3D User Interface Reconfiguration for Drag-Based Folder Creation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing user interfaces for virtual and augmented reality environments are cumbersome, inefficient, and require multiple inputs, leading to a significant cognitive burden and energy waste, particularly in battery-operated devices.
Innovation Solution
Implement improved user interfaces that organize user interface objects by type and allow for intuitive reconfiguration and folder creation through simplified input actions, such as dragging and pushing/pulling icons, with visual and audio feedback, to reduce the number and complexity of interactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional user interfaces are used in virtual/augmented reality environments, then users can access virtual objects, but the interaction process becomes cumbersome and requires multiple inputs
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-organizes user interface objects into collections grouped by object type (e.g., applications, settings, notifications) and displays them in a structured three-dimensional environment. This preliminary organization allows users to access desired objects more quickly without needing to navigate through multiple menus or perform sequential inputs, directly reducing interaction complexity while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional two-dimensional interface designs to a three-dimensional spatial arrangement of user interface objects. Objects are distributed across multiple levels and depths in a virtual environment, allowing users to access different types of objects through spatial navigation rather than sequential menu drilling. This dimensional change enables parallel access to multiple object types simultaneously, reducing the number of inputs required.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple inputs are required to achieve desired outcomes, then system functionality is maintained, but cognitive burden on users increases
Solution Approach 1:
The user interface is segmented into distinct collections, each containing objects of the same type (e.g., all applications in one collection, all notifications in another). This segmentation allows users to mentally categorize and access objects more efficiently, reducing cognitive load by presenting information in organized groups rather than a flat, unstructured list. Users can quickly identify and select desired objects without processing unnecessary information.
Solution Approach 2:
The three-dimensional spatial arrangement acts as an intermediary between the user's intent and the system's response. By organizing objects in a intuitive spatial layout with visual hierarchies and groupings, the system mediates the interaction process, making it more natural and reducing the cognitive steps required to achieve desired outcomes while maintaining full system functionality.
3Ease of operation
If conventional interaction methods are used, then users can manipulate virtual objects, but the process becomes tedious and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides continuous visual feedback through the three-dimensional display, showing users the spatial relationship between objects, their current selection state, and the results of their interactions. This feedback mechanism helps users understand the consequences of their actions in real-time, reducing errors by allowing immediate correction of mistaken inputs and increasing confidence in manipulation operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical interaction sequences with more intuitive spatial gestures and direct manipulation in a three-dimensional environment. Users can grab, move, and release virtual objects using natural hand movements captured by sensors, substituting complex button sequences or menu navigation with more intuitive physical gestures that are easier to execute accurately.
4Measurement precision
If multiple inputs are required for actions, then system precision is maintained, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
By pre-organizing objects into typed collections and displaying them in a three-dimensional layout, the system reduces the number of inputs needed to achieve precise selections. Users can directly access desired objects through single gestures rather than performing multiple sequential inputs, thereby reducing total interaction time and energy consumption while maintaining or improving selection precision through intuitive spatial targeting.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system detects an input directed to a first object in a first placement location in a first user interface, wherein the user input includes first movement and meets drag criteria. In response, the computer system moves the first object relative to the first placement location based on the first movement. If the first object is approaching a second object in a second placement location in the first user interface, the computer system moves the second object in a first direction away from the first object. If the first object is within a threshold distance of the second object after the second object is moved away from the first object, the computer system ceases to move the second object away from the first object and initiates a process for creating a folder that includes the first object and the second object.