Scent Notification System for Financial Goal Tracking
Solution Overview
Problem
Customers, especially those who are hearing or visually impaired, often ignore traditional notifications like email messages and text messages, and financial institutions face challenges in effectively communicating progress towards financial goals due to these limitations.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize an electronic computing device capable of producing scents to provide multi-sensory notifications, where specific scents are activated based on trigger conditions related to financial health or other goals, and are localized to the user's vicinity using motion and light detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional notification methods (email, text messages) are used to communicate with customers about financial goals, then communication frequency can be increased, but customer response rate decreases and accessibility for physically challenged customers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a new sensory dimension (smell) for notifications, moving beyond traditional visual and auditory channels. The scent notification system uses an electronic nose device that detects and communicates financial goal progress through olfactory signals, creating a novel notification dimension that bypasses the limitations of email and text messages.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of notification modality from visual/text-based to olfactory-based. By transforming financial data into scent profiles that correspond to different financial states (e.g., budget adherence, savings progress), the system creates more engaging and accessible notifications that can be perceived by all customers including those with visual or auditory impairments.
2Loss of information
If communication frequency with customers is increased to notify them of progress towards goals, then monitoring feedback can be improved, but customer attention and response rate deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The scent notification system implements continuous feedback loops where customer financial activities are monitored and immediately communicated through scent changes. When customers achieve financial milestones or deviate from goals, the electronic nose device provides real-time olfactory feedback, creating an engaging and responsive communication system that maintains information completeness without requiring frequent traditional communications.
Solution Approach 2:
By adding the olfactory dimension to feedback communication, the system enables richer information transmission that captures customer attention more effectively than traditional methods, improving both feedback completeness and customer engagement simultaneously.
3Ease of manufacture
If email messages and text messages are used for financial goal communication, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but accessibility for hearing or visually impaired customers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The scent notification system provides universal accessibility by using olfactory signals that can be perceived by all customers regardless of visual or auditory capabilities. The electronic nose device translates financial information into scent profiles that serve as a universal communication medium, making the system adaptable to diverse customer needs while maintaining implementation feasibility through integration with existing financial platforms.
Data Source
AI summary
Generating a sensory notification for a user of an electronic computing device includes receiving an indication at the electronic computing device that a trigger for an alert has occurred. The trigger is related to an occurrence of a trigger condition. The sensory notification associated with the trigger condition is identified. A determination is made as to whether the user is near the electronic computing device. When the indication is received that the trigger for the alert has occurred and when a determination is made that the user is near the electronic computing device, a scent corresponding to the sensory notification is caused to emanate from the electronic computing device.