Spatially Aware Live Help Interface for Off-Screen Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing online help systems are limited by the inability of remote agents to view or indicate areas outside the user's screen, leading to ineffective assistance, especially when physical locations of devices or surrounding systems need to be identified.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows a live agent to visually reference and point to both on-screen and off-screen features by using sensing devices like cameras and touch sensors, enabling real-time gesture capture and translation for intuitive instruction display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If remote control is taken of a person's computer or device to provide online help, then the assistant can control the remote device, but the assistant cannot view or indicate areas outside the user's screen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the remote device control capability with the agent's visual field by integrating the user's screen display into the agent's interface. This allows the agent to simultaneously control the remote device and view both on-screen and off-screen areas through the combined visual information provided by the user's camera and screen capture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that captures visual information from the user's environment using a camera and transmits it to the agent. This intermediary mechanism bridges the gap between the agent's remote location and the user's physical environment, enabling the agent to see and indicate off-screen areas.
2Speed
If two way video calling is used for online help, then real-time communication is achieved, but the agent cannot identify physical locations of devices or surrounding systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a new dimension to video calling by incorporating spatial awareness capabilities. The agent's interface includes indicators that show the physical location of the user's device and surrounding systems in the video feed, transforming ordinary video communication into spatially-aware remote assistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses visual indicators overlaid on the video feed to highlight and identify physical devices and their locations. These indicators may appear as colored markers, bounding boxes, or other visual cues that help the agent quickly identify and locate physical devices within the user's environment.
Data Source
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AI summary
A live help system provides an intuitive display of help information on a user's graphical user interface. A request is received from a client device for help, and a live help provider interface is initiated at a live help location. Data is acquired regarding a user's location, including data on external devices in the user's location. Indicators are provided to allow the live help provider to point to or otherwise indicate items on the user interface or outside of the user interface. Live help input is captured at the live help provider interface. Instructions are then transmitted to the display of the client device to display live help input, as though the agent were present and interacting with or indicating items on the screen or off the screen.