Self-serve kiosk interface offload to mobile device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Self-serve kiosks, particularly in customer-facing environments like fast-food restaurants, often experience user-interface failures due to unresponsive touch screens, leading to customer frustration and inability to complete transactions efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A method where a local device detects user input failures and aggravation, then offloads the user interface to a nearby mobile device for continued interaction, allowing users to complete transactions via the mobile device's interface, utilizing wireless communication and sensors to monitor user interactions and determine when to initiate the offload.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a self-serve kiosk uses a touch screen display for user interface, then customer service efficiency is improved, but the system becomes vulnerable to touch screen failures causing customer frustration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mobile device as an intermediary between the customer and the kiosk system when the touch screen fails. The mobile device receives the user interface offload prompt from the kiosk, displays a alternative interface, and transmits user inputs back to the kiosk, thereby mediating the interaction and maintaining service continuity despite touch screen failure
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the interaction parameter from direct touch screen contact to wireless communication through a mobile device. When touch screen responsiveness fails, the interface is offloaded to a different communication channel (wireless data transmission), changing the physical interaction mode while maintaining the functional outcome
2Ease of operation
If the kiosk detects user aggravation and offloads the user interface to a mobile device, then customer frustration is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the user interface functionality from the kiosk system and transfers it to the customer's mobile device when failure is detected. This separates the interface rendering and input collection functions from the kiosk, allowing the kiosk to focus on transaction processing while the mobile device handles user interaction
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device serves multiple functions: it acts as a display device, input device, and communication bridge between the customer and the kiosk. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized equipment at the kiosk while maintaining ease of operation
3Measurement precision
If the system monitors user aggravation through multiple sensors and inputs, then user frustration detection accuracy is improved, but the system complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors multiple user inputs and aggravation indicators simultaneously (multiple touch attempts, increased input magnitude, time intervals) to build a composite picture of user frustration. This partial monitoring of various parameters provides accurate detection without requiring continuous full-system activation, balancing precision with energy efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects for resolving failed user-interface functionality are described. One or more processors are configured for detecting a first user input having a first input magnitude at user-selectable elements displayed on a local device user-interface, determining that the local device user-interface is not responsive to the first user input; detecting a second user input having a second input magnitude that is greater than the first input magnitude at the user-selectable elements, wherein the first user input and the second user input are by the user; determining that the local device user-interface is not responsive to the second user input; transmitting first data corresponding to a user-interface offload prompt to a mobile device associated with the user, wherein the mobile device is within a predetermined proximity of the local device user-interface; and receiving second data corresponding to a plurality of mobile device user inputs from the mobile device.