Input Operation Approval Control for Work Error Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems struggle to prevent work errors caused by human operations before they occur, particularly in information systems, due to limitations in manual verification and automation, leading to potential service failures and economic losses.

Innovation Solution

An information processing apparatus and system that acquires operation information, compares it with predefined reference operations, and restricts processing until approval is given when deviations exceed a threshold, using an approver to validate the input operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If operation logs are compared after execution in a production environment, then work errors can be detected, but work errors cannot be prevented before they occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvework error detectionVSAvoidtime for error prevention
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary verification of input operations against reference operations before they are executed in the production environment. By comparing the input operation with stored reference operations in advance and verifying compliance with operational standards, the system prevents work errors before they occur, rather than detecting them after execution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The verification unit acts as an intermediary between the input device and the production environment. It intercepts input operations, compares them with reference operations, and only allows execution if they comply with operational standards. This intermediary verification process enables error prevention before operations are reflected in the system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If all input operations are verified against reference operations, then work errors can be prevented, but processing efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvework error preventionVSAvoidprocessing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the verification parameter from comparing entire operation logs after execution to comparing input operations against operational standards before execution. This parameter change in the verification approach allows for more efficient real-time validation without requiring full log comparison, thus maintaining productivity while ensuring reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If operation verification is implemented in real-time, then work errors can be prevented in advance, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvework error preventionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses reference operations that are copied from previously executed successful operations as a basis for verification. Instead of creating complex verification rules from scratch, the system replicates proven operational patterns and compares input operations against these copies, simplifying the verification mechanism while maintaining high reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4679353A1Information processing apparatus, work error prevention system, information processing method, and program
Publication Date: 2026.01.14 NEC CORP
  • EP4679353A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4679353A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4679353A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The acquisition unit 81 acquires operation information indicating the content of input operations performed via an input device. The notification unit 82, based on a newly input operation and a reference operation that serves as a preset standard operation, notifies another apparatus of content indicating that a predetermined threshold has been exceeded when the threshold is exceeded. The control unit 83 restricts processing in response to input operations to the input device until an approval instruction is received from the other apparatus when the threshold is exceeded. The control unit 83 then releases restriction on the processing in response to input operations to the input device according to the approval instruction from the other apparatus.