Multi-touch Surface Private Interaction Window

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Multi-touch surface computing devices, like interactive tables, pose a risk of exposing private information to unintended users due to simultaneous multi-user interactions, necessitating enhanced security measures for financial and personal data applications.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that detect a user's hand gesture to invoke a private interaction window on a multi-touch surface, shielding sensitive data by dimensioning the window based on hand size and position, allowing secure entry or viewing of private data without external observation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a multi-touch surface allows simultaneous interactions from multiple users, then the device's versatility and ease of operation are improved, but the risk of exposing private information to unintended users increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemulti-user interaction capabilityVSAvoidinformation exposure risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The display area is segmented into multiple zones, with a private interaction window displayed in a specific zone (e.g., bottom portion) that is visually separated from the public display area. This spatial segmentation allows different types of information to be presented in distinct regions, enabling multi-user interaction while protecting private data from unintended viewing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the display have different security properties. The private interaction window in a specific zone has enhanced security characteristics (such as being shielded by the user's hand or having restricted visibility) compared to the public display area, allowing the system to provide both open collaboration and private interaction capabilities simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a private interaction window is displayed to shield sensitive data, then information security is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation exposure riskVSAvoidsecurity mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically detects when a user's hand obscures the private interaction window and autonomously adjusts the display accordingly, without requiring the user to manually control security settings. The device monitors hand position and automatically maintains the appropriate security state, reducing the perceived complexity for the user while implementing sophisticated security logic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Physical security mechanisms (such as privacy screens or physical barriers) are replaced with software-based detection and control systems that use image processing and gesture recognition to achieve privacy protection. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity while maintaining or enhancing security effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the private interaction window is dimensioned based on hand size and position, then privacy protection effectiveness is improved, but the measurement precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprivacy protection effectivenessVSAvoidhand position detection precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses hand position detection with sufficient precision to achieve privacy protection, without requiring extremely high measurement precision. By using the hand's general position and orientation rather than exact coordinates, the system achieves adequate privacy protection while reducing measurement precision requirements. The private window size and position are adjusted based on coarse hand detection rather than fine-grained measurement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2306363B1Multi-touch surface interaction

Publication Date: 2018.07.25 NCR VOYIX CORP

Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~6

AI summary

A computing device (10) including a multi-touch surface (14), and a method of operation thereof are described. The method comprises: detecting a customer's hand placed palm downwards on the multi-touch surface (14) and detecting the customer's hand pivoting upwards from the detected palm downwards position so that an edge of the hand is placed on the multi-touch surface (14). The method also comprises displaying a private interaction window (120) located adjacent to, and on the palm side of, the customer's hand; and communicating private data on the private interaction window (120). The private interaction window (120) is dimensioned to be shielded by the customer's hand.