Context-Adaptive Operating Module for Faster Machine Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Complex industrial machines in the food and beverage industry require efficient navigation of numerous operating elements, which is hindered by fixed menu structures that do not adapt to user mental models, leading to increased navigation effort and safety risks due to prolonged reaction times.
Innovation Solution
An operating module that dynamically creates a user interface by retrieving and displaying only the necessary operating elements based on context-specific parameters and attributes, allowing for adaptable and context-aware navigation, reducing navigation time and improving user experience across different user groups and locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed menu structure with main menu items and subitems is used to organize operating elements, then the system structure is simplified and easy to implement, but the navigation time increases and user efficiency decreases because the structure does not adapt to different user mental models and contexts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic user interface that automatically adapts its structure and content based on the current operating context, user role, and task requirements. Instead of a static menu hierarchy, the system dynamically generates and reorganizes operating elements according to contextual parameters such as machine state, user authorization level, and active production tasks, thereby reducing navigation time without requiring complex manual reconfiguration
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of the user interface based on contextual data. Operating elements are selected, filtered, and arranged according to multiple parameters including user role, machine state, task type, and priority levels. This parameter-driven approach allows the same base set of operating elements to be dynamically reconfigured for different users and situations, improving ease of operation while managing complexity through systematic parameter management
2Adaptability or versatility
If a classical fixed menu concept is used to structure operating pages, then the implementation is straightforward and consistent, but different user groups with different experiences and tasks cannot be optimally supported, requiring compromises that may not satisfy any single user group
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal user interface framework that serves multiple user groups and contexts through a single adaptive system. The same operating module can dynamically configure the interface for different user roles (operator, technician, manager), different machine states, and different task types, eliminating the need for separate fixed menu structures for each user group while maintaining optimal functionality for each
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary configuration by pre-defining multiple context profiles and user role templates that encapsulate common operational scenarios. When a user logs in or a context is established, the system automatically applies the appropriate pre-configured template, which pre-arranges the relevant operating elements and interface structure, thereby adapting to different user groups without requiring real-time complex decision-making or manual customization
3Productivity
If numerous operating elements are displayed to cover all possible functions and scenarios, then the system is comprehensive and complete, but the navigation effort increases and users have difficulty finding the appropriate operating elements quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and displays only the relevant operating elements needed for the current context and task, filtering out unnecessary elements. Based on the active context (machine state, user role, task type), the system selectively extracts the subset of operating elements that are currently relevant, presenting them in a simplified view that enables quick access and response while maintaining access to the full functionality when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The operating elements are segmented into context-relevant groups and hierarchies based on their functional relationships and priority. Instead of presenting a flat list of all possible operating elements, the system segments them into logical categories and levels of importance, allowing users to access critical functions immediately while providing structured access to less frequently used functions, thereby reducing navigation effort while maintaining completeness
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an operating module for dynamically creating the user interface on the operating module for controlling and operating a machine of the food industry, in particular the beverage industry. The operating module comprises a plurality of operating elements having attributes, which can assume the value of a parameter and can be activated or deactivated depending on the user. By means of an operating module context, operating elements having certain attributes and values can be selected in order to be displayed on the operating module. The invention further relates to a method for dynamically creating and displaying an operating interface for operating a machine of the food industry.