Turn-Based Selection Time Bank Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In turn-based computing applications involving multiple users, managing time allocation for each participant to ensure fairness and efficiency becomes complex, especially when each participant can take multiple turns, leading to potential dominance by one user and unfair time utilization by others.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented system with a time bank manager calculates initial and updated time allotments for each user based on the number of participants and available time, allowing for selection time periods that can be adjusted dynamically, including automatic selection if a user fails to act within the allotted time, and incorporating non-selection times to accommodate user availability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If each participant can take multiple turns in sequential turn-taking, then the selection process allows for more comprehensive decision-making, but the time management becomes more complicated and one user may dominate the process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the total time into discrete time allotments for each user within a turn cycle. Each user receives a specific time allocation that is divided among their multiple turns, creating manageable time segments that prevent any single user from monopolizing the entire selection process while maintaining the benefit of multiple turns.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts time management by tracking time allotments across multiple turn cycles and automatically transitioning between users when their allotted time is exhausted. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to each user's pacing while maintaining overall process control and preventing dominance by any single participant.
2Productivity
If one user takes all available time for selections, then that user can make comprehensive choices, but other participants are prevented from having fair time to take their turns
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-calculating and allocating specific time amounts to each user before the selection process begins. These pre-established time allotments are enforced throughout the turn cycles, ensuring that no user can exceed their designated time portion and preventing any single participant from consuming all available time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms that monitor time consumption in real-time across all users. When a user approaches or reaches their time allotment, the system provides feedback through notifications and automatically transitions to the next user, ensuring fair time distribution and preventing time monopolization while maintaining overall selection productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, executed on a computing device, includes calculating a selection time period as a function of a time bank allotment for a user profile, a defined time for a selection, and a number of available selections; sending a notification to a client device indicating that the selection time period is initiated at a first time; receiving a selection from the client device at a second time; updating the time bank allotment according to a used time, the used time comprising an amount of time between the first time and the second time; decrementing the number of available selections; and updating the user profile with the received selection. Other embodiments are described and claimed.