Context-Aware Virtual Views for Unified Multi-Device Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face frustration when interacting with multiple electronic devices separately, such as a smartphone and a laptop, due to the need for separate input controls, which can be inefficient and cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device can be connected to another device, allowing a single input control device to manage both, with a virtual view of one device displayed on the other based on contextual states like spatial alignment and user gaze, using systems for determining contextual states and managing virtual views.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If multiple electronic devices are used separately, then each device can be optimized for its specific function, but user interaction becomes cumbersome and requires separate input controls for each device
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control interfaces of multiple electronic devices by displaying a virtual view of a first device on a second device's display. This allows a single input control device to manage both devices simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate controls and reducing user frustration when switching between devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The second electronic device's display serves multiple functions: it displays its own native interface and simultaneously displays the virtual view of the first device. This multi-functionality allows one display to control and monitor multiple devices, reducing the overall complexity of the control system.
2Ease of operation
If a virtual view of one device is displayed on another device, then unified control through a single input mechanism is achieved, but additional system complexity is introduced for managing contextual states and virtual views
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual view, which is a graphical copy or representation of the first device's display interface, and displays it on the second device. This copying approach allows the second device to show and control the first device's interface without requiring complex hardware modifications, managing the additional complexity through software-based virtualization.
3Productivity
If separate input controls are required for each device, then each device maintains its independent functionality, but user frustration increases and interaction efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the control interfaces through virtual view display, the patent enables users to control multiple devices through a single input mechanism, directly improving interaction efficiency and reducing the frustration associated with switching between separate controls for different devices.
Data Source
AI summary
When the two electronic devices are connected (e.g., wired or wireless connection), a determination is made as to whether a contextual state of at least one of the electronic devices (e.g., a smartphone or tablet) indicates that a virtual view of the electronic device is to be displayed by the other electronic device. The contextual state may include, for example, whether the displays of the two electronic devices are spatially aligned, whether the one electronic device is upside down, whether a display of the one electronic device is turned off, and so forth. The virtual view of the electronic device is a display of the user interface of the electronic device, allowing a user to interact with the electronic device via the virtual view of the electronic device.