Maintenance Interface Layout for Fast Parameter Setting on Small Screens
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing device maintenance apparatuses face challenges in efficiently confirming and setting parameters due to small display screens, complex menu trees, and the need for users to understand parameter meanings from names, leading to low work efficiency, especially for users unfamiliar with maintenance work.
Innovation Solution
A device maintenance apparatus and method that aggregates parameter information, including names and values, into buttons, with icons and messages for editing and setting, and uses a hierarchical structure with linked menus and procedural type processing, allowing easy confirmation and setting of parameters even on small screens.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If device parameters are displayed in a traditional menu tree structure on a small display screen, then the device maintenance apparatus can maintain a compact portable form, but it becomes difficult to confirm and set parameters efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The display screen is divided into multiple regions: a menu tree display region for hierarchical navigation, a parameter display region for showing parameter names and values, and an input region for setting values. This segmentation allows efficient parameter access on small screens by organizing information into functional zones rather than requiring users to navigate deep menu structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a one-dimensional menu navigation approach to a two-dimensional display layout where menu trees, parameter information, and input fields coexist on the same screen. This dimensional change enables users to view and edit parameters without navigating through multiple menu levels, significantly improving operation efficiency on portable devices.
2Productivity
If comprehensive device information is displayed simultaneously, then users can access all parameters quickly, but the display becomes cluttered and difficult to navigate on small screens
Solution Approach 1:
The display interface is segmented into distinct functional regions: menu tree navigation, parameter information display, and value input areas. This segmentation allows comprehensive information to be organized systematically rather than displayed clutteredly, improving both accessibility and ease of use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate parameter display region that acts as a mediator between the menu tree and the input field. This intermediate region shows parameter names and current values, providing context and reducing the cognitive load required to navigate and edit parameters efficiently.
3Ease of operation
If users must understand parameter meanings from names only, then the interface remains simple, but work efficiency decreases especially for users unfamiliar with maintenance tasks
Solution Approach 1:
The parameter display region serves as an intermediary that provides detailed parameter information including names, current values, and descriptive text. This intermediate layer bridges the gap between simple parameter names and comprehensive understanding, helping novice users grasp parameter meanings without overwhelming the interface.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the display provide different types of information quality: the menu tree provides structural navigation, the parameter display region provides detailed contextual information about parameter meanings, and the input region provides clear value entry fields. This local quality differentiation enhances usability for users with varying levels of expertise.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4A~4C
AI summary
A device maintenance apparatus which performs a maintenance of a device, includes: a storage configured to store device definition information in which a parameter of the device is defined; an acquirer configured to acquire device information from a maintenance target device which is a device of maintenance target; and a display processor configured to display, on a display, a first button using the device definition information stored in the storage and the device information acquired by the acquirer, the first button being a button for transitioning to a screen on which details of the parameter is displayed for each parameter of the maintenance target device, at least a name of the parameter and a value of the parameter being attached to the first button.