Application Menu Interface Dimensionality Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic device user interfaces are often unwieldy, poorly organized, slow to respond, and obscure a significant portion of visual content when overlaying menus, making them inefficient for application switching and icon management.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an intuitive user interface that automatically groups application icons based on metadata, allows seamless switching between applications by representing their states, and transitions from a two-dimensional to a one-dimensional array of user interface objects to minimize visual content obstruction, anticipating user intentions through animations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If application icons are displayed in a two-dimensional array format, then the user interface provides comprehensive application selection, but it obscures a large portion of the visual content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional array of application icons to a one-dimensional horizontal scrollable list. This dimensional reduction allows the interface to occupy less vertical space, thereby obscuring less visual content while still providing comprehensive application selection through horizontal scrolling capability.
2Ease of operation
If the user interface overlays comprehensive application menus, then it provides complete application access, but it obscures a significant portion of the visual content
Solution Approach 1:
The interface redesign reduces the overlay area by transitioning from a 2D grid to a 1D horizontal list, minimizing the portion of visual content obscured while maintaining complete application access through the scrollable interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface employs dynamic horizontal scrolling to provide complete application access. The scrollable nature allows the menu to adapt to different screen sizes and content quantities, maintaining accessibility while minimizing static obstruction of visual content.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional application menus are used, then all applications are accessible, but the interface is unwieldy and poorly organized
Solution Approach 1:
The application menu is segmented into individual items in a linear sequence rather than displayed as a dense 2D grid. This segmentation creates a more organized, manageable interface where each application is clearly separated and easily navigable, while maintaining access to all applications through the scrollable list.
4Adaptability or versatility
If comprehensive application interfaces are provided, then application switching is complete, but the response is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The interface structure is pre-organized in a lightweight one-dimensional format that requires less processing power to render and navigate compared to complex two-dimensional arrays. This preliminary structuring enables faster response times while maintaining complete application switching capability.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is directed to an electronic device. The electronic device generates for presentation on a display a user interface including a plurality of groups of icons. A plurality of the icons have been grouped based at least in part on metadata of applications associated with the icons. The electronic device receives input selecting a respective icon. In response to receiving the input selecting a respective icon, the electronic device invokes an instance of an application associated with the respective icon.