Smart Speaker Call Prompt Proximity Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In voice and video call scenarios, devices such as smart speakers and smart televisions, which are difficult to carry, often receive incoming call prompts that can interfere with others or are mistakenly answered by someone other than the user, due to the lack of proximity detection, reducing the convenience of calling multiple devices.
Innovation Solution
A method where a first account is associated with multiple devices, and a called party device, such as a smart speaker, only outputs an incoming call prompt when it is within a specified distance from a personal device like a smartwatch or mobile phone, using short-range wireless search or positioning information to determine proximity and ensure the call is answered by the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If all devices associated with an account output incoming call prompts, then the user can receive calls on any device, but non-portable devices like smart speakers may cause interference to others or be mistakenly answered by unauthorized persons
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the incoming call prompt output conditional on the device's location. Non-portable devices like smart speakers only output prompts when detected to be within a threshold distance from the user's portable device, creating location-dependent functionality that prevents unauthorized answering while maintaining call reception capability.
2Ease of operation
If non-portable devices output incoming call prompts without proximity detection, then call convenience is improved, but the risk of interference and mistaken answers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by performing proximity detection between the non-portable device and the user's portable device before allowing the incoming call prompt to be output. This pre-check ensures that only when the user is near the device can the prompt be displayed, preventing unauthorized answering while maintaining call convenience.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If proximity detection is implemented for incoming call prompts, then interference and incorrect answers are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the user's portable device as an intermediary to perform proximity detection. Instead of requiring the non-portable device to have complex detection capabilities, the portable device (which the user carries) acts as the mediator to detect its own location relative to the non-portable device and control whether the prompt should be output, simplifying the overall system architecture.
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 approach reduces interference and incorrect answers by ensuring incoming call prompts are only received when the user is near the device, thereby improving the convenience of calling multiple devices.
Implementation Method 1
the home device detects whether a device whose distance from the home device is less than or equal to a specified threshold includes a device having a same account
Data Source
AI summary
A call method is provided. In the call method, a first account is associated with a number of called party devices. A calling party device may call the number of called party devices by using the first account. When receiving calling, a called party device that is difficult to carry, such as a smart speaker or a smart television, may detect whether a distance to a smartwatch or a mobile phone having a same account is less than a distance threshold. If the distance is less than the distance threshold, the smart speaker or the smart television may output an incoming call prompt. If the distance is not less than the distance threshold, the smart speaker or the smart television ignores the received calling, and makes no response to the calling.