Touch Panel Area Segmentation for Viewfinder Operability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic apparatuses face difficulties in accurately and quickly performing operations on a touch panel outside a viewfinder due to the difference between the display device and operation-detection surface, leading to decreased operability and unintentional function activation.
Innovation Solution
An electronic apparatus with a detecting unit for touch operations on a display surface, a switch unit for toggling between display surfaces, and a control unit that sets and cancels specific states based on touch inputs within defined areas, allowing for intuitive operation even when the display device and operation-detection surface differ.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the user performs a touch operation on the touch panel outside the viewfinder to change set values or perform functions, then the user can operate the device while looking into the viewfinder, but it becomes difficult to accurately touch the intended position and unintentional touches may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The touch panel is divided into multiple distinct operation areas (first operation area, second operation area, third operation area) with different functions. When the viewfinder is active, the first operation area corresponds to the viewfinder display position and the second operation area corresponds to a different position, allowing the user to perform different operations by touching different areas without confusion about which position is being operated.
Solution Approach 2:
Different areas of the touch panel are assigned different operational characteristics and functions based on their spatial relationship with the viewfinder display. The first operation area is optimized for precise control when the user is looking into the viewfinder, while the second operation area provides alternative control options, creating local functional differences that improve overall operability.
2Productivity
If a specific state is set based on a touch operation, then the function can be activated, but it may be activated unintentionally when the user touches the wrong area
Solution Approach 1:
The touch panel is segmented into multiple operation areas with distinct functions. The first operation area handles specific function activation while the second operation area handles different functions or serves as a safety zone. This segmentation ensures that accidental touches in one area do not trigger unintended functions in another area, improving reliability while maintaining quick response when the correct area is touched.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit acts as an intermediary that intelligently determines which operation area was touched and which function should be activated based on the touch position and the current display state. This intermediary processing layer prevents unintentional activation by correctly interpreting the user's intent based on the spatial relationship between the touch position and the viewfinder display.
3Measurement precision
If the touch panel area for canceling a specific state is limited to a small first area, then precise control is achieved, but the user must touch a specific small area which may be difficult to hit accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The cancel operation is separated into distinct operation areas. The first operation area maintains precise control for deliberate cancel actions, while the third operation area provides an alternative cancel pathway that is easier to access. This segmentation allows the system to offer both precise and easy-to-hit cancel options depending on the user's needs and the current operational context.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring the user to touch a small specific area to cancel, the system provides an inverted approach where a larger or more accessible area (third operation area) can be used for cancel operations. This inverts the traditional small-target paradigm and makes the cancel operation easier to perform while maintaining system control through the control unit's ability to distinguish between different operation areas.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic apparatus includes a control unit configured to perform control, while a specific screen on which a specific function can be set is displayed on a first display unit on which a touch operation can be performed, and, if a specific state regarding the specific function is set, to cancel the specific state in response to a touch operation within the first area on the display surface of the first display unit. In addition, the control unit is configured to perform control, while the specific screen is displayed on a second display unit, and, if the specific state is set, to cancel the specific state in response to a touch operation at any position within a second area that is larger than the first area on the display surface.