Screen Cleaning Mode for Work Machine Touch Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing user interfaces in work machines, such as earth-moving and marine machines, face issues with dirt and debris rendering touch screens unusable, and cleaning these interfaces can inadvertently activate machine components during operation, posing a risk to ongoing work.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that activates a screen cleaning mode by switching the control panel to an inactive state, masking control icons, and displaying a clean-up panel with a timer and deactivation icon, allowing safe cleaning without disrupting machine operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the user interface is cleaned during machine operation, then the screen visibility is improved, but unintentional activation of machine components may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system activates a cleaning mode before the actual cleaning process begins. This preliminary action disables the control panel and masks control icons in advance, preventing any unintentional activation during the subsequent cleaning operation. The cleaning mode is initiated through a specific user input that prepares the system for safe cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
A cleaning mode intermediary state is introduced between the normal operational state and the cleaning action. This intermediary state acts as a mediator by disabling the control panel and displaying a clean-up panel with instructional icons, thereby preventing direct interaction with machine components during cleaning while still allowing the operator to initiate and control the cleaning process.
2Reliability
If the control panel is disabled during cleaning, then unintentional activation is prevented, but the cleaning process time is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The control panel disabling is implemented as a temporary periodic action rather than a permanent state. The system automatically re-enables the control panel after a predetermined time period or when specific conditions are met, allowing the cleaning process to complete without manual intervention while limiting the duration of the disabled state to minimize operational disruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning mode operates autonomously once initiated. The system automatically manages the control panel disabling, displays appropriate instructional icons, and re-enables the control panel after the predetermined time period without requiring continuous user input. This self-service approach reduces the time loss by eliminating the need for operator monitoring and manual re-enabling.
3Measurement precision
If control icons are masked, then input accuracy is improved, but information accessibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The masking is applied selectively rather than universally. The control icons are masked only in the areas where cleaning is occurring or where accidental input might happen, while other portions of the interface remain visible and accessible. This local quality approach maintains input accuracy in critical areas without completely obscuring information that the operator may still need to reference.
Solution Approach 2:
A clean-up panel intermediary is displayed that provides alternative information access. When control icons are masked for cleaning accuracy, the clean-up panel displays instructional icons and messages that guide the operator through the cleaning process and indicate how to reactivate controls, maintaining information accessibility through this intermediary interface layer.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system (100) for activating a screen cleaning mode for a user interface (102) associated with a work machine (104) includes a display screen (106) associated with the user interface (102), the display screen (106) being configured to display a control panel (116) including a plurality of control icons (118) for controlling one or more operations of the work machine (104). The system (100) also includes a controller (108) communicably coupled to the display screen (106). The controller (108) is configured to receive a user input (I1) for activating the screen cleaning mode. The controller (108) is also configured to switch the control panel (116) to an inactive state. The control panel (116) is switched to the inactive state based on a masking of the plurality of control icons (118). The controller (108) is further configured to display a clean-up panel (136) on the display screen (106). The clean-up panel (136) includes a screen clean timer (138) and a deactivation icon (140) for deactivating the screen cleaning mode.