Status Update Module Centralizes Cross-Platform Availability

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Users face increased effort in managing their availability status across multiple communication platforms, requiring manual updates in various applications when their status changes, which can be time-consuming and inefficient, especially when they are busy or unavailable.

Innovation Solution

A status server and status update module that can send multiple status updates to various systems based on detected events, allowing centralized management and automatic updates, even when the mobile device is offline or out of coverage, thereby offloading processing from the mobile device.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If users manually update status in multiple applications, then status information can be updated across platforms, but user effort and time consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestatus information consistencyVSAvoidtime for manual updates
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple status update operations into a single centralized update mechanism. The status server receives one status update message and automatically distributes it to multiple communication platforms (IM, email, social networking), eliminating the need for users to manually update each platform separately.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The status server acts as an intermediary between the user's mobile device and multiple communication platforms. It receives status information from the device and automatically propagates it to various systems, shielding users from the complexity of multiple manual update operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If users manually change status in each application, then status can be updated, but operational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestatus availabilityVSAvoidease of status management
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The status server provides universal status update functionality that works across multiple different communication platforms and applications. A single status update message can affect IM presence, email auto-replies, social networking status, and other systems simultaneously, making the solution universally applicable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service status management where the status server automatically handles the distribution and propagation of status information without requiring user intervention in each application. The server autonomously manages the complexity of updating multiple platforms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If status updates require device connectivity, then updates can be synchronized, but updates cannot occur when device is offline

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestatus synchronizationVSAvoidoffline status update capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system allows status updates to be prepared and queued on the mobile device even when offline. The device can generate status update messages and store them locally, which will be automatically transmitted to the status server once connectivity is restored, ensuring no status changes are lost due to offline periods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The status server provides feedback mechanisms to track the delivery and synchronization status of updates. This ensures that status information is reliably propagated across all platforms and allows the system to handle synchronization issues, confirming when updates have been successfully applied.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2640097B1System and Method for Updating Status Information
Publication Date: 2018.01.10 BLACKBERRY LTD
  • EP2640097B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2640097B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2640097B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

To avoid the need to access multiple applications and perform multiple corresponding status changes each time a user or device's status or availability changes, multiple status updates can be generated and provided to corresponding systems, according to a detected event. To enable status updates to be provided to multiple systems based on the detected event, a status update module can be used, which is operable to send multiple status updates to multiple systems on behalf of a mobile device. By using a status server or other network-based component to performing such updating, processing can be offloaded from the mobile devices and updates can be performed even when the mobile devices are not communicable with the systems being updated.