Watch Pointer Fast-Forward Control with Non-Visual Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic watches require users to continuously observe them to confirm the end of fast-forward movement of pointers, which is inconvenient and may lead to missed notifications, especially in thin watch designs where movement speed is limited, potentially causing misoperations and increased power consumption.
Innovation Solution
An electronic watch with a processor that controls pointers to rotate faster than normal timekeeping and move to specified positions, accompanied by a notifier that performs non-visual notification operations, such as sound or vibration, when the pointers reach these positions, and disables user input after a set time to prevent misoperations and conserve power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pointer rotates faster to reduce adjustment time, then productivity is improved, but the user may not notice the end of movement and misoperations may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a notification system that provides feedback to the user when the pointer reaches its target position during fast-forward movement. The notifier (visual, auditory, or haptic) signals the completion of pointer movement, ensuring the user is aware even when the pointer moves too fast to observe visually. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining high adjustment speed while ensuring user awareness through alternative notification channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary notification mechanism that mediates between the fast-moving pointer and the user's perception. Instead of relying directly on visual observation of the pointer's movement, the system uses a separate notification channel (sound, vibration, or light) to convey the completion status to the user, allowing the pointer to move quickly without compromising user awareness.
2Reliability
If the pointer moves slowly to ensure user observation, then reliability is improved, but the time required for pointer adjustment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system provides immediate feedback to the user when the pointer reaches its target position, eliminating the need for the user to continuously observe the pointer's movement. This allows the pointer to move at optimal speed (balancing quick adjustment with user awareness) while the notification ensures the user knows when adjustment is complete, reducing the time loss associated with slow movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/visual observation system with an electronic notification system. Instead of relying on the user's visual tracking of the pointer's physical movement, the system uses electronic notifications (display messages, sound, or vibration) to convey completion information, allowing faster pointer movement without increasing user observation time.
3Reliability
If continuous visual observation is required to confirm pointer movement completion, then user awareness is ensured, but power consumption increases due to continuous display operation
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous visual display operation, the system uses periodic or event-triggered notifications to inform the user of pointer movement completion. The display or other notifiers are activated only when needed (at the start and end of fast-forward movement), rather than operating continuously, significantly reducing power consumption while maintaining user awareness through targeted notifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes continuous visual monitoring with intermittent electronic notifications. Rather than requiring the display to remain continuously active for visual observation, the system uses brief, targeted notifications (visual, auditory, or haptic) to convey essential information, replacing the energy-intensive continuous display operation with low-power event-driven communication.
4Shape
If the pointer moves quickly in thin watch designs, then device compactness is improved, but the notification of movement completion becomes less reliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a multi-functional notification system that can operate through multiple channels (visual display, auditory speaker, haptic vibration motor). This universal notification approach ensures reliable completion signaling regardless of the thin watch's size constraints, as the system can switch between or combine different notification methods to effectively communicate with the user even in a compact form factor.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification system acts as an intermediary that bridges the gap between the fast-moving pointer in the thin watch and the user's perception. By introducing this separate communication channel, the system ensures reliable notification of movement completion without being constrained by the watch's thin profile, as the notification can be delivered through multiple modalities that don't depend on the physical size of the watch face.
Data Source
AI summary
A watch includes a pointer that rotates and indicates a time, a notifier that performs a notification operation to a user in a mode other than a visual mode, and a processor that controls the rotation of the pointer and the notification operation of the notifier. The processor is configured to control the pointer to cause the pointer to rotate faster than a rotation corresponding to a passage of time and move to a specified position and, when the pointer arrives at a notification position while the pointer is moving fast, control the notifier to cause the notifier to perform the notification operation.