Turbulence-Resistant Touch System with Dynamic GUI Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

In aircraft cockpits, touch screen systems become difficult to use during turbulent conditions such as takeoff and landing, leading to potential errors in interacting with graphical user interfaces due to motion-induced inaccuracies.

Innovation Solution

A display system that tracks the user's hand or finger position relative to the screen using sensors or motion tracking, adjusting the graphical user interface to maintain a fixed spatial relationship, ensuring accurate interaction with interactive elements during turbulent motions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If a touch screen system is used in aircraft cockpits, then space is reduced and integration is improved, but usability and accuracy deteriorate during turbulent conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecockpit spaceVSAvoidtouch screen usability
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical assumption of static screen-user relationship with a dynamic tracking system using sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, cameras) to detect and compensate for turbulent motions, substituting passive mechanical stability with active electronic correction

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors user hand/finger position through sensors and provides real-time feedback by adjusting the graphical user interface position to maintain the intended spatial relationship, creating a closed-loop control system that corrects for turbulence

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Device complexity

If the graphical user interface remains stationary on the screen, then system complexity is reduced, but interaction accuracy deteriorates during turbulent motion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidtouch interaction accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the static graphical user interface into a dynamic element that can move and adjust its position on the screen in real-time based on detected turbulent motion, allowing the interface to adapt to changing conditions while maintaining interaction accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary tracking of user hand position before turbulence occurs and prepares compensation adjustments in advance, so when turbulent motion is detected, the graphical user interface can be repositioned proactively to maintain the intended spatial relationship

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If motion tracking sensors are added to track hand position, then interaction accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehand position tracking accuracyVSAvoidsensor system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates multiple functions into the sensor system - accelerometers and gyroscopes serve both for detecting turbulent motion and for tracking user hand position, while cameras provide both turbulence detection and hand position tracking, reducing overall system complexity through multi-functionality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines turbulence detection and hand position tracking into a unified sensor system where the same sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, cameras) serve dual purposes, merging previously separate functions into a single integrated system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3214535B1Turbulence resistant touch system
Publication Date: 2020.06.03 THE BOEING CO
  • EP3214535B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3214535B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3214535B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Aspects herein describe a display system that moves at least a portion of a displayed GUI in response to turbulent motions in a vehicle. In one aspect, the GUI is displayed on a screen that includes an integrated touch sensing region that permits a user to interact with one or more elements in the GUI. However, turbulent motion may cause the user to miss the interactive element or inadvertently touch the wrong element in the GUI. To aid the user to touch the desired portion of the GUI, in one aspect, the display system tracks the movement of a hand or finger of the user to determine its position relative to a screen displaying the GUI and maintains the spatial relationship of the hand or the finger to the GUI during turbulent motions.