Proximity-Based Alert Synchronization for Multi-Device Notification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users with multiple personal electronic devices often receive redundant alerts simultaneously, leading to disruption and battery power wastage, as devices lack efficient mechanisms to synchronize alerts and manage proximity-based alerting.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a mechanism where devices in proximity establish a synergistic communication protocol, designating one as the primary alerting device and delaying or suppressing alerts on secondary devices, using short-range wireless technologies like BLUETOOTH®, ZIGBEE®, or NFC to manage alert synchronization and reduce redundant notifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple personal electronic devices receive and alert simultaneously for the same message, then complete message notification is achieved, but user disruption and battery power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the alerting function across multiple devices by designating one device as the primary alerting device and suppressing redundant alerts on secondary devices. The system combines proximity detection capabilities and message receipt information to coordinate alerting behavior, ensuring that only one device alerts the user for each message while maintaining notification reliability across the device ecosystem.
2Reliability
If multiple personal electronic devices provide simultaneous alerts for the same message, then comprehensive notification is ensured, but alert synchronization and coordination become complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary coordination mechanism where devices exchange proximity status information and alert state data. This intermediary communication layer allows devices to coordinate their alerting behavior without requiring complex centralized control, simplifying the synchronization mechanism while ensuring comprehensive notification coverage across multiple devices.
3Loss of energy
If devices use short-range wireless technologies to detect proximity and coordinate alerts, then redundant alerting is reduced, but device communication overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using short-range wireless technologies specifically for proximity detection and alert coordination functions, rather than relying on general-purpose communication protocols. This localized approach optimizes energy efficiency for the specific task of preventing redundant alerts while minimizing overall communication overhead by only activating these protocols when devices are in proximity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a plurality of communication devices configured to control notification of reception of a same message by at least one of the plurality of communication devices. The method includes determining that a plurality of communication devices are in proximity with each other, determining that a same message was received by the plurality of communication devices, and determining at least one communication device of the plurality of communication devices on which to inhibit producing a notification that indicates the message was received. The at least one communication device delays a pre-determined amount of time while monitoring for reception of a signal that indicates the message was read, and based on determination that the delay of the pre-determined amount of time has expired and that the communication device has failed to receive the signal, the communication device produces the notification.