Equipment management apparatus and equipment management screen generating method
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current equipment management systems in large buildings face challenges in efficiently managing and operating multiple equipment devices, such as air conditioners, due to complex floor configurations and the need for intuitive and user-friendly interfaces for monitoring and setting changes across various devices.
Innovation Solution
An equipment management apparatus with a display, operation detector, and device classification information storage that generates an interactive equipment management screen, allowing icons to change size and display operation buttons based on user interactions, enabling easy identification and management of device groups and individual equipment devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If icons are displayed at uniform size on the equipment management screen, then the screen layout is simple and easy to implement, but it becomes difficult to highlight specific equipment devices and groups for intuitive management
Solution Approach 1:
The icon display size is changed dynamically based on selection state. When equipment or groups are selected, their icons are enlarged to a second display size, while unselected icons remain at the first display size. This dynamic size adjustment highlights important elements and improves intuitiveness without requiring a completely different display system.
Solution Approach 2:
Different display sizes are applied to different icons based on their selection state. Selected equipment devices and groups have their icons displayed at a larger second size, while unselected items remain at the first size. This local differentiation makes it easy to identify which equipment is currently being managed.
2Loss of information
If all equipment devices are displayed with the same icon size, then the display system is simple, but it becomes difficult to distinguish between selected and unselected equipment for efficient management operations
Solution Approach 1:
While the patent primarily uses size changes, the principle of visual differentiation applies here. The icon size serves as a visual indicator similar to color changes, where selected equipment icons are displayed larger than unselected ones, providing clear visual feedback about the current selection state and improving operational clarity.
3Loss of information
If the equipment management screen displays detailed information for all devices simultaneously, then complete information is provided, but the screen becomes cluttered and difficult to navigate
Solution Approach 1:
Detailed information and control operations for equipment devices are extracted from the main floor configuration diagram and displayed in a separate operation screen. When equipment or groups are selected on the management screen, their detailed settings and control options are presented in this dedicated area, keeping the main screen clean and navigable while providing complete information when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A display displays an equipment management screen in which icons indicating equipment devices and having a first display size are superimposed on a floor configuration diagram of a building at positions corresponding to installation sites of the equipment devices. A display information generator, upon detection of an operation of specifying display of a group to which the equipment device corresponding to the operated icon belongs, identifies all equipment devices belonging to the specified group, changes display sizes of icons corresponding to the identified equipment devices to a second display size larger than the first display size, displays operation buttons for implementing settings of the identified equipment devices at prescribed positions on the equipment management screen in a superimposed manner, and changes display sizes of icons corresponding to equipment devices not belonging to the specified group to a third display size smaller than the first display size.