Method for operating a household appliance with a touch-sensitive operating display and touch-sensitive operating display
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touch-sensitive operating displays on household appliances, such as stoves and washing machines, are often too small, leading to operating errors due to the large size of human fingers, which can result in inaccurate settings.
Innovation Solution
The method involves displaying at least part of the scale on the touch-sensitive operating display, recognizing a touch point to select the closest scale value, and enlarging the active area around the setting value, with the enlargement factor adaptable to finger size and pressure, allowing for intuitive and precise adjustments, including the use of neighboring scale values for fine tuning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the touch-sensitive control display is made small to save space, then the device compactness is improved, but the operating accuracy deteriorates due to accidental activation from large finger size
Solution Approach 1:
The control display is segmented into multiple interaction zones: a first interaction zone for initial touch and a second interaction zone for confirmation. This segmentation allows the same physical space to serve multiple functions, improving accuracy without increasing overall display area.
Solution Approach 2:
The display dynamically changes its presentation based on interaction state. When a value is selected, it transitions from a static list to an animated expansion sequence where the selected value enlarges and moves to a confirmation zone, providing visual feedback that reduces misoperation.
2Loss of information
If the scale values are displayed in detail to improve readability, then the information clarity is improved, but the display space required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display utilizes temporal dimension through animation sequences. Scale values are presented in a sequential expansion animation where values appear one after another, allowing detailed information to be conveyed over time rather than requiring simultaneous spatial display of all elements.
Solution Approach 2:
Only the relevant portion of the scale is displayed in detail at any given moment. The expansion animation focuses attention on the currently presented value, while other values remain less prominent, optimizing the use of limited display space for maximum information clarity.
3Ease of operation
If the touch response area is made large to ease operation, then the ease of operation is improved, but the selection precision deteriorates due to difficulty in targeting specific values
Solution Approach 1:
A virtual selection indicator acts as an intermediary between the user's touch and the final value selection. The indicator follows the touch movement and provides visual feedback about which value will be selected, allowing users to operate with larger finger movements while maintaining precise selection through visual guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides immediate visual feedback when a value is selected, showing expansion animation and transition to the confirmation zone. This feedback loop allows users to verify their selection intent before confirmation, reducing errors from imprecise touching while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4a~4c
AI summary
The present invention relates to a touch-sensitive operator display (1), to a method (V) for improving an operability of a scale of such an operator display (1) and to an associated computer program product (8). According to the method (V), at least part of the scale is displayed on a display area (6, 10) of the touch-sensitive operator display (1) (S1). A touching point where a user touches the display area (6, 10) is detected (S2). The scale value that lies closest to the touching point among the scale values is selected as a setting value (12) (S3), wherein a region of the scale in which the setting value lies is chosen as an active region and at least one further region of the scale that lies outside the active region is chosen as a passive region. Subsequently, at least part of the active region is displayed as enlarged in comparison with the passive region on the display area (6, 10) (S4), wherein at least the setting value (12) is displayed.