Vibrating Touch Panel Tactile Feedback for Position Navigation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face difficulties in efficiently finding specific reproduction positions within content items, such as movies, on electronic devices with touch panels, as existing technologies do not effectively utilize tactile feedback to aid in navigation.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device with a vibrating touch panel that varies its vibration based on the user's operation to indicate whether the changed reproduction position is a specified position, allowing users to recognize the position through tactile sensation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the user manually searches for specific reproduction positions in content items, then the user can find the desired position, but it takes a long time and is inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveefficiency of finding reproduction positionVSAvoidtime required to find reproduction position

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides tactile feedback through vibration when the reproduction position reaches a specified position. The vibration occurs when the current reproduction position matches a pre-set target position, giving the user immediate feedback without requiring manual searching or visual checking.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The touch panel generates mechanical vibration to notify the user that the reproduction position has reached a specified position. This vibration serves as a tactile signal to indicate the current position matches a target position, eliminating the need for manual searching.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #18Mechanical vibration

2Ease of operation

If visual and auditory cues are used alone to indicate reproduction position, then the user can perceive position information, but users with visual or hearing impairments cannot efficiently navigate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccessibility for all usersVSAvoidlimitation for visually or hearing impaired users

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system adds a tactile dimension to position indication by using vibration feedback. Instead of relying solely on visual or auditory cues, the touch panel provides haptic feedback that users can feel, creating a new sensory dimension for navigating content positions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If the touch panel vibrates continuously to indicate position changes, then the user can感知 position changes, but it creates unnecessary noise and distraction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclarity of position indicationVSAvoidnoise and distraction from vibration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The vibration occurs periodically or intermittently only when the reproduction position reaches a specified position, rather than continuously. This selective vibration reduces noise and distraction while maintaining clear indication of position changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables users to efficiently find specific scenes or positions by utilizing tactile feedback in addition to visual and auditory cues, improving navigation within content items.

Implementation Method 1

a piezoelectric element 21 which is attached to the touch panel 11

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPiezoelectric effect: Piezoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentUS9235266B2Electronic apparatus including vibrating section which vibrates depending on reproduction position

Publication Date: 2016.01.12 PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYST CO LTD

AI summary

An electronic device includes: a reproduction section for reproducing a content item; a touch panel for detecting a user operation for changing a reproduction position of the content item; and a vibrating section for vibrating the touch panel. The vibrating section varies the vibration of the touch panel depending on whether or not the reproduction position which has been changed through the user operation detected by the touch panel is a specified reproduction position.