Edge Gesture Gallery for Window Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile terminal navigation methods, such as using physical hardware back and menu keys, are slow and cumbersome for switching between previously opened windows, leading to discomfort and inefficiency in inner-application navigation.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device and method that detects specific gestures in a predefined area of the display to open and scroll through a gallery of previously opened windows, allowing for quick navigation without requiring users to move their fingers across the screen, using a processor to manage the display and implement gestures for efficient window switching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If physical hardware back and menu keys are used for navigation, then device structure is simple, but navigation speed is slow and user operation is cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a new spatial dimension for navigation by displaying a gallery of previously opened windows in a vertical or horizontal strip along the edge of the display. This allows users to access multiple windows simultaneously in a new dimensional space rather than sequential navigation through menu layers, dramatically improving both navigation speed and operation convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a gesture-based interface as an intermediary between the physical hardware keys and the window navigation function. By detecting gestures in a predefined area, the system mediates between the simple hardware button press and the complex window switching operation, enabling direct access to the gallery and smooth scrolling through windows without requiring multiple menu interactions.
2Ease of operation
If menu-based navigation is used to access previous windows, then all window choices are available, but navigation requires multiple clicks and large finger movement distance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the navigation function into two distinct gestures operating in the same predefined area: a first gesture to open the gallery and a second gesture to scroll through it. This segmentation allows both functions to be accessed from a single location, eliminating the need for large finger movements across the display while maintaining full access to all window choices.
Solution Approach 2:
The gallery is displayed in a separate dimensional space along the edge of the display rather than overlaying the main content area. This allows users to scroll through windows with minimal finger movement in the predefined area, reducing both finger movement distance and navigation time while preserving access to all previously opened windows.
3Productivity
If gestures are detected in a small predefined area, then navigation speed improves and finger movement is reduced, but the area for gesture detection is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The predefined area serves multiple functions: it detects both the first gesture to open the gallery and the second gesture to scroll through it. This multi-functionality allows the small area to control multiple navigation operations, improving productivity while minimizing the required gesture detection area. The same spatial region handles both gallery access and window scrolling operations.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes a display and a processor configured to detect a first gesture in a predefined area of the display while a first window is currently displayed in full screen on the display and upon detection of the first gesture instruct the display to display a gallery of previously opened windows, and detect a second gesture in the predefined area on the display. The second gesture is a movement along the display. The processor is further configured to instruct the display to scroll based on the movement through the gallery.