Edge Area Touch Detection for Electronic Device Display Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Electronic devices with touchscreens lack efficient control over display screens in response to various touch motions, leading to degraded usability and user convenience due to limited interaction capabilities.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device with a display featuring a main area and an edge area, equipped with a detection system to determine touch locations and motions, allowing for enhanced interaction and control through the processor's ability to differentiate and respond to touches in both areas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the display only includes a main area, then the device structure is simple, but the interaction capabilities are limited and user convenience is degraded

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinteraction capabilitiesVSAvoiddisplay structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The display is segmented into two distinct functional areas: a main area for standard interactions and an edge area for specialized interactions. This segmentation allows the system to provide diverse interaction capabilities while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure, as each area has specific designated functions rather than requiring complex processing throughout the entire display.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the display are assigned different functional qualities. The edge area specifically handles edge-based touch motions (such as invoking notifications or controlling media players), while the main area handles conventional touch operations. This local differentiation enhances adaptability without requiring the entire display to be complex.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If the display includes both main area and edge area, then various interactions for touch motions are provided, but the detection and control complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch motion interactionsVSAvoidtouch location detection

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The touch detection functionality is segmented to specifically identify whether a touch occurs in the edge area or main area. The determination unit uses simple spatial criteria (touch coordinates falling within predefined edge regions) to distinguish between areas, avoiding complex detection algorithms while still enabling diverse touch motion interactions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of having the main area perform all functions and requiring complex modifications to handle edge interactions, the patent inverts the approach by making the edge area a primary interaction zone with its own set of standardized interactions. This simplifies the detection logic, as edge touches follow predictable patterns specific to that region.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP3046019B1Electronic device and operating method thereof

Publication Date: 2020.03.18 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

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AI summary

An electronic device and a method of operating the same are provided. The method includes outputting a display screen on a display that has a main area and an edge area extending from an edge of the main area, determining a location of a touch in one of the main area and the edge area when the touch is detected, and controlling the display screen according to the location of the touch. According to the present disclosure, a screen control device can provide various interactions for various touch motions.