Virtual Remote Interface for Easier Appliance Function Selection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing remote controls are not user-friendly, with inconvenient button arrangements and difficulty in finding the correct function, especially for elderly users.
Innovation Solution
A head-mounted display (HMD) generates a virtual remote control interface based on handwritten instructions on a paper surface, allowing users to control devices through gestures or line-of-sight interactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a general-purpose remote control is used, then multiple device functions can be controlled, but the interface becomes complex and difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the remote control interface into context-specific functional groups based on the selected appliance type. Instead of presenting all possible functions simultaneously, the system divides controls into relevant categories (e.g., power, volume, channel for TV; temperature, mode for air conditioner) that appear separately and sequentially, reducing cognitive load while maintaining comprehensive control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The remote control interface dynamically adapts its layout and available functions based on the detected appliance type and current operational context. The system reconfigures button arrangements, displays only relevant controls for the selected device, and adjusts functionality in real-time, transforming a static complex interface into a dynamic simplified one that maintains versatility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional remote controls are used, then device control functions are available, but finding the correct function and buttons is inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical physical remote control with a virtual overlay interface displayed through augmented reality lenses. Users point the device at the appliance, and the system digitally renders contextual control buttons and indicators in the user's field of view, eliminating the need to physically search for buttons and providing immediate visual feedback about available functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses color-coded visual indicators and highlighted regions to draw attention to relevant control functions and their locations. Different colors indicate different appliance types, button states, and interaction zones, making it easy for users to quickly identify which function to activate without scanning through numerous unlabeled buttons.
3Ease of operation
If physical remote controls are used, then control operations can be performed, but the device must be located and carried
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal remote control system that can control multiple different appliance types through a single device. The system identifies the target appliance automatically and provides appropriate controls, eliminating the need to locate specific remote controls for different devices. The virtual interface adapts to any appliance category, making one device sufficient for all remote control needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary recognition layer between the user and the appliance. Instead of directly interacting with physical buttons, users point the device at the appliance, and the system mediates by detecting the appliance type, retrieving appropriate control parameters, and presenting virtual controls. This intermediary process eliminates the need to physically handle or locate traditional remote controls.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing terminal including a communication device, which transmits a control command to a controlled device via the communication device to remotely control the controlled device, comprises: a virtual remote control generator configured to identify the controlled device and a desired control operation that is a control operation desired to be performed from a surrounding image which is an image around the information processing terminal, and generate an acceptance object for accepting an operation instruction to the desired control operation from a user; an operation acceptance section configured to accept the operation instruction from the user via the acceptance object; and a command transmitter configured to transmit the control command corresponding to the operation instruction accepted by the operation acceptance section to the controlled device.