Curved Periphery Gesture Interaction for Wearable Displays

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wearable devices with small screens face challenges in user interaction due to the need for external hardware like bezels or crowns to control features, making navigation and selection cumbersome.

Innovation Solution

A method that displays a visual element, referred to as a 'blob', on the screen of wearable devices with a curved periphery, allowing users to perform directional and rotational gestures to interact with items without additional hardware, enabling actions such as changing features or selecting items.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If external hardware (bezel or crown) is added to the wearable device, then user interaction capability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser interaction capabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the interaction trigger (blob) from the traditional external hardware interface and relocates it to the display screen. This allows the curved periphery to serve as the interaction interface without adding physical components, thus improving ease of operation while avoiding increased device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical interaction system (physical bezel or crown) with a visual-digital interaction system. The blob displayed on screen responds to curved periphery gestures, substituting mechanical rotation and pressing with optical display and touch gesture recognition

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Area of stationary object

If the screen size of wearable device is kept small, then device portability is improved, but ease of touch input deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescreen sizeVSAvoidease of touch input

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent moves the interaction interface from the two-dimensional screen area to the one-dimensional curved periphery. By displaying the blob on screen but receiving input through curved periphery gestures, it effectively expands the interaction space without increasing screen area, thus maintaining small device size while improving ease of operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces the blob as an intermediary element that bridges the small screen and the curved periphery. The blob serves as a visual target on the screen that responds to gestures on the curved periphery, allowing users to interact with small-screen content through larger, more comfortable hand movements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10474195B2Method of providing interaction in wearable device with a curved periphery

Publication Date: 2019.11.12 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A method of user interaction in a wearable device with a curved periphery is provided. The method includes displaying a blob when an item is displayed on the screen of the wearable device, obtaining a first input on the curved periphery associated with the blob, obtaining a second input along the curved periphery in conjunction with the first input, and performing an action in the item displayed on the screen of the wearable device.