Proximity-Based Notification Coordination for Multi-Device Environments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multiple devices, such as mobile phones, personal data assistants, and personal computers, independently provide notifications for shared events, leading to redundant and potentially distracting alerts when in close proximity to each other.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where devices can detect their proximity to each other using technologies like Bluetooth, NFC, or GPS, and adjust notification settings to ensure that only specific devices provide alerts based on predefined or user-configured rules, using data structures and control software to manage notification suppression or presentation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple devices independently provide notifications for shared events, then each device can notify the user reliably, but redundant and distracting alerts occur when devices are in close proximity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges notification functionality across multiple devices by implementing a system where devices communicate with each other and coordinate their notification behavior. When devices are detected to be in proximity through wireless communication, their notification functions are combined into a unified system that suppresses redundant alerts while maintaining reliable event notification through a coordinated approach.
2Adaptability or versatility
If each device provides notifications independently, then notification coverage is comprehensive, but notification clutter and user distraction increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic notification management where the notification behavior of each device adjusts in real-time based on the detected proximity of other devices. The system dynamically determines which device should provide notifications based on current spatial relationships, allowing comprehensive notification coverage while adapting to prevent clutter by suppressing notifications on devices that are physically close to other notifying devices.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If devices use proximity detection to suppress notifications, then redundant alerts are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary notification management system that handles the complexity of proximity-based coordination. This intermediary layer manages communication between devices, processes proximity information, and makes suppression decisions, thereby reducing redundant alerts while containing device complexity by centralizing the sophisticated logic in a dedicated notification management component rather than distributing it across all device functions.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, products, and methods are disclosed for performing a method of intelligently providing notification of an occurrence of an event in an environment in which potentially multiple devices might provide notification of the event; thereby reducing the number of devices that will provide the notification if those devices are nearby each other.