Mixing Console Touch Panel User-Defined Key Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mixing consoles with touch panel displays require complex user manipulations for bank switching, limiting the operability of user-defined keys and increasing the risk of erroneous operations due to false touch detection.
Innovation Solution
A mixing console with a main display and a sub-display featuring a touch panel, software user-defined keys, bank switch keys, and hardware keys, allowing users to specify display sizes and switch functions between banks seamlessly, enhancing operability and reducing errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If user-defined keys are displayed on a touch panel display, then the number of user-defined keys can be increased, but the complexity of bank switching operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The touch panel display is segmented into multiple independent key regions, each capable of being assigned different functions through bank switching. This allows the display to be divided into manageable sections that can be independently configured, reducing the operational complexity while maintaining a large number of usable keys.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures multiple banks of user-defined keys with different functions before operation. Users can switch between pre-prepared banks rather than configuring keys in real-time, which simplifies the switching operation and reduces complexity during actual use.
2Adaptability or versatility
If bank switching is implemented on a touch panel display, then more user-defined keys become available, but the risk of erroneous operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the touch panel display are assigned different functional qualities based on the active bank. Each key region maintains its visual appearance but changes its operational function when banks are switched, allowing users to identify key functions locally without confusion from global changes across the entire interface.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of changing the physical position or appearance of keys when switching banks, the system inverts the approach by keeping the key positions fixed and changing the function assignments. This inversion reduces visual confusion and minimizes the risk of erroneous operations while maintaining full adaptability.
3Device complexity
If fixed hardware keys are used for user definitions, then the layout is simple, but the number of assignable functions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The touch panel display serves multiple functions: it displays user-defined keys, shows their current function assignments, and allows bank switching operations. This universal use of the touch panel eliminates the need for separate physical keys for each function, maintaining layout simplicity while dramatically increasing the number of assignable functions through software-based key management.
Data Source
AI summary
On a sub-display 14c, a plurality of first user-defined keys 53, bank switch keys 51 and an edit key 52 which are software keys are displayed. Immediately below the sub-display 14c, second user-defined keys 50a to 50d which are hardware keys arranged as if the arrangement of the first user-defined keys 53 were extended are provided. The sub-display 14c also displays user-definition name areas 54 for displaying respective names of user-definitions assigned to the second user-defined keys 50a to 50d. By a manipulation of one of the user-defined keys, a function assigned to the manipulated user-defined key is executed. By a manipulation of the edit key 52, a setup screen on which the display size and the like of the first user-defined key are specified is displayed on a separate main display 14a, 14b.