Virtual Assistant Notification Amelioration via Situational Context Rules

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Solution Overview

Problem

Virtual assistants often activate inadvertently due to situational triggers, leading to unwanted responses, and existing systems lack effective mechanisms for user-controlled activation rule management.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method and apparatus that receive situational information to initiate previously generated virtual assistant activation rules, output notifications, sense user actions, and create new rules based on user interactions, allowing for dynamic control of virtual assistant behavior.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the virtual assistant activation sensitivity is increased to improve response capability, then the virtual assistant can respond to more user intents, but it leads to more inadvertent activations and unwanted responses

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevirtual assistant response capabilityVSAvoidactivation accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts activation rules based on situational context and user feedback. Activation thresholds and parameters are not fixed but adapt in real-time according to the situation (e.g., location, time, device state) and learned from user corrections, resolving the contradiction between high sensitivity and accurate activation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback loops where user responses to virtual assistant activations are captured and used to refine activation rules. When users indicate an activation was unwanted or provide corrections, the system learns from this feedback to improve future activation accuracy, balancing responsiveness with reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the virtual assistant activation rules are made more specific to reduce inadvertent activations, then the activation accuracy improves, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveactivation accuracyVSAvoidrule management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically generates and refines activation rules without requiring manual configuration by users. It self-adjusts parameters based on situational data and user feedback, eliminating the need for complex manual rule management while maintaining high activation accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-configures basic activation frameworks and rules in advance, establishing a foundation that automatically adapts to specific situations. This preliminary setup reduces the complexity of on-demand rule creation while maintaining reliability through pre-established guidelines.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the virtual assistant continuously monitors situational information to improve activation precision, then the activation accuracy improves, but the energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveactivation precisionVSAvoiddevice energy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs periodic monitoring of situational information rather than continuous monitoring. It checks relevant parameters at appropriate intervals and triggers detailed analysis only when activation conditions are potentially met, reducing energy consumption while maintaining activation precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system monitors only the most critical situational parameters necessary for activation decisions rather than all possible parameters. This partial monitoring approach achieves sufficient activation precision without the excessive energy cost of comprehensive continuous monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS20240321270A1Virtual assistant notification amelioration and awareness systems and methods
Publication Date: 2024.09.26 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • US20240321270A1 patent drawing
  • US20240321270A1 patent drawing
  • US20240321270A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A computer-implemented method, a computer program product, and an apparatus for performing virtual assistant notification amelioration and awareness. A computer-implemented method includes receiving situational information for a device executing a virtual assistant application program and initiating a previously generated virtual assistant activation rule responsive to the situational information matching situational information associated with the previously generated virtual assistant activation rule. The previously generated virtual assistant activation rule includes altering an output produced by the device executing the virtual assistant application program. Altering includes deactivating an output produced by the device executing the virtual assistant application program during normal operating conditions and delaying the output produced by the device executing the virtual assistant application program or changing the output produced by the device executing the virtual assistant application program to another output format.