Touch Panel Gesture Control for Multi-Device Data Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-functional office environments, existing image forming apparatuses and terminal devices require complex manipulations when exchanging data and executing operations across different devices connected through a network, leading to inefficient user interactions.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus and terminal device equipped with a touch panel, controller, and communication device that utilize 'pinch-in' and 'pinch-out' gestures to identify and execute programs, allowing for intuitive data exchange and operation execution between devices through a network, with a server facilitating the coordination of these gestures to determine and execute appropriate operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple devices are used for data exchange and operation execution, then functionality and versatility are improved, but manipulation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary that receives gesture information from multiple devices, determines appropriate operations, and transmits commands back to the devices. This mediator coordinates the interactions between devices, allowing users to perform operations across devices through simple gestures without needing to understand the complex communication protocols and device capabilities directly.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where the server receives gesture information from devices, determines the appropriate operation based on this information, and sends commands back to the devices for execution. This feedback mechanism enables the system to automatically adapt to user intentions and coordinate multi-device operations without increasing manipulation complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If different manipulations are performed on each device for data exchange, then device-specific functionality is utilized, but operation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The server is pre-configured with information about different devices and their capabilities. When gesture information is received, the server can quickly determine the appropriate operation by matching the gesture with pre-established device profiles and capability mappings, eliminating the need for time-consuming real-time analysis and reducing operation time.
Solution Approach 2:
The server provides a universal interface that handles multiple device types and operations through a single gesture recognition system. Instead of requiring users to learn device-specific manipulations, the universal server interface accepts standardized gesture inputs and automatically routes them to the appropriate devices, significantly reducing operation time while maintaining device-specific functionality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If repeated manipulations are performed on multiple devices, then complete processing is achieved, but ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control of multiple devices into a single gesture-based interface managed by the server. Instead of requiring users to manually operate each device separately, the server combines the processing logic and coordinates operations across devices through a unified interface, allowing users to initiate complete processing workflows with a single gesture while the server handles the coordination of multiple devices.
Data Source
AI summary
Continuously after two contacts are made on a touch panel, when a gesture of moving the two contacts in a direction that a spacing therebetween is decreased and then releasing the two contacts after being moved is detected, an image forming apparatus identifies a program presented by an icon displayed in an area defined by the two contacts at least either of before and after being moved, as a program subjected to the gesture, and stores information that identifies the program subjected to the gesture. The image forming apparatus reads the information that identifies the program subjected to the gesture in accordance with a command related to the program subjected to the gesture to execute an operation related to the program, and transmits information depending on the operation to another device indicated by the command.