Remote Support Video Relay for Hardware Troubleshooting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional remote support systems cannot perform operations on hardware, leading to difficulties in troubleshooting and usage explanations for customers, as they rely solely on software screen checking and remote operation, making it hard for customers to understand oral explanations from call-center operators.
Innovation Solution
A remote support system that includes an image processing apparatus, an information processing apparatus, and a relay server, enabling operators to display video from the information processing apparatus to the image processing apparatus, allowing for easier explanation of troubleshooting and usage methods by capturing and transmitting a portion of the screen or camera video, with adjustable resolution and framerate settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If remote support is performed using only software screen checking and oral explanation, then the system complexity is kept simple, but the ease of operation and customer understanding deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a video transmission function as an intermediary between the operator and customer. The operator's screen operations are captured as video and transmitted to the customer's device, serving as a mediator that bridges the gap between remote operator actions and customer understanding. This video intermediary allows customers to visually see what the operator is doing, transforming abstract oral explanations into concrete visual demonstrations without requiring complex hardware intervention.
2Ease of operation
If video transmission function is added to enable visual demonstration, then the ease of operation and customer understanding improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements multi-functionality by enabling the image processing apparatus to serve dual purposes: its original image processing functions plus a new video display function for receiving and showing operator screen captures. The apparatus can operate in multiple modes - normal operation mode and video display mode - allowing it to adapt to different support scenarios. This universal design enables one device to fulfill multiple roles, reducing the need for separate dedicated hardware while improving support effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between different operational states based on support needs. The image processing apparatus can transition between performing its primary image processing tasks and displaying video content from the operator. This dynamic flexibility allows the system to adapt its function in real-time during support interactions, optimizing resource utilization while providing enhanced customer understanding when needed.
3Productivity
If only oral explanation is used for hardware troubleshooting, then the device complexity remains low, but the productivity and troubleshooting effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a visual copy of the operator's screen actions and transmits it to the customer's device. Instead of relying on customers to imagine or interpret oral descriptions of hardware operations, the system captures the operator's screen (which may show hardware status, error messages, or diagnostic information) and creates a video copy that is transmitted to the customer. This visual copying mechanism significantly improves troubleshooting effectiveness by providing direct visual evidence of what is being examined or manipulated, accelerating the diagnostic process.
Data Source
AI summary
In an information processing apparatus, a mode for transmission to an image processing apparatus that is supported via a relay server is decided, and video is transmitted via the relay server to the image processing apparatus in accordance with a transmission setting corresponding to the decided mode for transmission. Also, if the decided mode for transmission is a mode in which video that captures a portion of a screen displayed on a display unit of the information processing apparatus is transmitted, a frame for deciding a region to be captured is displayed on the display unit of the information processing apparatus, and video internal to the frame is transmitted via the relay server to the image processing apparatus.