Autoscroll Trigger Line for Touchscreen Content Selection

Solution Overview

Problem

Touch-enabled user interfaces for selecting content, such as ranges of dates, can be confusing and non-intuitive due to the inability to display all content concurrently, making it difficult for users to select and manipulate the desired data effectively.

Innovation Solution

Implementing autoscroll regions within a user interface, where a scrollable region is divided into selectable and non-selectable areas, with a trigger line mechanism to facilitate scrolling and content selection by detecting user input and establishing a trigger line at the edge of the scrollable region or adjacent to a non-selectable region, allowing users to select content that exceeds the viewable area.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the entire content (e.g., range of dates) is displayed on-screen concurrently, then users can easily see and select all content, but the screen area is insufficient to display all content when the content exceeds the visible region

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent selection easeVSAvoidscreen display area

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the scrollable region into selectable regions and non-selectable regions (such as headers). The selectable regions contain content that can be selected (e.g., dates), while non-selectable regions contain content that cannot be selected. This segmentation allows the interface to handle content that exceeds the screen area by providing clear visual boundaries and interaction zones, enabling users to easily identify and select content even when not all content is visible simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a trigger line as an intermediary element to detect user input and determine when to scroll the UI. The trigger line is established at the edge of the scrollable region or near an edge of a selectable region adjacent to a non-selectable region. When user input intersects the trigger line, the system automatically scrolls to the next selectable region, facilitating content selection without requiring users to manually scroll through the entire content set.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Extent of automation

If a trigger line mechanism is implemented to detect user input and automatically scroll, then scrolling becomes more intuitive and automated, but the device complexity increases due to additional detection and control logic

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescrolling automationVSAvoidUI control logic complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The trigger line mechanism enables the UI to automatically detect when a user intends to scroll by monitoring input intersection with the trigger line. The system self-adjusts by automatically scrolling to the next selectable region when the trigger condition is met, reducing the need for complex manual control logic while maintaining intuitive user interaction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If the scrollable region is divided into selectable and non-selectable regions, then content selection becomes more precise and intuitive, but the UI structure complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent selection precisionVSAvoidUI region structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the scrollable region into selectable regions and non-selectable regions (such as headers). The selectable regions contain content that can be selected (e.g., dates), while non-selectable regions contain content that cannot be selected. This segmentation allows the interface to handle content that exceeds the screen area by providing clear visual boundaries and interaction zones, enabling users to easily identify and select content even when not all content is visible simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the UI are assigned different properties: selectable regions allow user selection while non-selectable regions (headers) do not. This local differentiation of quality enables precise content selection by clearly indicating which areas respond to user input and which serve as contextual or navigational elements only.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS10082944B2Autoscroll regions

Publication Date: 2018.09.25 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Technologies are described herein for autoscroll regions. A device establishes a trigger line near an edge of a selectable region of content that is adjacent to a non-selectable region of content. The device detects user input within the selectable region and detects movement of the user input that intersects the trigger line. In response to detecting the user input intersecting the trigger line, the device scrolls a scrollable region.