Touch Panel Display for Image Formers with Unified Setting Summary
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses with numerous functions face challenges in allowing users to easily confirm and set multiple settings, leading to potential miscopies due to complex operation panels that cannot display detailed contents of multiple functions simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
An information input device with a display unit that shows detailed setting items for multiple function keys at once, prioritizing frequently used settings, and using a pull-down dialog for additional items, allowing users to easily confirm and change settings through a user-friendly interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If multiple function setting items are displayed separately on the operation panel, then each function can be displayed in detail, but the user cannot confirm the overall status of all settings at one time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate function setting displays into a single comprehensive summary screen that shows all setting items simultaneously. This allows users to confirm the overall status of all settings at once without navigating through multiple separate displays, directly resolving the contradiction between information completeness and display organization.
2Ease of operation
If detailed contents of each function are displayed on separate screens, then each setting can be viewed clearly, but the user must input each setting individually leading to complicated operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by displaying all setting items in advance on a single summary screen with their current statuses visible. Users can review all settings before execution and make changes efficiently without navigating through multiple screens, significantly reducing the time and complexity of the setting input process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the operation panel displays many function keys and settings, then more functions are available, but the layout becomes complicated and difficult to use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the display into two distinct parts: a function key area for selecting functions and a summary screen area for displaying all setting items. This segmentation allows the interface to maintain simplicity and ease of operation while supporting multiple functions, as users can easily distinguish between function selection and setting confirmation tasks.
Data Source
AI summary
An information input device includes a display device that displays an information input screen image and a touch-panel that is arranged on the display device and specifies a designated position on the information input screen image. On a function setting area, a plurality of function setting keys are displayed and, if a flick operation to the right made by the input device on the function setting area is detected, detailed setting items corresponding to each of the function setting keys are displayed on a detailed settings area. Consequently, contents of detailed settings can be displayed at one time in correspondence with each of the function setting keys. Therefore, it becomes possible for the user to easily confirm whether or not function setting is appropriate, and to smoothly select a function.