Touch Panel Print Job Control for Always-Pressable Stop Input
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional touch panel-based printing apparatuses lack the ability to provide a physical button's characteristic of always being pressable, leading to usability issues and sensory discomfort, especially for critical functions like urgent stopping, as they rely solely on software buttons which cannot simulate the tactile feedback of physical buttons.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a control mechanism that prioritizes the pressing of specific software buttons over others, allowing only one input at a time and ensuring that critical functions can be interrupted or performed without impairing the functionality of hardware buttons, by determining priority areas on the touch panel for enhanced usability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If hardware buttons are eliminated and only software buttons on touch panel are used, then apparatus visual appearance becomes more sleek and cost is reduced, but buttons cannot always be pressed (especially when touch panel is stuck or during ongoing input operations)
Solution Approach 1:
The touch panel is segmented into multiple independent touchable areas, each corresponding to a software button. This allows simultaneous or independent activation of different buttons through multi-touch capability, resolving the contradiction by enabling multiple button presses without requiring physical separation of buttons.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts button responsiveness based on touch panel state. When the touch panel becomes stuck or during ongoing input operations, the control unit can selectively enable or disable specific button areas, allowing critical buttons to remain pressable while maintaining sleek visual appearance.
2Ease of operation
If control is implemented to accept only one input at a time on touch panel, then unnecessary input is discarded and user interface is improved, but critical buttons cannot be pressed during ongoing input operations
Solution Approach 1:
Different areas of the touch panel are assigned different input acceptance characteristics. Critical button areas are configured to accept inputs even during ongoing operations, while other areas maintain single-input restriction. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing critical functions to remain accessible without causing input errors in other areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit acts as an intermediary that receives touch inputs and determines whether to process them based on button priority and current operational state. It mediates between the desire for single-input accuracy and the need for critical function accessibility by selectively permitting inputs to high-priority buttons during ongoing operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multi-touch panel is used to enable multiple simultaneous inputs, then intuitive operations like screen zooming are improved, but unintended simultaneous button presses may occur
Solution Approach 1:
Different touch-sensitive areas are assigned different functional qualities. Gesture areas permit multi-touch for intuitive operations, while critical button areas are configured to accept only single inputs or prioritize specific buttons. This spatial differentiation allows multi-touch versatility without causing unintended button presses.
Solution Approach 2:
The system preliminarily configures button priority levels and input acceptance rules before user interaction. Critical buttons are pre-designated as always-pressable or high-priority, while other buttons follow standard single-input rules. This preliminary configuration prevents unintended simultaneous presses while maintaining gesture capability.
Data Source
AI summary
In a printing apparatus, control is performed such that, among buttons displayed by a display means, if while a first button for inputting a setting with respect to a job to be executed by the printing apparatus is in the touched state, a touch operation is furthermore performed on a second button for inputting another setting with respect to the job, the setting indicated by the second button is not performed, and if while the first button for inputting the setting with respect to the job to be executed by the printing apparatus is in the touched state, a touch operation is furthermore performed on a third button for interrupting a print job being executed by the printing apparatus, the print job that is being executed is interrupted based on the touch operation performed on the third button.