Unified Communication Aggregation Server for Multi-Device Caller ID
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current communication systems fail to aggregate and manage calls and messages across multiple devices in real-time, making it difficult to identify initial callers and respond to important communications promptly, especially when using non-Internet wireline phones.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows users to create a group of communication devices, aggregating caller ID information and other communications in real-time, enabling users to respond from any active device, with features like annotation, data mining, and hierarchical representation of communication threads, facilitated by a knowledge management server and client interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If call forwarding is used to aggregate calls from multiple phones to a single handset, then call management is consolidated, but caller identification capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary component that receives call information from multiple phones, processes it, and forwards it to the user's mobile device. This server acts as a mediator that preserves caller ID information while enabling call aggregation, resolving the contradiction between consolidated call management and maintained caller identification capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device serves multiple functions: it displays caller information, provides a unified interface for responding to calls from any phone, and maintains communication with the server. This multi-functionality allows the system to aggregate calls while preserving identification capabilities through the universal mobile device interface.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple telephones are used for the same communication purpose, then communication coverage is expanded, but management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple telephone systems into a single managed interface by using a server to aggregate call information from all phones and present it through one mobile device. This combining approach maintains expanded communication coverage while reducing management complexity to a single unified interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device becomes a universal interface that handles calls from any telephone in the system. This multi-functional approach allows users to manage multiple phones through a single device, reducing management complexity while maintaining versatile communication coverage across all phones.
3Ease of operation
If communications from multiple devices are managed separately, then device independence is maintained, but response time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The server provides real-time feedback by aggregating call information from all devices and immediately making it available on the mobile device. This feedback mechanism allows users to respond to communications from any device quickly while maintaining the independence of each device through the server-mediated interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The server performs preliminary action by continuously aggregating and preparing call information from all devices before the user needs to respond. This pre-processing of communication data reduces response time while maintaining device independence, as each device can operate autonomously while contributing to the centralized pool of communication information.
Data Source
AI summary
Via a user interface, a user creates a device group that identifies communication devices of the user, the devices having different communication addresses. At least one of the devices is user-designated to receive an aggregated list of communications made with the devices in the user-defined device group. Communications made using devices in the group are detected, entries for the aggregated list are generated based thereon, and the entries are provided to the designated communication device(s). Thereafter, the user edits the user-defined device group via the user interface to add a communication device thereto or to remove a communication device therefrom.