AR Document Overlay for Interactive Tax Forms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods have not adequately improved user experience with physical documents, such as tax forms, due to their complexity and variability, leading to difficulties in understanding and identifying errors.
Innovation Solution
An augmented reality (AR) user interface system that uses image recognition to identify document types and overlay AR templates on physical documents, providing interactive elements and context without the need for user research or support, leveraging image sensors and processing capabilities of mobile devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional methods (design improvements, online help resources, dedicated support) are used to improve user experience with physical documents, then some understandability issues are addressed, but many understandability and usability issues remain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an augmented reality overlay as an intermediary layer between the physical document and the user. This overlay provides contextual information, highlights, and guidance directly on the document fields, mediating the interaction and improving understandability without requiring users to switch between multiple resources
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a digital dimension to the physical document by overlaying augmented reality information on top of the physical form. This creates a multi-layered interface where physical and digital information coexist, allowing users to access additional context without leaving the physical document view
2Ease of operation
If augmented reality templates are displayed aligned in three dimensions with the physical document, then interactive elements are enabled, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing images of the physical document, recognizing document types, and determining appropriate AR templates before the user needs to interact with the form. This preparation occurs automatically in the background, reducing the perceived complexity during actual use
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides self-service by automatically detecting document types and selecting appropriate AR templates without requiring manual configuration. The distance-based interactivity threshold is automatically applied to enable or disable elements, eliminating the need for users to manually control these parameters
3Ease of operation
If interactive user interface elements are enabled based on distance threshold, then user interaction is improved, but the system requires continuous distance monitoring
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous monitoring, the system uses periodic distance checks triggered by user interaction attempts. The distance threshold is evaluated periodically when users approach or interact with the document, enabling interactivity only when needed rather than continuously monitoring throughout all time
Data Source
AI summary
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for providing an augmented reality user interface, including: receiving, by an image sensor of an electronic device, an image of a physical document; determining a document type associated with the physical document by performing image recognition on the image of the physical document; determining an augmented reality template to display on a display of the electronic device; displaying the augmented reality template on the display of the electronic device, wherein the augmented reality template is aligned in three dimensions with the physical document; determining a distance between the physical document and the electronic device; and enabling one or more interactive user interface elements within the augmented reality template displayed on the display of the electronic device if the determined distance between the physical document and the electronic device is less than a threshold distance.