, via the user interface, a first notification indicating the occurrence of the native communication event detecting an occurrence of a non-native communication event via a second communication network while the device in the sleep or locked state; and based on the occurrence of the non-native communication event, sending, to a peripheral device via the peripheral interface, a signal that causes the peripheral device to generate a second notification indicating the occurrence of the non-native communication event.