Breathing Apparatus Gesture Interface for Simplified Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional breathing apparatuses with touch screens lack direct access to certain functions, leading to confusion and potential errors in clinical settings due to complex menu structures and the need to identify specific icons or buttons, which can result in unintentional adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A system with a touch screen display unit and processing unit that allows users to access non-displayed content through gestures, such as tap and hold, without the need for explicit icons or buttons, providing quick and safe access to critical adjustments and safety features by eliminating the need to read and select specific functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If hardware adjustment elements like knobs and buttons are removed from breathing apparatuses, then the device complexity is reduced and the appearance is simplified, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to lack of direct access to certain functions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical adjustment elements (knobs, buttons, wheels) with a touch screen interface that uses gesture-based interaction. This substitution eliminates the need for physical hardware controls while maintaining functional accessibility through intuitive touch gestures such as tapping, swiping, and pinching motions on the display surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The touch screen acts as an intermediary between the user and the breathing apparatus functions. Instead of direct mechanical interaction with controls, users interact with visual representations of functions on the screen, which then translate their gestures into operational commands. This intermediary layer provides both simplified interface and maintained ease of access.
2Adaptability or versatility
If complex menu structures are implemented in the GUI, then more functions can be organized, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in finding adjustments and user confusion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the user interface into context-sensitive zones and regions on the touch screen, where different areas respond to gestures differently. Instead of navigating through deep menu structures, relevant functions are segmented and presented in contextually appropriate locations on the screen, allowing users to access functions by gesturing toward relevant visual elements rather than searching through menus.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a spatial dimension to function access by utilizing the entire touch screen surface as an interactive area. Functions are not hidden in hierarchical menus but are distributed across the screen in a two-dimensional layout that users can navigate through gestures. This transforms the traditional one-dimensional menu navigation into a multi-dimensional interactive space where functions are accessible through spatial gestures.
3Area of stationary object
If icons and buttons are made smaller to fit more on the screen, then the area utilization is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in identifying and hitting specific targets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic gesture recognition where the system adapts to the user's intent based on the gesture's characteristics (speed, pressure, duration, pattern). Instead of requiring precise targeting of small static buttons, the system dynamically interprets gestures made anywhere on or near relevant screen areas, adjusting the recognition criteria based on context and gesture properties. This allows for larger effective interaction zones while maintaining precise function activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the interaction parameter from precise positional targeting to gesture pattern recognition. Instead of requiring users to accurately hit small icon centers, the system recognizes functions based on gesture parameters such as swipe direction, tap sequence, hold duration, or pinch magnitude. This parameter transformation allows functions to be accessed through broader gesture zones while maintaining accurate function identification through pattern analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
A system is disclosed that includes a breathing apparatus, a touch screen unit and a processing unit. A first content (30) is displayed at a first screen location (30) of the touch screen. Upon a user input, comprising a gesture (35) of one or more gestures, at the first screen location (31), a second content related to the first content (30) is selected and displayed in dependence of the gesture (35) and the first content (30). The first content (30) is free of an indication of the second content, such as an indication comprised in the list of an icon, soft-button or a menu configured to activate the second content upon user selection on the touch screen.