Touchscreen Machine Control for Safe Quasi-Analog Axis Movement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing manually controlled systems for influencing movements of electronically controlled machines lack intuitive operation, robustness, compactness, and cost-effectiveness, while also posing safety concerns due to inadequate ergonomics and sensitivity.

Innovation Solution

A touch-sensitive position detection sensor, such as a touchpad or touch screen, is used to provide quasi-analog control of machine drives, enabling proportional control of speed, acceleration, and position, with a robust and compact design that minimizes the risk of incorrect operations and damage from harsh environments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a touch-sensitive surface is used for manual control, then the device becomes insensitive to dirt particles and liquids, but the operating ergonomics and operating safety deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinsensitivity to dirt particles and liquidsVSAvoidoperating ergonomics

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The touch-sensitive surface is divided into multiple independently evaluable sections or zones. Each section can be evaluated separately for touch activation, allowing the system to determine whether a touch is intentional based on the spatial distribution and pattern of touched zones, thereby improving ergonomics and safety while maintaining dirt insensitivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides visual feedback by displaying the current touch state on the screen, allowing operators to see what has been activated. This feedback mechanism helps operators understand the system's response to their inputs, improving ergonomics and reducing errors while maintaining the robustness of the touch-sensitive surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a touch-sensitive surface is used for manual control, then the device becomes insensitive to dirt particles and liquids, but the operating safety deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinsensitivity to dirt particles and liquidsVSAvoidoperating safety

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements preliminary evaluation of touch patterns to distinguish between intentional and unintentional activations before executing control commands. By evaluating the spatial and temporal characteristics of touches in advance, the system prevents unsafe operations caused by accidental contacts while maintaining the robustness of the touch-sensitive surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

3Ease of operation

If analog control input means like a joystick is used, then proportional control is enabled, but the cost factor increases due to reliability requirements and mechanical robustness demands

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproportional control capabilityVSAvoidcost factor

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical analog control devices (joysticks) with an electronic touch-sensitive surface that provides equivalent proportional control capabilities. The touch surface detects finger position and movement to generate analog control signals, eliminating mechanical components while maintaining proportional control functionality, thereby reducing cost and improving reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Ease of operation

If analog control input means like a joystick is used, then proportional control is enabled, but the device complexity and space requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproportional control capabilityVSAvoidspace requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP2709803B2Method for influencing movements of a machine or facility in a manually controlled manner and corresponding machine control system

Publication Date: 2022.07.06 KEBA IND AUTOMATION GMBH

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AI summary

The invention relates to a method for influencing movements of an electronically controlled machine (2) or system (1) in a manually controlled manner. During the manual operation, a proportionally or quasi-analogously controlling input means (9, 9') is used, said input means (9) being embodied as a touch-sensitive position detection sensor (10), especially in the form of a touch pad (11) or a touch screen (12, 12'), with an at least one-dimensional resolution. The touch-sensitive position detection sensor (10) is used for the continuous detection of a sweeping actuating movement or of at least one individual actuating position within an electronically evaluatable actuating surface (13) of the touch-sensitive position detection sensor (10). The use of the touch-sensitive position detection sensor (10) enables a time sequence of set values or position values to be determined in relation to the actuating surface (13) thereof, and converted into a corresponding time sequence of nominal values for the drive control (16). The invention also relates to a corresponding machine control system.