Wearable Device Intermediary for Location-Specific Information Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face inconvenience when their mobile devices are not readily accessible, such as during phone calls or when engaged in activities that prevent them from reaching their device, leading to difficulties in accessing location-specific information.
Innovation Solution
Wearable electronic devices that can be wirelessly paired with host devices like smartphones, providing access to location-specific information by alerting users and presenting relevant information, such as reminders, offers, or account information, without requiring direct interaction with the host device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the host device is kept accessible for interaction, then the user can access location-specific information, but the user cannot safely store the device (e.g., in pocket or bag)
Solution Approach 1:
The wearable device serves as an intermediary between the user and the host device. It receives location information from the host device and presents location-specific information to the user independently, allowing the user to store the host device safely while still accessing relevant information through the wearable device.
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable device creates a copy of the location-specific information functionality from the host device. By maintaining a synchronized copy of location data and presenting it independently, the wearable device enables users to access information without needing the original host device, thus resolving the contradiction between accessibility and safe storage.
2Ease of operation
If the user reaches for the host device to access information, then the user can retrieve location-specific information, but the user experiences inconvenience during activities like walking, driving, or making calls
Solution Approach 1:
The wearable device acts as an intermediary that delivers location-specific information directly to the user without requiring them to interact with the host device. This eliminates the time loss associated with searching for and accessing the host device during activities like walking, driving, or making calls.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-synchronizing location information to the wearable device before the user needs it. When the user arrives at a location, the relevant information is already available on the wearable device, eliminating the need to search for or access the host device at the moment of need.
3Loss of information
If the wearable device displays all location-specific information, then the user has complete information available, but the information may be overwhelming or irrelevant
Solution Approach 1:
The wearable device applies local quality by filtering and presenting only the most relevant location-specific information based on the user's current context and needs. Rather than displaying all available information uniformly, it selectively presents information with higher local relevance to the user's situation, improving usability while maintaining essential completeness.
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A host device (e.g., mobile device) and a wearable device can cooperate to provide location-specific information to a user. For example, a host device can maintain a store of location-specific information records. When the host device detects that its current location corresponds to a relevant location for one of the records, the host device can send the record (or a portion thereof) to a paired wearable device. The wearable device can present information content from the record to a human user and/or to a machine such as a scanner or wireless communication terminal.