Dynamic Print Setting UI for Touch Panel Usability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional print setting systems for touch panels lack user friendliness when users need to make detailed settings, as they often restrict the number of choices, leading to poor usability for advanced settings.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus with two user interface screens: a first screen for selecting setting values from a limited set and a second screen that allows adding missing values from the first screen, enabling users to access more settings on a touch panel UI while maintaining user friendliness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a touch panel UI with a small number of control choices is displayed, then ease of operation is improved, but adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic UI that automatically adapts its complexity based on user interaction patterns. The system starts with a simplified touch panel UI and progressively reveals additional controls and options as users demonstrate the need for more detailed settings, thereby maintaining ease of operation for casual users while providing adaptability for power users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the UI into multiple layers or levels of complexity. The first layer presents only essential controls for common tasks, while additional layers contain advanced settings that can be accessed through contextual menus, expansion panels, or progressive disclosure mechanisms, allowing users to access detailed settings without being overwhelmed by the full complexity upfront.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a desktop UI with a large number of control choices is displayed, then adaptability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts advanced and rarely-used controls from the main UI interface, placing them in separate accessible locations such as contextual menus, right-click contexts, or expandable sections. This allows the main interface to remain simple and easy to operate, while users can still access the full range of controls when needed by invoking these extracted elements.
3Device complexity
If model-dependent unique parameters are not displayed on the common setting screen, then device complexity is reduced, but loss of information occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism that dynamically maps model-dependent parameters to the common setting screen. When a specific printer model is selected, the system automatically translates model-specific parameters into the standardized common setting interface, allowing users to access all necessary settings without directly confronting model-dependent complexity, while ensuring no information is lost through the translation layer.
Data Source
AI summary
To preferably present setting values serving as choices of a setting item on a print setting screen, an information processing apparatus comprises: a first setting unit configured to accept setting of a setting value to a predetermined print setting item via a first user interface screen configured to select one setting value from a first set including a plurality of setting values; a second setting unit configured to accept setting of a setting value to the predetermined print setting item via a second user interface screen configured to select one setting value from a second set serving as a subset of the first set; and an addition unit configured to, if the setting value set by the first setting unit is not included in the second set, add the setting value set by the first setting unit to the second set.