Edge Indicators for Off-Screen Calendar Objects
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in quickly finding, navigating, and comprehending dense information in calendar applications on smaller devices like phones and tablets due to limited screen size, which makes it hard to view and manage calendar entries and associated data.
Innovation Solution
Implementing user-selectable indicators on the edges of the displayed time period that show aggregated data of objects outside the current view, allowing users to quickly access and display additional information without manual scrolling by scaling the time period to include these objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If calendar applications display dense amounts of calendar entries and information on smaller screens, then more information can be viewed, but it becomes difficult for users to quickly find, navigate, and comprehend the information
Solution Approach 1:
The calendar application interface is segmented into multiple components: a primary view displaying current calendar entries, edge indicators showing additional off-screen objects, and aggregated data summaries. This segmentation allows dense information to be organized into manageable segments that can be quickly scanned and navigated without overwhelming the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension to the calendar interface by displaying edge indicators and aggregated data in addition to the primary calendar view. This extra dimension provides supplementary information about off-screen objects without requiring users to manually scroll through all entries, enabling quick comprehension of the full dataset through aggregated summaries.
2Ease of operation
If the screen size is increased to view dense calendar information more easily, then navigation and comprehension improve, but the device becomes larger and less portable
Solution Approach 1:
The interface segments calendar information into a primary display area for the current view and edge indicators for additional information. This segmentation allows the application to convey more information effectively on smaller screens by organizing content into distinct, easily navigable segments rather than requiring a larger screen to display all details simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Edge indicators and aggregated data summaries act as intermediaries between the primary calendar view and off-screen objects. These intermediaries provide users with quick information about additional calendar entries without requiring them to manually scroll or access each individual entry, effectively bridging the information gap on compact displays.
3Loss of information
If users manually scroll through calendar entries to find off-screen objects, then they can access additional information, but this process is time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The application performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating and displaying edge indicators and aggregated data summaries that reveal the presence and characteristics of off-screen calendar objects. This preliminary information preparation allows users to quickly identify and navigate to specific objects of interest without manually scrolling through all entries, significantly reducing the time required to access additional information.
Solution Approach 2:
Edge indicators and aggregated data provide immediate feedback to users about the existence and nature of off-screen calendar objects. This feedback mechanism allows users to make informed decisions about which objects to access next, enabling efficient navigation through the calendar data without time-consuming manual searching.
Data Source
AI summary
Calendar application objects that do no not appear on the screen because of space constraints or other reasons may be associated with an edge of the time period displayed on the screen closest to a virtual location of each respective object in the calendar application. A user selectable indicator may then be displayed for one or more of the edges to indicate the presence of additional objects in the calendar application that are not currently displayed on the screen of the device, but would be displayed if the user were to scroll the displayed time period in the direction of the displayed time period edge associated with a respective indicator. The indicator may include additional data about the objects associated with the edge that do not appear within the time period shown on the screen.