Rear LED Message Alert for Unobservable Screens
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users may miss important calls or messages when their mobile device is in silent mode and the screen is facing down, as existing methods fail to provide effective visual alerts in such scenarios.
Innovation Solution
The method involves determining if the device's screen is in an unobservable state and using a message reminding assembly, such as a light-emitting diode or flash lamp, located on the non-screen side of the device to provide visual alerts, ensuring the user is notified of incoming messages even in silent mode and when the screen is obscured.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the device is in silent mode with screen facing down, then power consumption is reduced and appearance is maintained, but the user cannot observe visual alerts on the screen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension change by moving the visual alert from the screen (2D display surface) to a light-emitting assembly located on the rear surface of the device. This dimensional relocation allows the alert to be perceived by the user even when the screen is facing down and unobservable, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining silent mode appearance and ensuring user awareness of alerts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a light-emitting assembly as an intermediary between the system and the user. This intermediary component emits visual signals independently of the screen, serving as a mediator that conveys alert information to the user when the screen is not observable, thus improving notification reliability without compromising the ease of operation in silent mode.
2Ease of operation
If visual alerts are provided on the screen, then user awareness is improved, but the screen must be observable which conflicts with silent mode usage scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The patent relocates the visual alert mechanism from the screen to the rear surface of the device, creating a new spatial dimension for alert delivery. This allows the screen to remain in its traditional display function while the light-emitting assembly provides alerts in a different spatial location that remains accessible to the user regardless of screen orientation or observability.
Solution Approach 2:
The light-emitting assembly acts as an intermediary that decouples the alert delivery function from the screen. This intermediary can operate independently to provide visual feedback to the user even when the screen is not observable, thereby maintaining user awareness and notification reliability without requiring the screen to be in an observable state.
3Reliability
If a light-emitting assembly is added to the device, then alert visibility in unobservable states is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the light-emitting assembly to serve multiple functions: it acts as both a visual alert mechanism for silent mode notifications and potentially as an ambient light source or decorative element. By making this component multi-functional, the patent reduces the need for separate dedicated alert components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while improving alert delivery reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the alert function with an existing structural element of the device (the rear surface housing). Instead of adding a completely separate complex alert system, the light-emitting assembly is integrated into the existing device structure, combining the alert function with the housing design to minimize additional complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively alerts users to incoming messages by providing visual reminders through a non-screen side assembly, ensuring they are notified even when the device is in silent mode and the screen is unobservable, thereby preventing missed calls or messages.
Implementation Method 1
using a message reminding assembly, such as a light-emitting diode or flash lamp
Implementation Method 2
provide visual alerts
Data Source
Figure 1~2A
Figure 2B~3
Figure 4
AI summary
The present disclosure discloses a message reminding method, a message reminding device and an electronic device, which belong to the field of mobile terminals. The method includes: determining whether a screen of an electronic device is in an unobservable state when receiving the message; and controlling a message reminding assembly provided at one side of the electronic device which is not the screen side to issue visual reminding information, if it is determined that the screen is in the unobservable state. The present disclosure determines whether the screen of the electronic device is in the unobservable state when receiving the message, and controls the message reminding assembly provided at one side of the electronic' device which is not the screen side to issue the visual reminding information if it is determined that the screen is in the unobservable state, thereby solving the problem existing in the related art of being unable to alert the user to receive messages when the electronic device is in the silent mode and the screen is in the unobservable state, and achieving the effect of alerting the user to receive messages even when the electronic device is in the silent mode and the screen is in the unobservable state.