Control Device Adjustment Value Consistency
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
When controlling multiple objects with a single apparatus, existing methods face challenges in preventing unintended adjustment value changes when switching between objects, often leading to increased complexity and cost due to movable parts or disabling the adjustment lever, which restricts user preference adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A control apparatus with a controlled-object selecting switch, an adjustment-value changing lever, and a storage unit that stores pre-switching adjustment values, allowing the control unit to transmit adjustment-value changing commands based on the lever's position, ensuring consistent adjustment values across object switches without the need for movable parts or disabling the lever.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a movable device such as a motor is incorporated into the adjustment-value changing lever to maintain adjustment values during object switching, then the adjustment value consistency is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the position memory function from the physical lever mechanism and implements it through a separate storage unit (RAM) that stores adjustment values associated with different controlled objects. This separates the simple mechanical lever from the complex position-maintenance function, achieving reliability without incorporating motors or other movable devices into the lever itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage unit acts as an intermediary between the adjustment-value changing lever and the controlled objects. It mediates the relationship by storing and managing adjustment values, allowing the simple lever to control adjustment parameters without directly maintaining physical position consistency across object switches.
2Reliability
If the adjustment-value changing lever is disabled during object switching to prevent unintended adjustment changes, then the adjustment value consistency is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control where the lever remains enabled and functional, but its effect is conditionally activated based on the current controlled object. The control unit dynamically manages whether adjustment commands from the lever are applied, allowing full operational flexibility while preventing unintended changes during object switching through software control rather than physical disablement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the controlled object switching state to control the lever's functionality. When an object is switched, the control unit detects this state change and temporarily prevents adjustment value changes, then restores normal operation. This feedback mechanism maintains consistency without permanently disabling the lever, preserving ease of operation.
3Reliability
If a rotary encoder with no absolute position is used instead of the adjustment-value changing lever, then the adjustment value consistency during switching is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of replacing the lever with a rotary encoder, the patent creates a virtual copy of the adjustment value in the storage unit. This copied adjustment value is associated with the controlled object and restored when the object is selected, providing consistency without requiring the complex feedback and positioning mechanisms of a rotary encoder system.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
A control apparatus (1) according to an aspect of the present invention includes a controlled-object selecting switch (10) configured to select an object to be controlled from a plurality of objects to be controlled and switch the object to be controlled to the selected one, an adjustment-value changing operation unit (20) configured to change an adjustment value indicating an adjustment amount for each of the objects to be controlled, a control unit (30) configured to make the selected object to be controlled adjust the adjustment amount by transmitting, to the selected object to be controlled, an adjustment-value changing command for adjusting the adjustment amount to the one indicated by the adjustment value, and a storage unit (40) configured to store, when the object to be controlled is switched by the controlled-object selecting switch (10), a pre-switching adjustment value, in which when the object to be controlled is switched by the controlled-object selecting switch (10), the control unit (30) starts, after the adjustment-value changing operation unit (20) indicates the pre-switching adjustment value, transmitting the adjustment-value changing command to the object to be controlled, and thereby makes the object to be controlled adjust the adjustment amount to the one indicated by the adjustment value.