Smartphone Notification Volume Control via User Proximity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smartphone notifications can disrupt environments and cause embarrassment when received at inconvenient volumes, especially in office settings where devices are left unattended.
Innovation Solution
A system that wirelessly communicates between a smartphone and a wearable device, adjusting notification volumes and methods based on the relative distance between the two, using proximity sensors and image recognition to determine user presence and location, allowing for silent or vibration-only modes to minimize disturbance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If notification volume is increased to ensure user awareness, then notification effectiveness is improved, but disturbance to others in the environment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system dynamically adjusts volume and delivery method based on real-time detection of user presence. When the sensor detects the user is absent (device left on table), notifications are delivered at low volume or via vibration only. When the user is detected nearby, notification volume increases to ensure awareness. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between ensuring notification effectiveness and minimizing disturbance to others.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If notification volume is decreased to minimize disturbance, then disturbance to others is reduced, but notification effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sensors (proximity sensors, cameras, microphones) to continuously monitor the environment and detect user presence. This feedback information is used to automatically adjust notification parameters. When the user is detected nearby, the system increases notification volume or switches to audible alerts. When absent, it reduces volume or uses vibration only. This feedback mechanism ensures notification effectiveness is maintained when needed while minimizing disturbance when the user is absent.
3Reliability
If multiple notification methods are used to ensure user awareness, then notification effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects and switches between multiple notification methods (audible alerts, vibrations, visual notifications) based on user presence detection. When the user is nearby, audible notifications are used. When absent, the system switches to vibration or visual-only modes. This dynamic selection allows the system to leverage multiple notification methods for improved reliability while keeping the actual active notification mechanism simple at any given time.
Data Source
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AI summary
An information processing apparatus (300) comprising transceiver circuitry configured to receive a notification for a user (200); sensing circuitry configured to determine the position of the information processing apparatus; storage configured to store a notification mechanism in association with particular positions of the information processing apparatus; and control circuitry configured to control notification circuitry to perform the notification mechanism based on the position of the information processing apparatus, wherein the position of the information processing apparatus is determined to be a position relative to the user of the information processing apparatus and the control circuitry is configured to change the notification mechanism in the event that the relative distance between the user and the information processing apparatus is greater than a threshold distance.