Mobile Control of Transaction Terminal UIs Without Touch
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Solution Overview
Problem
The concern of virus transmission through touchscreen displays on transaction terminals due to multiple users touching the same surface, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitates a solution for contactless interaction.
Innovation Solution
A method and system enabling mobile navigational control of transaction terminal User Interfaces (UIs) through a remote-control user session using a mobile device, where UI events are generated and processed via a server-connected proxy or direct WAN connection, simulating a keyboard HID to update terminal screens without direct user contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If touchscreen displays are used for transaction interfaces, then ease of operation is improved, but virus transmission risk increases due to multiple users touching the same surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mobile device as an intermediary between the user and the touchscreen terminal. The mobile device captures images of the touchscreen display and transmits them to the user, while user inputs are sent from the mobile device to the terminal. This intermediary system allows users to interact with the terminal without directly touching the touchscreen surface, thereby maintaining ease of operation while eliminating virus transmission risk through contactless interaction
2Object-affected harmful factors
If touchscreen displays are disinfected frequently, then virus transmission risk is reduced, but productivity decreases due to transaction interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by establishing a contactless interaction system before the pandemic crisis fully impacts operations. The mobile device integration is set up in advance, creating a ready-to-use contactless mode that can be activated whenever needed. This preliminary preparation allows the system to rapidly respond to health concerns without interrupting transaction flow, as the contactless mode is already configured and requires no additional disinfection procedures
3Ease of operation
If touch interface locations are standardized, then ease of operation is improved through consistency, but virus transmission risk increases as the same surfaces are repeatedly touched
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the copying principle by having the mobile device capture images of the touchscreen display and present them to the user. Instead of requiring users to touch the physical touchscreen, the system creates a visual copy of the interface on the user's personal mobile device. This allows the standardized interface layout to be maintained for consistency, while users interact with the copied visual representation on their own devices, eliminating contact with the shared terminal surface
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile device establishes an indirect network connection to a User Interface (UI) agent of a terminal. The indirect connection managed as a mobile navigational control session maintained through a server or through the server and a proxy. A keyboard widget/object and a navigation-selection widget/object are rendered within a mobile screen on a display of the mobile device. During the session, a user interacts with the keyboard and/or navigation-selection widgets and corresponding UI key events are forwarded to the UI agent. The UI agent provides the UI key events as Human Interface Device (HID) key events to the terminal causing a transaction interface to update transaction screens being rendered on a transaction display of the terminal during a transaction. The user conducts the transaction at the terminal without touching the transaction display and controls the transaction screens for the transaction via the keyboard and navigational widgets from the mobile device.