Airflow Direction Display for Clear Air Conditioner Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air-conditioning controllers with image-only displays for airflow direction settings are not user-friendly for accurately understanding and selecting the current setting, leading to difficulties in re-selection and communication of settings to others.
Innovation Solution
An air-conditioning controller with a switching button, determination unit, and display unit that simultaneously shows an image and character corresponding to the selected airflow direction setting, allowing users to easily recognize and select their desired setting, and communicate it to others.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If only an image is displayed to show the currently selected airflow direction setting, then the user can approximately understand the setting by sense, but the user cannot accurately understand the setting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines image display and character display to show airflow direction settings. The image provides intuitive visual understanding while the character provides precise information, merging both representation methods to resolve the contradiction between approximate understanding and accurate understanding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension of information representation by introducing character display alongside image display. This transforms the single-dimensional visual representation into a multi-dimensional information system that provides both intuitive and precise understanding of airflow direction settings.
2Device complexity
If only an image is displayed for airflow direction setting, then the display is simple, but the user cannot easily communicate the selected setting to others or re-select it accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges image display and character display in the same display unit. This combination maintains relative display simplicity while dramatically improving communication and re-selection capabilities, as characters are easily readable and communicable while images provide visual context.
3Loss of information
If an image and character are simultaneously displayed for the airflow direction setting, then the user can accurately recognize the selected setting and easily communicate it to others, but the display unit must handle multiple information types
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the display information into distinct image and character components. This segmentation allows the display unit to process and present multiple information types in an organized manner, with each component serving a specific function (image for visual understanding, character for precise identification).
Data Source
AI summary
An air-conditioning controller is configured to receive an operation input for an air-conditioning apparatus capable of being set to a plurality of airflow direction settings. The air-conditioning controller includes a switching button, a determination unit and a display unit. The switching button is for switching between the airflow direction settings. The determination unit is configured to determine a currently selected airflow direction setting based on an operation input inputted via the switching button. The display unit is configured to simultaneously display an image and a character corresponding to the airflow direction setting determined to be currently selected by the determination unit.