Facial Template Pre-fetching for Hands-Free Service Requests

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current service request systems require users to interact manually, providing account identifiers or data, and do not offer hands-free options, limiting convenience and efficiency in processing transactions.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method using facial recognition to identify users, allowing for hands-free service requests by transmitting facial templates and processing service requests based on user account data, enabling payment tokens to be generated and used for transactions without physical interaction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual interaction is required for service requests, then user account identification can be verified, but user convenience and processing efficiency are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidprocessing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical interaction (physical card insertion, typing account identifiers) with optical recognition technology (facial recognition cameras and image processing algorithms). The system captures facial images and automatically identifies users through biometric matching, eliminating the need for manual account identifier input while simultaneously improving processing speed and user convenience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Extent of automation

If facial recognition is implemented for hands-free service requests, then user convenience is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehands-free operationVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary account management system that bridges the service provider system and user identification process. This intermediary system handles facial image capture, processing, and user account identification, allowing the service provider system to remain relatively simple while still achieving hands-free operation. The intermediary layer manages the complexity of facial recognition technology independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If facial templates are transmitted to service locations, then hands-free identification is enabled, but data transmission requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehands-free service requestVSAvoiddata transmission volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential facial recognition data (facial templates or biometric identifiers) from the complete user account information and transmits only this extracted data to service locations. This minimizes data transmission requirements while still enabling hands-free identification. The system takes out only the necessary biometric data rather than transmitting entire user profiles or multiple data elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3374915B1Facial template and token pre-fetching in hands free service requests
Publication Date: 2021.06.30 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP3374915B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3374915B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3374915B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A service system establishes a facial template for a user based on a user image. The user signs into a service application via a user computing device, which receives an identifier from a beacon device to transmit to the account management system. The account management system transmits facial templates based on payment account data for each user signed in at the service system location and transmits facial templates to a service computing device. The service computing device compares a captured facial image of a user initiating a service request against the received facial templates to identify the user. The service computing device receives a token from the account management system for the identified user. The service computing device transmits transaction details and the token to an issuer system to process the transaction. The service computing device receives an approval of the transaction authorization request.