Proximity-Based Alert Coalescence for Multi-Device Notification Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The proliferation of multiple electronic devices capable of simultaneous communication leads to cumbersome and annoying concurrent notifications, as users struggle to manage alert preferences across devices, especially when devices within proximity change.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where user devices within proximity negotiate to designate a primary device for alert notifications, allowing secondary devices to mute or suppress audible alerts, while the primary device provides notifications for synchronized applications and services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If concurrent notifications are provided on multiple electronic devices, then the user can receive alerts on any device, but the user experience deteriorates due to annoying simultaneous audible indications and cumbersome configuration management
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically negotiates between devices to determine which device should provide audible notifications, eliminating the need for manual user configuration. Devices self-organize by exchanging capability information and autonomously selecting the most appropriate device for each notification type, thereby reducing user annoyance while maintaining versatile notification receipt across multiple devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification management system dynamically adapts to changing device proximity and user context. When devices enter or leave proximity, the system re-negotiates and reassigns notification responsibilities in real-time, ensuring that the most appropriate device always provides audible alerts based on current conditions rather than static user configuration.
2Ease of operation
If users configure notification preferences individually on each device, then each device can be optimized for preferred responses, but the configuration process becomes cumbersome and unwieldy with multiple devices
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring users to manually configure each device, the system enables devices to self-configure through automated negotiation. When devices are in proximity, they automatically exchange capability information and agree on which device should handle each type of notification, eliminating the cumbersome manual configuration process while still optimizing notification delivery based on each device's capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the configuration management function from individual device settings into a centralized negotiation process that occurs between devices. Rather than users managing separate configurations on multiple devices, the system combines these into a single automated negotiation that produces coordinated notification behavior across all devices.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the system designates a primary device for notifications, then audible alert clutter is reduced, but the system must implement complex negotiation protocols between devices to determine primary device status
Solution Approach 1:
The negotiation protocol determines primary device status by evaluating and comparing device parameters such as proximity to user, current usage state, and notification capabilities. The system dynamically changes the primary device designation based on these parameters, selecting the most appropriate device for each notification event rather than maintaining a fixed primary device, thereby reducing clutter without requiring overly complex protocols.
4Adaptability or versatility
If devices continuously negotiate primary device status, then notification management remains optimized for current conditions, but energy is consumed through continuous communication and monitoring
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous negotiation, the system implements periodic action by triggering negotiation only when specific events occur, such as when devices enter or leave proximity, or when a device's usage state changes. This approach maintains real-time optimization of notification management while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring and negotiation protocols.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
Techniques for coalescing alert notifications for applications and/or services to a primary user device of a set of multiple associated user devices within proximity of each other. When a user device is not in proximity to other associated user devices, the user device functions as a primary user device and provides alert notifications based on a default configuration and/or a user configurable setting. When the user device is within proximity of one or more other associated user devices, the user devices exchange relevant capability information and information for applications that are synchronized via network-based services. The user devices negotiate to determine a user device that serves as the primary user device to provide alert notifications for a set of applications and services common to a set of user devices. The other user devices are configured to reduce and/or suppress the alert notifications.