Multi-Touch Interface Hand Edge Detection for Secrecy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-touch interfaces for card games and financial transactions often inadvertently reveal sensitive information to others, compromising secrecy and game play fairness.
Innovation Solution
A multi-touch interface system that detects a curved pattern of multiple points of contact indicative of a human hand's lateral edge, allowing users to reveal and hide item values, such as playing cards, using sweeping motions, ensuring secrecy by concealing the information from others.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional methods (finger press or drag) are used to reveal items on a multi-touch screen, then the interface is easy to operate, but sensitive information may be inadvertently revealed to others
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes the interface state based on detected hand movements. When a sweeping motion is detected, the system transitions from a hidden state to a revealed state, and can transition back to hidden when the motion stops. This dynamic behavior allows the same interface to provide both secrecy (when hidden) and information access (when revealed through sweeping motion), resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation.
2Reliability
If card values are displayed openly on the interface, then other players can see them, but the user cannot easily reveal them when needed
Solution Approach 1:
The sweeping motion of the hand acts as an intermediary mechanism between the hidden card information and the user's need to view it. Instead of directly exposing the information or requiring complex authentication, the simple sweeping gesture serves as a mediator that temporarily reveals the card value to the user while maintaining secrecy from others. This resolves the contradiction by providing a simple detection mechanism that balances secrecy with accessibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for using a touch interface to detect a lateral edge of a human hand of a user to selectively reveal an item to the user. The method includes providing a general purpose computer having a main board with program memory, software, a processor and RAM connected in operative communication, providing an interface in operative communication with the processor, the interface being accessible by the user. The interface includes a touch screen that detects multiple points of contact indicative of the lateral edge of the human hand and reveals the item to the user in response to the step of detecting. The interface detects movement of the multiple points of contact and reveals the item at a position on the touch screen determined by the position of the multiple points of contact. Detecting movement further causes the item to track the movement.