Smart Device Contact Locking Application for Inebriated Communication Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users often send undesirable text messages or make calls when inebriated, leading to offensive or inappropriate communications.
Innovation Solution
A smart device application that allows users to lock contacts for a selected period or until challenges are completed, preventing unwanted communications and offering features like GPS tracking, ride assistance, and rewards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a locking application is implemented to prevent communications, then undesirable communications are prevented, but the user loses the ability to communicate even with sober intent
Solution Approach 1:
The locking application dynamically adjusts communication restrictions based on detected user state. When the user is detected as inebriated, the system locks communication contacts to prevent undesirable messages. When the user becomes sober, the system automatically unlocks communication contacts, restoring full communication capability. This dynamic state-dependent control resolves the contradiction by making the restriction temporary and conditional rather than permanent.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms through challenges that assess user sobriety level. The challenges provide feedback about the user's current state, and based on this feedback, the system determines whether to maintain communication locks or unlock them. This feedback loop ensures that communication restrictions are lifted when the user is ready, balancing prevention with accessibility.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If communication contacts are locked during a time period, then inebriated users cannot send messages, but the user cannot access contacts during sober periods either
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static time-based locking to dynamic state-based locking. Instead of locking contacts for a fixed duration regardless of user state, the system continuously monitors user sobriety status and adjusts contact accessibility in real-time. This allows contacts to be locked only when the user is actually inebriated, eliminating unnecessary time loss during sober periods while maintaining protection during inebriated periods.
3Reliability
If challenges are required to unlock contacts, then user sobriety is verified, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs self-service challenges that leverage the user's own cognitive abilities and knowledge to verify sobriety. Rather than requiring external monitoring or complex biological testing, the user themselves demonstrates sobriety by successfully completing challenges such as answering trivia questions or solving puzzles. This self-verification approach maintains reliability while keeping the system relatively simple and user-friendly.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a locking application is downloaded to memory, then communication prevention is enabled, but device storage space is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The locking application is designed as a lightweight, temporary software component that can be downloaded, used, and deleted without permanent impact on the device. Rather than requiring substantial storage capacity for permanent installation, the system uses temporary memory allocation for the application and its data structures. This approach enables communication prevention functionality while minimizing the quantity of storage space required.
Data Source
AI summary
System and method for preventing undesirable smart device communications. A system includes memory for storing a list of contacts, the memory integrated into a smart device; and a locking application configured to permit a user to select and lock one or more contacts included within said list of contacts such that the user is unable to communicate with the selected one or more contacts via said smart device. The locking application may be further configured to permit a user to select a pre-established time period during which the one or more selected contacts remain locked. Challenges may be presented to the user to unlock the contacts in advance of the lockout time expiring. Optional features include GPS tracking, rewards, ride and networking modules.