Fee Management System Using Image-Based User Identification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional technologies face challenges in calculating usage fees for electronic devices in retail stores, particularly due to complex operations and identifying users for settlement, especially in unmanned stores with unidentified visitors.

Innovation Solution

A fee management system that uses imaging apparatuses to track users and electronic devices via a network, identifying users and transmitting usage information to settlement apparatuses, ensuring accurate fee calculation and reduction in capital investment by eliminating the need for separate settlement means for each device.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate settlement means are provided for each electronic device, then usage fees can be collected accurately, but capital investment increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveusage fee collection accuracyVSAvoidcapital investment

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple settlement functions into a single centralized settlement apparatus. Instead of having separate settlement means for each electronic device, the system uses one settlement apparatus that receives usage information from multiple electronic devices via the information processing apparatus, thereby reducing capital investment while maintaining accurate fee collection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The information processing apparatus acts as an intermediary between electronic devices and the settlement apparatus. It collects usage information from various electronic devices and transmits it to the settlement apparatus, enabling accurate fee collection without requiring direct connection between each device and its own settlement means.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If facial recognition is used to identify users, then user identification accuracy improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser identification accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses images captured by imaging apparatuses as copies or representations of users. Instead of directly processing complex facial recognition data, the system captures images of users interacting with electronic devices and uses these image copies to identify users and associate them with usage information, simplifying the overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex mechanical/facial recognition systems with a simpler image-based identification approach. By using imaging apparatuses to capture users and their interactions with electronic devices, the system achieves user identification without requiring complex facial recognition algorithms and hardware.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If complex operations are tracked for fee calculation, then fee accuracy improves, but difficulty of detection increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefee calculation accuracyVSAvoidoperation tracking difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the necessary usage information from complex operations performed on electronic devices. Instead of tracking all complex operations in detail, the information processing apparatus selectively collects and transmits relevant usage information to the settlement apparatus, simplifying the detection process while maintaining fee calculation accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The information processing apparatus serves as an intermediary that simplifies operation tracking. It receives usage information from electronic devices and processes this information before transmitting it to the settlement apparatus, making the detection and measurement of complex operations more manageable while maintaining accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11889042B2Information processing apparatus, information processing system, fee management method, and recording medium that transmits usage fee in response to detecting that first and second users belong to a same group

Publication Date: 2024.01.30 RICOH CO LTD

AI summary

An information processing apparatus includes a first image receiver configured to receive a first image captured by an imaging apparatus in which a user of an electronic device and the electronic device are captured; a first user identifier configured to identify a first user from the first image; a usage information receiver configured to receive, from the electronic device, usage information based on an operation of the first user identified by the first user identifier; a second image receiver configured to receive a second image captured by the imaging apparatus in which a settlement apparatus and a second user capable of using the settlement apparatus are captured; a second user identifier configured to identify the second user from the second image; and a usage information transmitter configured to transmit the usage information to the settlement apparatus, based on the identified first user and the identified second user.