Touchscreen Sensitivity Adjustment via Vibration Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current touchscreen displays in aircraft cockpits are not optimized for varying flight conditions, being too rigid on the ground and too sensitive in the air, making them difficult for pilots to use effectively.
Innovation Solution
A touchscreen display computing device that adjusts its sensitivity in real-time based on vibration data from onboard sensors, using calculated slew, pointer speed, and scrolling speed settings to provide a user-friendly interface across different flight conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the touchscreen display uses fixed high sensitivity settings, then the display is responsive and easy to use when the aircraft is on the ground, but the display becomes overly sensitive and difficult to control when the aircraft is in the air due to vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The touchscreen display dynamically adjusts its sensitivity settings based on real-time vibration data from onboard sensors. The system transitions from static sensitivity configuration to dynamic adaptation, modifying touch thresholds and response characteristics according to the aircraft's flight state (ground vs. air), thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability across different operating conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where vibration sensors continuously monitor aircraft motion and feed this data to the touchscreen controller. The controller processes vibration magnitude and frequency information, then adjusts touch sensitivity parameters accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the touchscreen to automatically compensate for vibration-induced false inputs while maintaining responsiveness during stable operations
Solution Approach 3:
The touchscreen display modifies operational parameters such as touch threshold, sensitivity level, and response time based on detected vibration characteristics. By changing these parameters dynamically according to flight conditions, the system maintains optimal usability on the ground while preventing excessive sensitivity and false inputs during airborne vibration, thus resolving the reliability-usability contradiction
2Reliability
If the touchscreen display uses fixed low sensitivity settings, then the display avoids false inputs during vibration when in the air, but the display becomes too rigid and difficult to use when on the ground
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic sensitivity adjustment rather than fixed low sensitivity settings. Based on real-time vibration analysis, the touchscreen automatically transitions between sensitivity levels, achieving high reliability during airborne vibration while maintaining ease of operation during ground-based stable conditions, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and usability
Solution Approach 2:
Vibration sensor feedback enables the system to distinguish between ground and air operations. The feedback mechanism allows the touchscreen to adopt low sensitivity thresholds during stable ground operations for ease of use, while automatically increasing robustness against false inputs during airborne vibration, thereby resolving the usability-reliability trade-off
Solution Approach 3:
The touchscreen controller adjusts sensitivity parameters dynamically based on vibration magnitude and flight state detection. This parameter adaptation enables the system to use lower sensitivity thresholds on the ground for ease of operation while automatically increasing effective thresholds during air operations to prevent false inputs, resolving the contradiction between usability and reliability
3Adaptability or versatility
If the touchscreen display adjusts sensitivity in real-time based on vibration data, then the display adapts to different flight conditions, but the system complexity increases due to additional sensors and processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The vibration sensors and processing system serve multiple functions: they monitor aircraft flight state, detect vibration characteristics, trigger sensitivity adjustments, and potentially support other cockpit systems. By making these components multi-functional, the patent reduces the need for dedicated separate systems, thereby mitigating the increase in device complexity while maintaining high adaptability to different flight conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The touchscreen system automatically adjusts its own sensitivity parameters based on vibration feedback without requiring manual pilot intervention or complex external control systems. This self-service capability reduces operational complexity and eliminates the need for additional manual override mechanisms, thereby achieving high adaptability while minimizing the practical increase in system complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
A system includes a touchscreen display computing device (104) including a touchscreen display and at least one processor (108). The touchscreen display may be communicatively coupled to the at least one processor (108). The touchscreen display computing device (104) may be installed in a vehicle. The at least one processor (108) may be configured to: receive vibration data from a vibration sensor (112) installed onboard the vehicle; calculate, in real time, at least one slew setting associated with an adjustable sensitivity of the touchscreen display based at least on the vibration data; adjust, in real time, the adjustable sensitivity of the touchscreen display based at least on the at least one slew setting; receive, from a user in real time, a touch input from the touchscreen display using the adjusted adjustable sensitivity; and output an instruction based at least on the touch input.