Wearable Alert Peripheral for Notification Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of personal electronic devices often miss notifications since they need to be in proximity to the device to receive alerts, as notifications are typically auditory and may not be noticeable when the device is in a bag or elsewhere.
Innovation Solution
A wearable alert peripheral device that provides sensory notifications, such as tactile, thermal, visual, or auditory responses, connected to the user's equipment to alert the user of events occurring on their connected device, using a power subsystem, communication mechanism, and response notification mechanisms like LEDs, piezo actuators, and heat emitters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If auditory notifications are used on the UE, then the notification method is simple, but the user cannot receive notifications when away from the device
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system is segmented into two independent components: the UE that generates notifications and the wearable peripheral that delivers them. This allows the notification function to be separated from the device itself, enabling users to receive alerts on their wearable device even when the UE is in a bag or elsewhere.
Solution Approach 2:
A wearable peripheral device acts as an intermediary between the UE and the user's senses. The peripheral receives notification signals from the UE via wireless communication and converts them into tactile, visual, or auditory alerts that the user can perceive while wearing the device.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the UE is placed in a bag or case, then the device is protected and portable, but the user cannot hear notifications
Solution Approach 1:
The notification delivery is moved from the spatial dimension (audio from the device) to the tactile dimension (vibration on the wrist). By transferring notifications to a different sensory modality and physical location, the system enables notification awareness while the UE remains in a bag or case.
3Reliability
If multiple notification mechanisms are added to the UE, then notification reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex notification delivery mechanisms (tactile actuators, visual displays, additional speakers) are extracted from the UE and placed in the wearable peripheral. This allows the UE to remain simple while the peripheral handles multiple notification modalities, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
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
Enables users to receive notifications regardless of their location relative to their device, ensuring timely awareness of events through sensory feedback from the peripheral device.
Implementation Method 1
piezo actuators
Implementation Method 2
heat emitters
Implementation Method 3
LEDs
Data Source
AI summary
An alert peripheral device that provides sensory notification to a user of the device includes: a power subsystem; a communication mechanism by which notification signals is received from a first user equipment (UE) that generates and transmits the notification signals in response to detection of specific events at the first UE; and a response notification mechanism that provides a sensory response of the peripheral device following receipt of a notification of a detected event (NDE) signal. The device further includes an embedded controller coupled to each of the other components and which includes firmware that when executed on the embedded controller configures the embedded controller to: establish a communication link between the communication mechanism and the first UE; and in response to detecting a receipt of the NDE signal from the first UE, trigger the response notification mechanism to exhibit the sensory response.