Rearrangement of operation icons for operation terminal and home appliance control system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional operation terminals for home appliances, such as remote controls and smartphones, face difficulty in visually recognizing useful functions due to complex hierarchical menus, making it hard for users to identify controllable features.
Innovation Solution
An operation terminal with a display unit that arranges operation icons based on selection count and predefined settings, allowing easy recognition of useful functions through a hierarchical structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If hierarchical menu structure is used to organize control functions, then device complexity is reduced and functions are systematically organized, but ease of operation deteriorates as users find it difficult to visually recognize useful functions
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates and stores selection count information for each operation icon before the user needs to use them. This preliminary action of collecting usage data allows the interface to be optimized in advance, arranging frequently used icons in more visible positions without requiring users to navigate through complex menus to discover them.
Solution Approach 2:
The display arrangement of operation icons is made dynamic rather than static. Icons are automatically rearranged based on their selection count, with frequently used icons positioned more prominently. This dynamic adaptation allows the interface to evolve according to actual usage patterns, improving ease of operation while maintaining systematic organization.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of control functions is increased to provide more features, then adaptability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates as users struggle to identify controllable features
Solution Approach 1:
Different operation icons are given different display priorities based on their local quality characteristics - specifically their selection count. Frequently used functions receive prominent positioning and visual emphasis, while less used functions are arranged in a systematic but less prominent manner. This local differentiation allows diverse functions to be presented in an easily navigable format.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback loops where user selections are continuously tracked and stored. This feedback information is then used to automatically adjust the display arrangement of icons, creating a self-optimizing interface that adapts to user behavior patterns. The feedback mechanism enables the system to manage increasing numbers of functions without compromising ease of operation.
3Ease of manufacture
If operation icons are arranged in fixed positions, then device complexity is reduced and manufacturing is simpler, but adaptability deteriorates as the interface cannot adjust to user preferences
Solution Approach 1:
Default icon arrangements are pre-configured based on anticipated usage patterns or categorical organization. This preliminary arrangement provides a simple, manufacturable starting point while establishing the framework for future adaptation. The system begins with a structured layout that is easy to implement but is designed to evolve based on collected usage data.
Solution Approach 2:
The icon arrangement transitions from a static, fixed position system to a dynamic system that automatically adjusts based on selection count data. This dynamic capability allows the interface to adapt to user preferences and behavior patterns while maintaining a systematic organizational structure. The system balances manufacturing simplicity with adaptability by using data-driven automatic rearrangement rather than complex manual configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
An operation terminal includes a display unit, a storage unit, and a control unit. The display unit displays, for functions included in a home appliance, operation icons individually corresponding to the functions in association with control instruction information that instructs execution of the functions. The storage unit stores information on a relationship of how large or small a selection count is, which is information on a relationship of how large or small the number of selections of each of the operation icons is. The control unit determines display positions of the operation icons in the display unit on the basis of the information on the relationship of how large or small the selection count is, and causes the display unit to display the operation icons.