Multi-User Display Privacy via Spatial Distance Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional user interface devices for large screen displays struggle with detecting user gestures accurately across a wider range and fail to provide effective feedback for multiple users, leading to potential interference between parallel operations, especially when users are close to each other.

Innovation Solution

A user interface device with a detection unit that uses cameras to track user positions and gestures, and a notification unit that provides feedback through visual and auditory cues to maintain appropriate distances between users, preventing interference by adjusting the display and notification based on calculated appropriate distances considering physical characteristics and social relationships.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If a single light-receiving device is fixedly installed, then the device structure is simple, but the detection range is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection rangeVSAvoiddevice structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The detection system is divided into multiple independent light-receiving devices distributed at different positions. Each device detects gestures in its local range, and the results are combined to provide comprehensive coverage of the entire display area, resolving the contradiction between simple structure and wide detection range.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from a single-point detection approach to a distributed spatial arrangement of multiple detection devices. This dimensional expansion allows the system to cover a larger three-dimensional space while maintaining relatively simple individual device structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Area of stationary object

If multiple light-receiving devices are installed to expand detection range, then the detection coverage is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection coverageVSAvoidnumber of devices
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple light-receiving devices perform the same universal function of gesture detection, each contributing to the overall system capability. This allows the system to achieve wide detection coverage through functional redundancy rather than requiring complex specialized components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The detection results from multiple light-receiving devices are merged and integrated to form a unified detection space. This combining approach allows the system to achieve comprehensive coverage while treating each individual device as a simple, standardized component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If feedback is provided based on single user position, then the feedback response is fast, but interference between multiple users is not prevented

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeedback accuracyVSAvoidfeedback response time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system preliminarily determines appropriate distances between multiple users before gestures are executed. By pre-calculating spatial relationships and establishing boundary conditions, the system can provide accurate feedback that prevents user interference without delaying the response time significantly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides feedback based on the combined positional information of multiple users, adjusting the feedback content according to the spatial relationships detected. This allows the system to maintain fast response while improving accuracy to prevent interference between concurrent users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The device effectively prevents users from entering adjacent workspaces by providing real-time feedback, ensuring proper distance maintenance and reducing operational interference, thus enhancing multi-user interaction on large screen displays.

Implementation Method 1

a detection unit 3 that detects a user's position and a gesture made by the user

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight reflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentEP2333652B1Method and apparatus for improving privacy of users of a display device for several users wherein each user has a private space allocated to him
Publication Date: 2016.11.02 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORP OF AMERICA
  • EP2333652B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP2333652B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP2333652B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2C

AI summary

A user interface device (1) includes a display unit (2) which displays a first work space assigned to a user and a second work space different from the first workspace; a detection unit (3) which detects a position of the user; a calculation unit (4) which calculates an appropriate distance between the user and the second work space according to a type of an application program controlled by the user through the first work space; and a notification unit (5) which notifies the user that a distance between the position of the user detected by the detection unit (3) and the second work space is shorter than the appropriate distance calculated by the calculation unit (4).