Endless Loop Image Scrolling via Virtual Sphere
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing graphical user interfaces that utilize arrays of thumbnail images for navigation are inefficient in terms of display area usage and user selection, as they require substantial space and can be difficult for users to navigate, especially when cycling through sequential lists of image names.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a processor-controlled display to link images into an endless loop in virtual space, allowing images to be scrolled and arranged in a figure-eight configuration, with controls for modifying scrolling rates and patterns, and incorporating features like gesture-based scrolling and caching to optimize display and navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If arrays of thumbnail images are used for navigation, then users can select from multiple images, but substantial display area is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the traditional two-dimensional array layout into a three-dimensional spherical arrangement where images are positioned along meridians. This dimensional change allows images to be organized in space without consuming excessive flat display area, as the sphere projects onto the two-dimensional screen in a space-efficient manner while maintaining the ability to display and select multiple images.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical image collection is segmented into multiple meridians, with each meridian containing a subset of images arranged sequentially. This segmentation allows the system to manage and display images in manageable groups along different meridians, reducing the visual clutter and display area requirements compared to showing all images in a single flat array.
2Ease of operation
If sequential lists of image names are provided, then users can cycle through images, but users must remember image names and substantial display area is used
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs visual differentiation along meridians, where images are presented with varying visual characteristics based on their position and the active meridian. This visual encoding helps users distinguish between different images and meridians without requiring text labels, reducing the need to remember image names while maintaining ease of navigation through visual cues.
Solution Approach 2:
By organizing images in a three-dimensional spherical structure with multiple meridians, the system provides intuitive spatial navigation. Users can cycle through images by moving along meridians, and the system highlights the active meridian and current image position, making navigation more intuitive than sequential text lists while using less display area.
3Adaptability or versatility
If five-by-five arrays of thumbnails are displayed, then users can select from twenty-five images, but the interface is difficult to navigate
Solution Approach 1:
The collection of 25 images is segmented into multiple meridians on the sphere rather than displayed as a single flat 5x5 array. Each meridian contains a sequence of images, and the system allows users to navigate between meridians and along sequences within meridians. This segmentation creates more natural navigation paths and reduces the cognitive load of navigating a dense grid.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional grid navigation to three-dimensional spherical navigation. Images are arranged along meridians that wrap around the sphere, providing multiple navigation dimensions (along the meridian sequence and between different meridians). This spatial organization makes navigation more intuitive and easier to operate compared to a flat array, as users can mentally map positions in three-dimensional space.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a display that is controlled by a processor. Software code may be executed by the processor to link a plurality of images of an image set into an endless loop in virtual space. The images of the image set may be scrolled along the endless loop for display. The endless loop may include one or more portions to which the images of the image set that are not currently visible on the display are linked, and one or more further portions to which the images of the image set that are currently visible on the display are linked.