Companion Device Proxy for Mobile Image Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity of user interactions with mobile devices, due to varying hardware and software capabilities, necessitates innovative methods for coordinating and handling content delivery and interaction, particularly in synchronizing and navigating image collections across devices.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing a companion device as a proxy to manage content delivery and interaction, where a mobile device synchronizes image collections with a companion device using signatures and dirty bits, and allows navigation through touch or rotation inputs, optimizing communication and layout based on user interactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If mobile devices have different hardware and software capabilities, then device functionality and features can be enhanced, but user interaction complexity increases and consistency across devices deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a companion device as an intermediary that manages content delivery and synchronization between the mobile device and content sources. The companion device handles complex coordination tasks, allowing the mobile device to maintain a simplified, consistent user interface regardless of underlying hardware differences. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by isolating complexity from the user interaction layer.
2Adaptability or versatility
If mobile devices become smaller and integrate more functionality, then device portability and versatility improve, but content management and navigation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The companion device serves as an external content management system that handles synchronization, storage coordination, and content delivery. This allows the mobile device to remain compact while integrating multiple functions, as the companion device assumes the burden of complex content management tasks through wireless communication and coordinated operation.
3Ease of operation
If content synchronization is implemented between mobile device and companion device, then content accessibility improves, but communication overhead and data transfer complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the mobile device generates a signature of its current image collection and sends it to the companion device. The companion device compares this signature with its own collection signature and provides feedback about what content needs to be transferred. This feedback-based approach optimizes synchronization by transferring only necessary content, reducing communication overhead while maintaining content accessibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are described for delivering content to a mobile device using a companion device. The companion device acts as a proxy device to send and receive signals on behalf of other proxied devices. Once content is loaded onto the mobile device, a user can navigate through the content using a navigation path determined based on a user's item of focus. Various transitions and animations can be displayed along the navigation path. Moreover, a user can interact with the content when viewed in a specific layout using touch events or a rotation input device.