Attendance Terminal Intent Detection for Low-Power Activation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional attendance recording terminals inefficiently consume energy due to activation from mere presence detection, lacking differentiation between intended and unintended interactions.

Innovation Solution

An attendance recording terminal that switches to an active operating state only upon detecting a clear intention to interact, using sensors and an intent engine to differentiate between mere presence and intended interaction, with multiple energy-saving modes to optimize power usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the terminal continuously monitors the ambient zone and processes sensor data to detect user intent, then the user experience and responsiveness are improved, but the energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveresponsivenessVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal dynamically adjusts its operating state based on detected user intent. When intent to interact is detected, the terminal transitions from a low-power state to an active state, enabling responsive interaction only when needed. This dynamic state adjustment resolves the contradiction by making the system responsive on-demand rather than continuously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The terminal employs periodic monitoring of the ambient zone rather than continuous monitoring. The control unit periodically activates sensors and processes data to detect user intent, then returns to a low-power state. This periodic operation maintains responsiveness to user presence while significantly reducing overall energy consumption compared to continuous operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

2Speed

If the terminal remains in an active state to ensure immediate response to user interaction, then the responsiveness is improved, but the energy-saving performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresponse timeVSAvoidenergy waste
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal performs preliminary detection of user intent through sensor monitoring and intent engine analysis before fully activating. By detecting intent in advance through periodic sensor checks and machine learning analysis, the terminal can prepare for interaction while still maintaining a relatively low-power state, thus reducing energy waste while preserving responsiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If the terminal uses machine learning models for intent recognition, then the accuracy of interaction detection is improved, but the computational load and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidcomputational energy
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal applies machine learning intent recognition selectively rather than continuously. The system uses the intent engine and machine learning models only when sensor data indicates potential user presence or interaction intent, rather than processing all sensor data continuously. This partial application of computational resources maintains high detection accuracy while reducing overall energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4202872B1Presence detection terminal with low energy mode
Publication Date: 2026.05.13 DORMAKABA DEUT GMBH
  • EP4202872B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4202872B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4202872B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to an attendance recording terminal (10), in particular a time recording terminal, for recording the presence of a person (40) based on an action by the person (40), comprising: a control unit (11), at least one sensor unit (12), wherein the sensor unit (12) is configured to monitor an ambient zone (30), and an intent engine (112), wherein the intent engine (112) is configured to detect an intention of the person (40) to interact with the attendance recording terminal (10) and to output intent information. The control unit (11) is configured to put the attendance recording terminal (10) into at least a first operating state and a second operating state, wherein the attendance recording terminal (10) is in an energy-saving mode in the second operating state compared to the first operating state.According to the proposal, the control unit is configured such that the attendance recording terminal (10) switches from the second operating state to the first operating state depending on the intent information. Furthermore, the invention relates to a corresponding computer-implemented method for operating an attendance recording terminal (10).