Non-contact User Identification for Shared Machines

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Solution Overview

Problem

Publicly shared machines, such as printing machines, often require physical interaction with user interfaces, which can be a health and safety concern due to increased awareness of minimizing contact with shared surfaces, and existing voice-based features can be cumbersome, limited in language support, and unsuitable for office use.

Innovation Solution

A system that includes a publicly shared machine connected to a computer network, with an application operating on a remote device that allows users to select processing options and transmit jobs to the machine, using non-contact user identification components like wireless readers or facial recognition, enabling the machine to perform tasks automatically without additional user interaction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If voice-based features are added to reduce physical interaction, then user safety is improved, but device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvephysical contact with shared surfacesVSAvoidspecialized components required

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a mobile device as an intermediary between the user and the printing machine. The mobile device displays a code that the machine scans to identify and authenticate the user, eliminating the need for direct physical interaction with the machine's user interface while avoiding the complexity of implementing voice recognition or other advanced interfaces in the machine itself.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a code displayed on the user's mobile device as a copy of user identification information. Instead of requiring the user to physically input data or use voice commands at the machine, the machine scans this code copy from the mobile device, thereby reducing physical contact while maintaining operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Object-affected harmful factors

If non-contact identification components are added to the machine, then user safety is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvephysical contact with shared surfacesVSAvoidhardware modifications required

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile device serves as an intermediary that already contains the necessary identification capabilities (display screen showing codes). The printing machine only needs its existing scanner to read these codes, eliminating the need to add complex non-contact identification hardware like cameras or RFID readers to the machine.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The user's mobile device performs the identification function by displaying the code. The printing machine simply scans this code using its existing scanner, making the system self-service oriented where the user's device provides the identification capability rather than requiring the machine to have advanced identification hardware.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If automatic job execution is implemented, then productivity is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to setup complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomatic job executionVSAvoidinitial configuration requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The user's mobile device is used to preliminarily configure and transmit the job information to the printing machine before the user arrives at the machine. The code displayed on the mobile device contains all necessary job parameters, so when the user scans the code at the machine, the job is already configured and ready for automatic execution, eliminating complex setup at the machine itself.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11252285B1System implementing non-contact interaction with publicly shared machines

Publication Date: 2022.02.15 XEROX CORP

AI summary

A menu of processing options of a publicly shared machine is presented on a user interface of a remote computerized device using an application (app). The publicly shared machine can include a printing component, a scanning component, a non-contact user identification component, etc. The app creates a job from options selected from the menu. The job is transmitted from the app to the publicly shared machine. The publicly shared machine notifies the app of availability to perform the job. In turn, the app provides a notice on the user interface of the remote computerized device that the publicly shared machine is available to perform the job. These methods further identify the user present at the publicly shared machine using the non-contact user identification component, allowing the publicly shared machine to perform the job based on the non-contact user identification, without requiring additional user interaction with the publicly shared machine.