Non-Contact Button Input via Temporal Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses with non-contact input devices, such as aerial remote controls, require users to temporarily remove their finger from the detection area between button presses, leading to long finger strokes and increased chances of mistakenly pressing the wrong button.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a display unit, detection unit, and control unit that displays images of buttons in a space, detects the movement of the operator, and allows for button inputs without the operator leaving the display area by performing a specific second operation, such as stopping at a button for a predetermined period.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the button display area is small to save space, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of input operations deteriorates due to increased chance of pressing wrong buttons
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a temporal dimension to button operation by requiring the operator to stop at the button for a predetermined period (e.g., 1 second) before registering the input. This time-based dimension adds a verification step that prevents accidental presses while maintaining compact display areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides visual feedback by displaying the button image in the space and requiring the operator to intentionally stop at the button position for a predetermined time. This feedback mechanism confirms intentional input while preventing mistaken presses of adjacent buttons.
2Measurement precision
If the finger stroke is made long to accurately press buttons in space, then the measurement precision of button position is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to increased difficulty in rapid input
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the operator's own finger movement and stopping action as the input mechanism. The operator naturally moves their finger to the button position and stops for a predetermined time, which the detection unit automatically interprets as button press without requiring additional confirmation or complex gestures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of interaction from continuous movement to discrete stopping action. By detecting the duration that the operator's finger remains at the button position (predetermined time period), the system transforms the interaction into a reliable button press detection that is both accurate and easy to perform.
3Reliability
If the operator must remove finger from detection area between button presses, then the reliability of sequential button input is improved, but the loss of time increases due to repeated finger removal and repositioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous button operation by allowing the operator to remain in the display area and sequentially press multiple buttons without removing their finger. The system detects each button press by measuring the stopping duration at each button position, enabling rapid sequential input while maintaining reliability through the time-based verification mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a display, a detection device, and a controller. The display is configured to display a first image including a first button and a second image including a second button in a display area of a space. The detection device detects a movement of an operator that accesses the display area. The controller receives an input of the first button if the operator performs a specific second operation while accessing the first button following a first operation in which the operator accesses the first button of the first image displayed in the display area, displays the second image, and receives an input of the second button if the operator performs the second operation while accessing the second button after the operator accesses the second button without leaving the display area.