Operation Console Button Positioning for Image Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of image forming apparatuses face difficulties in selecting and operating the correct hardware button to transition to the menu screen image, especially when numerous buttons are present, leading to confusion and potential errors in operation.
Innovation Solution
An operation console with a display device and input device featuring a single operation button positioned closest to the display area, allowing users to easily select and operate specific functions, such as mode selection, by minimizing the number of buttons and enhancing visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple operation buttons are provided for different functions, then the functionality and versatility of the device is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to user confusion and difficulty in selecting the correct button
Solution Approach 1:
The operation panel is segmented into distinct functional zones: a touch-sensitive display area for mode selection and a separate hardware button area for function execution. This spatial segmentation allows multiple functions to coexist while reducing confusion by providing dedicated, clearly defined interaction areas for each function type.
Solution Approach 2:
The touch-sensitive display serves as an intermediary between the user and the hardware buttons. It first presents operational modes and then displays relevant function buttons, mediating the interaction so that users can easily identify and select the correct function without confusion among multiple hardware buttons.
2Ease of operation
If hardware buttons are placed close to the display area for easy access, then the ease of operation is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring which button was pressed increases when multiple buttons are present
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the operation panel have different qualities: the display area provides visual information with high clarity, while the hardware button area provides tactile feedback. Each button is positioned and designed to be locally distinct, making it easy to identify which button was pressed even when multiple buttons are present in close proximity.
Solution Approach 2:
The touch-sensitive display uses color changes and visual feedback to indicate which button should be pressed. This visual guidance system helps users easily identify the correct button among multiple hardware buttons, resolving the difficulty of button identification while maintaining close proximity for ease of access.
3Device complexity
If a touch-panel display is used for all operations, then the device complexity is reduced by eliminating separate operation units, but the reliability of operation deteriorates when users have difficulty accurately selecting buttons
Solution Approach 1:
The operation panel merges the touch-sensitive display and hardware buttons into a single integrated unit. This combination maintains structural simplicity while improving operation reliability by providing both visual (display) and tactile (buttons) feedback mechanisms, ensuring users can accurately select the correct function even when using the integrated design.
Data Source
AI summary
An operation console used in relation to an apparatus as an object of control operated by a user operation includes: a display device having a display area for displaying information to the user; an input device for the user to input a request; and a display control device displaying, if a request for displaying specific information on said display device is input through the input device, the specific information on the display device. The input device includes a plurality of operation buttons for inputting a plurality of requests, corresponding to respective requests, arranged in the vicinity of the display area. Among the plurality of operation buttons, an operation button corresponding to the request for displaying the specific information is provided closest to the display device.