Transparent Touch Display for Vending Machine Interaction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current vending machines provide a one-way purchasing experience, where users cannot interact with physical commodities through a touch interface, leading to a disconnect between the displayed samples and the actual products.
Innovation Solution
A vending machine equipped with a transparent touch display that allows users to select physical commodities by touching corresponding positions, enabling bi-directional interaction and displaying commodity information, utilizing a control module and database to manage touch inputs and display information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a traditional opaque display is used in the vending machine, then the user can see commodity information clearly, but the user cannot see the physical commodities behind the display
Solution Approach 1:
The display panel changes its optical properties from opaque to transparent based on user interaction state. When no touch is detected, the display remains opaque to show clear commodity information. When touched, it becomes transparent to reveal the physical commodity behind, allowing users to verify the actual product before purchase.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a touch panel is added to the vending machine, then multimedia information can be displayed, but the user still cannot interact with the physical commodity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the display function and the window function into a single transparent touch display panel. This merged component serves dual purposes: displaying commodity information when opaque and revealing physical commodities when transparent, thereby providing interaction capability without significantly increasing system complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the display is made fully transparent to show physical commodities, then user interaction is improved, but commodity information display becomes unclear
Solution Approach 1:
The display panel dynamically changes its transparency state based on user interaction. It switches from opaque to transparent when touched, and returns to opaque after a set period or when touch is released. This dynamic adjustment ensures that commodity information is always clear when needed, while physical commodities are visible when users want to verify them.
Data Source
AI summary
A vending machine, and an operating system and an operating method thereof are provided. The vending machine includes a cabinet and a transparent touch display. The cabinet accommodates a plurality of physical commodities for vending. The transparent touch display is configured in the cabinet and located in front of the physical commodities. The transparent touch display has a transparent area for revealing the physical commodities. A user selects the physical commodities by touching a position corresponding to each of the physical commodities at the transparent area. The transparent touch display is adapted for displaying corresponding commodity information according to touch information applied by the user on the transparent touch display.