User Interface State Management for Maintenance Access Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Valuable medium processing apparatuses face challenges in efficiently managing maintenance operations across multiple user interfaces and devices, particularly in identifying users, handling errors, and ensuring secure access and data integrity during maintenance processes.

Innovation Solution

The apparatus employs a controller to manage user interfaces in reception allowable and unallowable states, displaying maintenance screens and error indicators, and uses biometric information for user identification, allowing secure transitions between states to facilitate error correction and inventory management across different sides of the apparatus.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If multiple user interfaces are provided for maintenance operations, then maintenance accessibility is improved, but user identification security and interface state management complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance accessibilityVSAvoidinterface state management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides user interface access into distinct states (reception allowable state and reception unallowable state) and assigns different interfaces to different states based on maintenance needs. This segmentation allows multiple interfaces to exist without requiring complex simultaneous management, as each interface operates in a clearly defined state context.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The user interface states are made dynamic and changeable through controller management. The controller can transition interfaces between reception allowable and reception unallowable states based on operational context, allowing the system to adapt its interface availability dynamically rather than maintaining fixed interface configurations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If user identification is implemented for security, then access control is improved, but authentication time and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess control securityVSAvoidauthentication time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

User identification and authentication are performed in advance before maintenance operations begin. The controller authenticates users and assigns appropriate interface access rights beforehand, so that during actual maintenance operations, no additional authentication delays occur. This preliminary action ensures security while minimizing time loss during critical maintenance tasks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If interfaces are switched between reception states, then maintenance flexibility is improved, but system control complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance flexibilityVSAvoidsystem control complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A single controller manages all user interfaces and their state transitions, providing a universal control mechanism. This multi-functional controller handles authentication, interface state management, and maintenance coordination across all interfaces, reducing the need for separate control systems for each interface while maintaining flexibility.

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

Solution Approach 2:

The controller implements feedback mechanisms to monitor which interfaces are in reception allowable or reception unallowable states and automatically adjusts interface availability based on current maintenance context. This feedback-driven control simplifies the management of interface transitions by using system state information to automatically determine appropriate interface configurations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4345780A1Valuable medium processing apparatus and processing method
Publication Date: 2024.04.03 GLORY LTD
  • EP4345780A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4345780A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4345780A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a valuable medium processing apparatus including: a plurality of user interfaces each of which comprises a display and an input device; a plurality of maintenance objects; and a controller which sets, at least one user interface to a reception allowable state, causes the at least one user interface in the reception allowable state to display a maintenance screen related to maintenance of the plurality of maintenance objects, sets, a user interface different from the at least one user interface in the reception allowable state to a reception unallowable state, and changes, in a case where the at least one user interface in the reception allowable state receives a change operation for changing the user interface in the reception unallowable state to the reception allowable state, the user interface in the reception unallowable state to the reception allowable state.