Touchscreen Media Player Power Control via Region Mapping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing media players consume unnecessary electrical power when users attempt to control media functions while the touchscreen is in an inactive display state, as they often require waking the screen to register touch inputs, leading to increased power consumption.

Innovation Solution

A media player with a touchscreen that remains in a power-saving inactive display state unless a specific touch input pattern, such as a double-tap or simultaneous touches, is detected, allowing media control functions to be performed without activating the screen, using a controller to process touch input data without entering an active display state.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If the touchscreen remains in inactive display state to save power, then power consumption is reduced, but the ability to receive and process touch inputs for media control is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidtouch input responsiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The touchscreen is divided into multiple distinct input regions, each assigned to specific media control functions. Even in inactive state, the touchscreen maintains differentiated sensitivity and functionality across different regions, allowing users to access specific media controls without activating the full display.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The media control functions are pre-configured and associated with specific touchscreen regions before the device enters inactive state. When a touch input is detected in an active region, the corresponding pre-assigned media control function is executed immediately without requiring display activation, thus preserving both power savings and operational capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If the touchscreen enters active display state to process touch inputs, then media control functions can be performed, but electrical power usage increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemedia control functionalityVSAvoidelectrical power usage
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Different regions of the touchscreen are assigned different media control functions (e.g., play/pause, skip, volume). The controller can determine which region was touched and execute the corresponding function without activating the display, maintaining operational capability while avoiding unnecessary power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Media control functions are pre-mapped to specific touchscreen regions. When the device is in inactive state, the controller can still process touch inputs in these predefined regions and execute the associated media controls directly, eliminating the need to wake the display for routine media adjustments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If the touchscreen is divided into multiple input regions for different media control functions, then operational precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetouch input location accuracyVSAvoidcontroller processing requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The touchscreen surface is divided into distinct regions, each corresponding to a specific media control function. The controller uses simple region-based detection logic to determine which area was touched and executes the appropriate function, achieving precise control without requiring complex processing algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3388936B1Media player and a method of operating a media player
Publication Date: 2020.02.12 VESTEL ELEKTRONIK SANAYI & TICARET ANONIM SIRKETI
  • EP3388936B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3388936B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3388936B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

A media player (1) for playing media has a controller (4) and a touchscreen (2). The controller (4) is configured to control the media player (1) in accordance with touch input data received from the touchscreen (2). In the case that the touchscreen (2) is in an inactive display state and touch input data received from the touchscreen (2) indicates that the touch input concerns a media control function, the controller (4) operates to control the media player (1) in accordance with the touch input data received from the touchscreen (2) without causing the touchscreen (2) to enter an active display state.