Presence State Determination via Sensor Aggregation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In modern workplaces, determining group awareness of coworkers is challenging due to flexible schedules, remote work, and the use of various collaboration tools, making it difficult, time-consuming, and error-prone to maintain effective communication and collaboration.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that aggregates data from sensors and data sources to determine a person's presence state, using sensors like cameras and wireless beacons, and data sources like calendars and social networks, to provide a comprehensive presence state feed, allowing users to opt-in for monitoring and control data collection, and display presence information through a client application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple sensors and data sources are used to determine presence state, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the presence determination process into multiple independent data sources (cameras, wireless beacons, calendars, social networks) that can be individually selected and combined. Each sensor or data source operates independently, allowing the system to achieve high measurement precision through aggregation while managing complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a universal presence determination framework that can work with multiple types of sensors and data sources simultaneously. The same core processing logic handles diverse inputs (visual data from cameras, signal data from beacons, schedule data from calendars), allowing one system to perform multiple functions and determine presence through various modalities without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Loss of information
If comprehensive data collection is performed, then information completeness is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously collecting and pre-processing data from sensors and data sources before presence determination is needed. Data feeds are maintained in advance, and the system can quickly query pre-processed information rather than collecting data in real-time when presence status is needed, thus reducing the time penalty of comprehensive data collection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces intermediary components (data feeds, aggregation layers) that buffer between raw data collection and presence determination. These intermediaries pre-process and organize data from multiple sources, allowing the final presence determination to be made quickly by querying already-processed information rather than directly aggregating raw data at the moment of need.
3Productivity
If automated presence monitoring is implemented, then productivity is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by automatically collecting, processing, and presenting presence information without requiring manual input from users. The automated monitoring of sensors and data sources, combined with automatic aggregation and presentation of presence states, improves productivity while minimizing the operational burden on users, as the system serves itself by gathering and processing data autonomously.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system is coupled to a plurality of subscribers via a network. The computer system obtains first presence information that corresponds to a first calendar of a user and obtains second presence information that corresponds to a second calendar of the user that is different from the first calendar. The computer system determines one or more presence states of the user including determining, based on presence information for the user that includes the first presence information and the second presence information, a first presence state of the user. The computer system provides the respective presence state of the user, selected from the one or more presence states of the user, to the subscribers via the network.