Application Replication Platform for Visual Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Customer support for software applications faces challenges in assisting users effectively due to difficulties in providing assistance without remotely accessing personal devices, leading to longer communication sessions and unnecessary resource consumption.
Innovation Solution
An application replication platform that establishes a replication session between a user device and a client device, allowing for the translation of user interactions with a user interface on the user device into corresponding indicators on the client device, enabling visual assistance without screen sharing or remote access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If customer support representatives provide step-by-step instructions without remote access, then user privacy and security are maintained, but communication sessions become longer and resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a visual copy of the user's device screen by capturing screenshots and transmitting them to the support representative's device. This allows the representative to see exactly what the user is viewing without actually accessing or controlling the user's device, thus maintaining privacy while enabling efficient troubleshooting
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that acts as a mediator between the user's device and the support representative's device. This intermediary captures, processes, and transmits visual information without establishing direct remote access connections, thereby preserving user control and security while facilitating effective support
2Reliability
If customer support representatives provide step-by-step instructions without remote access, then user privacy and security are maintained, but computing and network resources are consumed unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of maintaining continuous remote access connections that consume significant computing and network resources, the system creates periodic visual copies of the screen through screenshots. This on-demand copying approach reduces resource consumption compared to sustained remote desktop protocols while still providing necessary visual information
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs disposable, short-lived screenshot images rather than maintaining persistent remote access connections. Each screenshot is a lightweight, temporary visual representation that is transmitted and then discarded, consuming minimal resources compared to ongoing remote session maintenance
3Loss of time
If screen sharing or remote access is used to assist users, then communication sessions become shorter and more efficient, but user privacy and security are compromised due to sharing sensitive information
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates unidirectional visual copies of the user's screen without enabling bidirectional control. The support representative can see what the user sees, but cannot execute commands or make changes, thus eliminating security risks associated with remote access while maintaining communication efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of allowing the support representative to remotely access and control the user's device (traditional approach), the system inverts the flow by having the user's device actively send visual information to the representative. This reversal of control direction maintains privacy while achieving the same troubleshooting goals
Data Source
AI summary
A first device may receive a request to establish a replication session between a second device and a third device, where the replication session is associated with replicating user interactions with a user interface of an application across a first instance and a second instance of the application. The first device may receive, after receiving the request, information identifying a set of interactions by a user of the second device with a first user interface provided for display by the first instance. The first device may determine, from the information, a set of instructions related to causing an indication for the set of interactions to be provided for display on a second user interface provided for display for the second instance based on the information being received from the second device. The first device may provide, after determining the set of instructions, the set of instructions to the third device.