Hardness Tester Cursor Control for Stage Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hardness testers face operability issues due to the need to alternate between viewing the main screen and operational bars for adjusting sample positions, leading to inefficient horizontal and vertical position adjustments, which are critical for accurate measurements.
Innovation Solution
A hardness tester with an imaging unit, display unit, pointing device, and position adjustment unit that allows users to move the sample stage in both horizontal and vertical directions using a cursor on the display, eliminating the need for separate operational bars and enhancing fine position adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If operational bars are provided separately from the main screen for position adjustment, then the tester can display sample images and control operations, but the user must alternate between viewing the main screen and operational bars, reducing operability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the operational bars and main screen into a single integrated display interface. The operational bars are overlaid directly on the main screen, allowing users to perform position adjustments without switching between separate display areas. This integration eliminates the need to alternate between viewing the sample image and control interface, thereby improving operability while maintaining all necessary functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The main screen is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: displaying the sample image, showing operational bars for position adjustment, and providing measurement information. This multi-functional design allows the single display area to replace what would traditionally require separate displays, improving ease of operation without sacrificing functionality.
2Measurement precision
If traditional operational bars are used for position adjustment, then basic movement is possible, but fine position adjustment is difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment mechanisms where the operational bars respond to user input with smooth, continuous movement. The system allows for variable speed adjustment and fine-tuning capabilities, enabling users to make both coarse and fine position adjustments efficiently. This dynamic response significantly improves measurement precision while reducing the time required for positioning compared to static, discrete operational bars.
3Ease of operation
If the interface includes separate operational bars for horizontal and vertical adjustment, then position control is possible, but the user interface becomes complex and difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines horizontal and vertical operational bars into a unified interface displayed on the main screen. Both sets of control bars are visible simultaneously in an integrated layout, allowing users to adjust both horizontal and vertical positions without switching between separate control interfaces. This merging reduces the perceived complexity while maintaining full position control capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A hardness tester 100 that measures a size of an indent to determine the hardness of a sample S. The hardness tester 100 includes an imaging unit 12, a display unit 8, a pointing device 72 and a position adjustment unit 61, 3A, 4. The imaging unit 12 takes an image of a surface of the sample S. The display unit 8 displays a surface image of the sample S and a cursor K. The pointing device 72 receives a first instruction instructing a movement of the surface image of the sample S appearing on the display unit 8 through a movement of the cursor K, and a second instruction instructing a change in a height of the sample stage 2 through a movement of the cursor K. The position adjustment unit 61, 3A, 4 moves the sample stage 2 in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction.