Industrial Vehicle Touchscreen Widget Layout for Gloved Use

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Solution Overview

Problem

Industrial vehicle operators face difficulties in navigating through large amounts of information on user interfaces, especially in cold environments where they must wear gloves, leading to increased time spent searching and accessing necessary information.

Innovation Solution

The system automatically moves activated widgets to designated spaces on the screen upon icon activation, allowing operators to access menu portions directly and providing visual confirmations of completed vehicle functions, while also allowing widgets to be moved away and returned automatically based on vehicle operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If operators manually search through multiple screens and menus to locate needed information, then comprehensive information is available, but the time required to access information increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation accessibilityVSAvoidtime to locate information
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically moves the activated widget to a designated widget space on the screen in advance, so that when the operator activates an icon, the corresponding information is already positioned for immediate viewing, eliminating the need to manually search through multiple screens

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The widget serves as an intermediary element that bridges the icon activation and the information display, automatically transitioning to the designated screen position to facilitate quick access without direct operator intervention in the navigation process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If operators wear gloves in cold environments, then safety and warmth are maintained, but the ability to navigate through menus and screens deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperator safety in cold environmentsVSAvoidmenu navigation capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs the widget positioning automatically without requiring manual manipulation by the operator, allowing operators to wear gloves for safety while the system self-adjusts the interface elements to maintain ease of operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Loss of information

If multiple widgets are displayed on screen simultaneously, then comprehensive information is provided, but screen clutter and operator confusion increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoidinterface organization
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides different display qualities to different widgets based on their activation state, with activated widgets automatically moved to prominent designated spaces while non-activated widgets remain in their original positions, creating a clear visual hierarchy that reduces clutter while maintaining information completeness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4180928B1User interface device for industrial vehicle
Publication Date: 2025.01.01 CROWN EQUIP CORP
  • EP4180928B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4180928B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4180928B1 patent drawingFigure 2A

AI summary

A processing device comprising a graphical user interface in an industrial vehicle is provided. The processing device comprises a touch screen display that receives touch gesture commands from a vehicle operator, memory storing executable instructions, and a processor in communication with the memory. The processor when executing the executable instructions: defines a plurality of widgets, wherein each widget comprises a visual representation of a current state of an associated function of the vehicle, displays a subset of the plurality of widgets on a portion of the touch screen display defining a plurality of widget spaces, and displays an icon tray on the touch screen display comprising one or more icons, in which at least one of the one or more icons corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of widgets.