Contextual Navigation Mechanism for Screen Space Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current application navigation systems on mobile and wearable devices require reserved gestures for navigation, limiting their use for other functions and lacking an efficient way to indicate the current content page, thereby compromising screen space and functionality.
Innovation Solution
A navigation mechanism, such as a virtual joystick or trackball, is displayed as an icon on the screen, allowing users to interact with it for navigation while reserving other gestures for different actions, and changing its appearance contextually to indicate the current content page.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a page title is included at the top of a content page to indicate the current page, then the user can identify which content page they are viewing, but screen space is reduced and cannot be used for other purposes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the page indication function from the traditional page title position and relocates it to the navigation mechanism icon. This allows the main screen space to be fully utilized for content display while the navigation icon, which users must interact with anyway, provides contextual page information through appearance changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The navigation mechanism icon serves multiple functions: it enables navigation between pages through user interaction and simultaneously indicates the current content page through contextual appearance changes. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate page title elements, freeing up screen space.
2Ease of operation
If gestures such as swiping or double-tapping are reserved for navigation between pages, then page transitions can be achieved, but these gestures cannot be used for other purposes within the application
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a navigation mechanism icon as an intermediary element that mediates between the user and the navigation function. Users interact with this specific icon element rather than using screen-wide gestures, allowing all other areas of the screen to respond to gestures with application-specific functions while navigation is handled through the dedicated icon.
3Ease of operation
If a navigation mechanism is displayed on the screen to enable navigation, then users can navigate between content pages, but screen space is occupied that could be used for other purposes
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation mechanism icon is positioned in a specific local area of the screen (typically bottom corner) where it occupies minimal space. The icon uses contextual appearance changes rather than text labels, requiring only a small visual indicator area while maintaining full navigation functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for menuless application navigation are provided. In example embodiments, a first user input received via an interface of the device is detected. It is determined that the first user input is within an input region on the interface of the device. In response to determining that the first user input is within the input region, the first user input is translated into a navigation action. A second user input received via the interface of the device is detected, and it is determined that the second user input is outside the input region on the interface of the device. In response to determining that the second user input is outside the input region, the user input is translated into a second action, which is different from the navigation action.