Synchronized Reminder Control via Intermediary Flag
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for electronic reminders on portable devices and desktop computers often result in users receiving multiple notifications for the same calendar event, lacking a seamless method to manage and acknowledge reminders across devices.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for controlling electronic reminders that allows users to generate and manage reminders on portable devices and desktop computers, enabling selective actions such as snoozing or dismissing reminders on one device while synchronizing updates to the other, using a portable electronic device with communication subsystems and software components to facilitate synchronized calendar event management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If calendar records are stored at both portable electronic device and desktop computer for synchronization, then user can access electronic reminders at portable device when away from desktop, but user receives multiple calendar reminder notifications at both devices for the same event
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (flag/bit field in calendar event data) that mediates between the portable device and desktop computer to control reminder generation. When the portable device acknowledges a reminder, it sets a flag that prevents the desktop computer from generating duplicate notifications, thus eliminating the harmful effect of multiple notifications while preserving synchronized access.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If reminder acknowledgment on one device automatically propagates to all devices, then multiple notifications are eliminated, but control and customization of reminder behavior across devices is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of reminder propagation through user-selectable options that change the system's behavior. Users can choose between different acknowledgment modes (acknowledge on all devices, acknowledge on selected devices only, or acknowledge on single device), allowing the system to adapt between automatic propagation and manual control based on user preferences, thus resolving the contradiction between eliminating multiple notifications and maintaining control flexibility.
3Reliability
If electronic reminders are generated at both portable device and desktop computer for synchronized calendar events, then complete record of calendar events is maintained at both devices, but processing and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the duplicate reminder generation function from the system by introducing an acknowledgment mechanism. When the portable device acknowledges a reminder, it extracts the notification function from the desktop computer, preventing redundant processing and power consumption while maintaining complete calendar records at both devices through selective reminder suppression.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of controlling reminders for an electronic calendar event record includes: generating a reminder notification at a first electronic device, the reminder notification associated with the calendar event record, providing an option at the first electronic device for taking a first action at the first electronic device and taking a second action at a second electronic device, the first action differing from the second action, generating an update command at the first electronic device for taking the second action at the second electronic device in response to receipt of selection of the option at the first electronic device, and sending the update command from the first electronic device for the second electronic device.