Mobile Assistant Display Positioning for Hands-Free Content Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in accessing information from computing devices when engaged in tasks that prevent them from safely or conveniently viewing or hearing content, such as when working in confined or distant locations, leading to inefficiencies and resource wastage.
Innovation Solution
A mobile computing device that navigates to the user and adjusts its display panel's viewing angle based on user position, using sensors like microphones and cameras to determine the user's location and render content appropriately, thereby preserving resources by selectively navigating only when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the computing device remains stationary, then power consumption is reduced, but users cannot access information when engaged in tasks that prevent them from safely viewing or hearing content
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring the user to move to the computing device, the computing device autonomously navigates to the user's location. The system inverts the traditional interaction model where the user approaches the device; now the device approaches the user, resolving the contradiction between ease of access and power consumption by making navigation conditional on user need and content type
Solution Approach 2:
The computing device autonomously determines when and where to navigate based on user requests and contextual information. The system self-manages its own movement without requiring user initiation of the navigation process, using sensors to detect user presence and content type to decide whether navigation is necessary, thereby balancing accessibility with resource conservation
2Ease of operation
If the computing device navigates to the user indiscriminately, then users can always access information, but computational resources and power are wasted on unnecessary navigation
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of navigation behavior based on content type (audio vs. visual), user distance, and task context. By dynamically adjusting whether navigation occurs based on these parameters, the system avoids wasteful navigation while ensuring information accessibility when actually needed
Solution Approach 2:
The computing device uses sensor feedback (microphones, cameras, sensors) to continuously monitor user presence, location, and context. This feedback loop allows the system to make informed decisions about whether navigation is necessary, preventing resource waste while maintaining accessibility
3Loss of time
If the user must navigate to the computing device to view content, then the device remains stationary and consumes less power, but the user loses time and may not have opportunity to perceive content before needing to resume work
Solution Approach 1:
The computing device initiates navigation in advance based on predicted user needs and current context, rather than waiting for the user to request content. By performing the navigation action preliminarily, the device ensures content is delivered timely when the user needs it, while still allowing power conservation when navigation is not required
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables users to access information without interrupting their tasks, conserves computational resources by navigating only when required, and ensures timely delivery of content, reducing the need for re-requesting information.
Implementation Method 1
one or more microphones (e.g., an array of microphones) that are responsive to sounds originating from different directions
Implementation Method 2
each section can include one or more motors for adjusting a physical position and/or arrangement one or more sections
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
Set forth is a motorized computing device that selectively navigates to a user according content of a spoken utterance directed at the motorized computing device. The motorized computing device can modify operations of one or more motors of the motorized computing device according to whether the user provided a spoken utterance while the one or more motors are operating. The motorized computing device can render content according to interactions between the user and an automated assistant. For instance, when automated assistant is requested to provide graphical content for the user, the motorized computing device can navigate to the user in order to present the content the user. However, in some implementations, when the user requests audio content, the motorized computing device can bypass navigating to the user when the motorized computing device is within a distance from the user for audibly rendering the audio content.