Electronic Device User Presence Detection and Help Content Delivery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Complex electronic devices like multi-function peripherals (MFPs) can be difficult for users to operate due to their multiple functions, and existing solutions do not effectively provide timely assistance to users who need help with their operation.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device equipped with an operation receiving unit, a sensor to detect user presence, and processing circuitry that outputs help content when the user is detected and no operation is received within a threshold time, facilitating user guidance through a network connection with a content management server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If help content is always displayed to assist users, then user convenience is improved, but processing load on the server increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of user presence and operation status before deciding to provide help content. The server pre-loads or prepares help content based on predicted user needs, and the electronic device monitors user behavior patterns to anticipate when assistance will be required, thereby reducing reactive processing load while maintaining user convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the server receives operation status information from electronic devices, analyzes user behavior patterns, and adjusts help content delivery accordingly. This feedback loop enables the server to optimize processing by providing help content only when operation status indicates user difficulty, rather than continuously transmitting assistance data.
2Loss of energy
If help content is provided only when explicitly requested, then server processing load is reduced, but user convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system proactively analyzes operation status information to predict when users will need help content, preparing and transmitting assistance data before users explicitly request it. This preliminary action is based on detecting patterns such as prolonged inactivity, repeated failed operations, or unusual usage patterns that indicate potential user difficulty.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically monitoring user interaction patterns and autonomously determining when help content should be provided without requiring explicit user requests. The electronic device and server work together to self-identify moments when assistance would be beneficial, reducing the need for users to actively seek help.
3Loss of time
If the electronic device monitors user presence and operation status continuously, then timely help provision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and separates the complex monitoring and analysis functions from the electronic device itself, placing these responsibilities on the server. The device only needs to collect basic operation status data and transmit it to the server, which performs the sophisticated analysis of user presence and help needs. This extraction reduces device complexity while maintaining timely help provision capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as an intermediary between the simple data collection at the device level and the complex analysis required to determine when help is needed. Rather than requiring the device to perform sophisticated user behavior analysis, the server receives operation status information and uses its computational resources to interpret patterns and decide on help content delivery.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes: an operation receiving unit to receive operation from a user; a sensor to sense the user existing in a detection range of the electronic device to output detection information indicating that the user exists in the detection range; and processing circuitry to output content for assisting the user in operating the electronic device, when the processing circuitry has determined that the user exists in the detection range based on the detection information and when an elapsed time in which the operation of the user is not received at the operation receiving unit has exceeded a threshold time.