Smart Device User Profile Synchronization via Cloud Mediator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users experience dissatisfaction due to loss of customization and preference settings when using smart devices at remote locations, such as hotels, where synchronization failures occur, leading to an inconsistent and frustrating user experience.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize geographic location and user profiles to identify users, synchronize their customized settings across smart devices, and configure remote controls, ensuring a personalized media access experience while providing security features to delete user data upon departure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system synchronizes user settings across multiple smart devices, then the user experience consistency is improved, but the system complexity and data management burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud-based synchronization server as an intermediary between multiple smart devices and the user's profile data. This mediator handles the complex tasks of data storage, retrieval, and synchronization automatically, reducing the complexity burden on individual devices while maintaining consistent user experience across all devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a universal user profile database that serves all smart devices (televisions, set-top boxes, streaming devices) with a single unified data structure. This multi-functional approach allows one system to manage settings for multiple device types without requiring device-specific synchronization mechanisms, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system stores and syncs user customization data, then the personalized experience is improved, but the security risks and data privacy concerns increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication and authorization actions before accessing or modifying user profile data. Users must explicitly log in and grant permissions for the system to access their customization data, ensuring that security measures are established before any data handling occurs, thereby reducing security risks while maintaining personalization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts sensitive user data from the devices themselves and stores it securely in a cloud-based database. By taking data out of potentially vulnerable device storage and placing it in a secured remote location with controlled access, the system reduces the security footprint on individual devices while maintaining the ability to provide personalized experiences.
3Reliability
If the system maintains continuous synchronization, then the user experience consistency is improved, but the data management overhead and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronization system operates dynamically rather than continuously - it detects when changes occur in user settings and triggers synchronization only when necessary. This dynamic approach maintains settings consistency across devices while avoiding unnecessary data transmission and processing, thereby improving data management efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service synchronization where the cloud server automatically detects changes, retrieves updated user profiles, and pushes modifications to appropriate devices without requiring manual intervention. This self-service mechanism maintains synchronization reliability while reducing the processing overhead that would result from continuous manual monitoring and updates.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of controlling the operating mode of a remote device based upon a local user preference setting includes determining a user privacy setting by a user at a local device and storing the user privacy setting. The user privacy setting is conveyed to the remote device and the operational mode of the remote device is modified based upon the transmitted user privacy preference setting. The operational mode of the remote device is returned to the normal operational mode upon meeting a predetermined condition.