Touch Panel Middle Area for Combined Key Input
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional game apparatuses with touch panels struggle to accurately determine whether a continuous operation between adjacent keys is intended, leading to erroneous input states and inability to perform combined key operations, as boundary areas between keys are unclear during gameplay.
Innovation Solution
A game apparatus with a display portion and touch panel that includes operation state detecting, coordinate position detecting, and pointing state determining means to differentiate between individual key operations and combined operations by identifying coordinate positions within specific effective areas and a middle area between keys, allowing for precise game image changes based on user input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If boundary areas are set between adjacent keys to prevent erroneous input, then input accuracy is improved, but continuous combined operations between keys cannot be performed
Solution Approach 1:
The touch panel input area is segmented into three distinct zones: first key area, middle area, and second key area. This segmentation allows the system to differentiate between intentional combined operations (passing through middle area) and erroneous inputs (staying in boundary regions), thereby maintaining input accuracy while enabling combined operations.
Solution Approach 2:
A middle area is introduced as an intermediary zone between the first and second keys. This middle area serves as a mediator that enables continuous operations between keys without causing input errors, as the system can detect when a user's finger or pen passes through this intermediate region during a combined operation.
2Reliability
If no key is assigned to the boundary area between keys, then erroneous input is reduced, but no-input state occurs during continuous operations
Solution Approach 1:
The middle area functions as an intermediary zone that resolves the conflict between input reliability and operation continuity. By assigning this intermediate region a specific function (detecting combined operations), the system maintains reliable input detection while ensuring continuous operation capability without no-input states.
Solution Approach 2:
The middle area serves multiple functions: it acts as a buffer zone to prevent erroneous inputs, a detection zone for combined operations, and a transition zone for continuous operations. This multi-functionality allows the system to simultaneously achieve high input reliability and operational productivity.
3Measurement precision
If boundary areas are set with predetermined width between keys, then erroneous input is lessened, but it is impossible to determine which operation is erroneous during gameplay
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides feedback by providing visual display of the middle area and providing feedback information about the detected operation state. This feedback mechanism allows players to understand which area is being detected and what operation is being registered, preventing loss of operation context information while maintaining accurate input detection.
Data Source
AI summary
The game apparatus includes a first LCD and a second LCD, and a touch panel is provided in association with the second LCD. On the two LCDs, different game screens are displayed. Also on the second LCD, two keys are displayed at a certain interval. When one key is touch-input, the key is set to an effective state to change the game screens of the two LCDs on the basis of the key, and when the other key is touch-input, the game screens of the two LCDs are changed on the basis of the key. When a player performs a touch-input on any one of the keys, and then performs a drag operation so as to point a middle area between the two keys, the game screens of the two LCDs are changed on the basis of the key that is set to the effective state.