Proactive Information Surfacing with Visual Relevance Cues

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face inefficiencies in managing and responding to information from various applications on computing devices, as notifications are often irrelevant or timely, leading to distractions and productivity losses due to the lack of integrated contextual relevance and application-centric limitations.

Innovation Solution

A proactive information presentation system that ranks and surfaces relevant information using contextual data, providing visual cues and allowing access to conceptually linked functionality across multiple applications, enabling users to respond to information independently of specific application programs, and presenting information in a visually engaging and contextually relevant manner.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If information is proactively presented to users through multiple application programs, then users can access diverse information sources, but users experience distractions and productivity loss due to irrelevant or untimely notifications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess to information sourcesVSAvoiduser productivity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically changes the parameter of notification timing by using ranking functionality to determine when and how to present information based on contextual relevance. Information is ranked according to multiple factors including user context, time, and importance, transforming static notification delivery into dynamic, context-aware presentation that adapts to user needs and maintains productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of information

If users actively seek out information from dedicated application programs, then users can obtain specific information, but users struggle to remember and respond to notifications at appropriate times

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation retrievalVSAvoidresponse time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by proactively surfacing ranked information to users before they need to actively search for it. The ranking functionality预先 determines which information is most relevant and presents it in priority order, so users receive notifications at the optimal moment without needing to remember to check multiple applications, thereby reducing both information loss and response time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Speed

If notifications are presented immediately when information is received, then users receive timely alerts, but users are distracted by notifications that are not impactful or relevant

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenotification delivery speedVSAvoiddistraction

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by differentiating the presentation of notifications based on their individual ranking and contextual relevance. Instead of uniform immediate delivery, each notification is evaluated and presented with appropriate timing and prominence based on its specific characteristics. High-ranking, relevant notifications are delivered promptly, while lower-ranking ones are delayed or consolidated, reducing distraction while maintaining timeliness for important information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Adaptability or versatility

If users utilize multiple application programs individually, then users can access specialized functionality, but users face inefficiencies in integrating information from different sources

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication functionalityVSAvoidsystem integration

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements universality by creating a unified notification and information presentation layer that works across multiple application programs. The ranking functionality serves as a universal mechanism that evaluates and prioritizes information from diverse sources (emails, messages, notifications) using a common framework, allowing users to access specialized application functionality while integrating information presentation through a single coherent system that reduces complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9563328B2Information surfacing with visual cues indicative of relevance

Publication Date: 2017.02.07 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

A user interface through which information is proactively provided utilizes visual cues indicative of the relevance of the information that is being proactively provided. Such visual cues include sizing, color, intensity, movement, and other like visual attributes. A single discrete visual element proactively presents information to the user. The user is provided with the opportunity to define discrete events, whereby information associated with such events is presented through other discrete elements. The physical orientation of such discrete elements indicates relationships between elements. Ranking functionality identifies more immediately relevant information and the rankings of related elements are increased based upon other, contextual information with which such information is associated, and on which the importance of such information is based. Information is surfaced to provide a vector through which the user responds or utilizes such surfaced information independently of specific application programs having discrete informational focus.