Smartphone Notification System for Public Space Etiquette
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing annoyance caused by poor cell phone usage manners in public environments, such as movie theaters, due to ringing, display light, and voice disturbances, which existing technologies have not adequately addressed.
Innovation Solution
A method that senses local environmental conditions and issues notifications if a local microphone signal level exceeds a threshold, allowing users to set their devices to vibrate or silent modes, or to automatically terminate communications to maintain good manners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If users use cell phones in public environments like movie theaters, then communication functionality is maintained, but disturbance to others increases due to ringing, display light, and voice
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors local audio levels and provides real-time feedback to the user through notifications when the user's voice exceeds the ambient noise threshold, enabling self-regulation of communication behavior in public spaces
Solution Approach 2:
The notification threshold dynamically adapts to the local environmental conditions by comparing user voice levels against ambient noise levels, allowing the system to adjust its sensitivity based on the surrounding acoustic environment
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the notification threshold is set low to reduce disturbances, then good manners are promoted, but false notifications increase in noisy environments
Solution Approach 1:
The threshold dynamically adjusts based on ambient noise levels detected by the microphone, automatically raising or lowering the notification threshold to match the environmental context and prevent false positives
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the notification threshold parameter based on measured ambient noise levels, transforming a static threshold into a dynamic one that adapts to environmental conditions
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
Effectively promotes good manners by reducing disturbances in public environments through intelligent notification and communication management, enhancing user awareness and device settings to minimize disruptions.
Implementation Method 1
sensing a local microphone signal level associated with the communication message
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes sensing a local environmental condition, receiving an electronic communication message, sensing a local microphone signal level associated with the communication message, and issuing a notification if the local microphone signal level exceeds a threshold associated with the local environmental condition. In such a method, an electronic communication may be a telephone call, a video call, a text message, a message communicated via a short message service, a message communicated via a multimedia message service or other type of message. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.