Touchscreen Control Panel for Industrial Trucks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial trucks face space constraints, making it difficult to accommodate a large number of switching and adjustment options, leading to cumbersome operation and operator distraction due to the need for multiple steps to access functions.
Innovation Solution
Assigning multiple functions to buttons on a touchscreen, allowing selection through varying durations and movements, enabling a uniform actuation system where functions can be freely selected and combined, such as increasing speed with vertical movement and navigating menus with lateral movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple switching and adjustment options are provided on the control panel, then the functionality and versatility of the industrial truck are improved, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a touchscreen display where a single button can serve multiple functions through different actuation modes (single press, long press, double press). This multi-functional approach allows the control system to provide extensive functionality while maintaining a compact button layout, directly resolving the contradiction between versatility and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds temporal and motion dimensions to button interaction by implementing different press durations (short vs. long press) and movement patterns (vertical vs. lateral movements). This transforms a simple spatial button layout into a multi-dimensional control interface, enabling extensive functionality without increasing the physical number of buttons or panel complexity.
2Ease of operation
If multiple buttons are provided for different functions, then the ease of operation is improved, but the space required on the control panel increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each button on the touchscreen is designed to perform multiple functions through different actuation methods. For example, a single button can provide quick access to frequently used functions via short press, while longer presses or movement patterns activate additional functions. This eliminates the need for multiple separate buttons, maintaining fast operation speed while minimizing control panel area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces temporal (press duration) and spatial (movement direction/distance) dimensions to button interaction. This allows a limited number of physical buttons to control numerous functions by varying the actuation parameters, achieving both ease of operation and space efficiency simultaneously.
3Device complexity
If multiple operating steps are required to access functions, then the device complexity is reduced, but the loss of time and operator distraction increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides quick access to frequently used functions through predefined favorite buttons that can be configured for specific tasks. These buttons are set up in advance to execute common operations with a single actuation, eliminating the need for operators to navigate through multiple menu steps during operation, thus reducing time loss while maintaining control system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
By incorporating press duration and movement patterns as additional control dimensions, the system enables direct access to multiple levels of functionality without requiring sequential menu navigation. A single button press with varying duration or movement can directly activate different functions, significantly reducing access time while keeping the control system architecture relatively simple.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
In a forklift truck with a control computer for controlling driving and working functions and with at least one display and operating device which has a screen (1) which is a touchscreen (3) and buttons (2) on the screen (1) for displaying information on the driving and working functions by the control computer, the buttons (2) are assigned multiple functions and a selection of the function can be made by actuation with different durations and/or different directions of movement and/or repeated actuations.