Lighting Control Interface With Visual Setting Transmission Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing control systems lack an efficient method for confirming whether control settings for target devices are completed, leading to unnecessary user effort and time in verifying the status of control settings.

Innovation Solution

A control system and method that utilizes a processing unit to display setting images with marks indicating changes in control settings, allowing users to visually confirm if settings have been transmitted to target devices, thereby simplifying the confirmation process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the control system transmits control setting information to target devices, then the control setting is completed, but the user cannot easily confirm whether the transmission was successful

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol setting transmission reliabilityVSAvoidconfirmation ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The control system provides visual feedback by displaying marks next to setting items in the setting image. When control setting information is transmitted to a target device, the system updates the display to reflect the transmission status, allowing users to immediately see which settings have been successfully transmitted without requiring additional verification steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary visual indicator (mark) that mediates between the control setting transmission process and the user's confirmation need. This mark serves as a visual signal that bridges the gap between the system's internal state (transmission completion) and the user's external observation, enabling easy confirmation of transmission status.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If the system requires additional verification steps to confirm setting completion, then accuracy is improved, but time and effort are increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesetting completion detection accuracyVSAvoidconfirmation time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The control system performs the confirmation function in advance by continuously updating the display status during and after the transmission process. Instead of requiring users to perform separate verification actions after transmission, the system proactively provides visual confirmation, eliminating the need for additional time-consuming verification steps while maintaining accurate detection of setting completion status.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4456672B1Control system and control method
Publication Date: 2025.12.03 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP4456672B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4456672B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4456672B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A control system (information terminal 30) includes a processing unit, a receiver, and a storage. The processing unit displays, on a display (32), a setting image (32s) for control setting performed for each of at least one device (light fixture). The receiver receives, for each of the at least one device, input of the control setting of the device among the at least one device. The storage stores, for each of the at least one device, control setting information including the control setting received by the receiver. The control setting information is the latest control setting information transmitted to the device. If the control setting information on a target device which is to be set among the at least one device includes a change from the latest control setting information stored in the storage, the processing unit puts a mark (M1) to a setting item (I1) related to the change in the setting image (32s).