Floating Window Interface for Mobile Terminal Application Monitoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users of mobile terminals often experience waiting periods while using applications, such as network car-hailing services, where they cannot monitor the progress in real time, leading to inefficiency and lost opportunities for using their devices during this time.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for displaying an application interface in a floating window on a mobile terminal, allowing users to view the progress of an application in a designated area while still accessing other applications, with the ability to drag and resize the floating window for convenience and receive notifications or responses within the window.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If the application interface is displayed in full-screen mode, then the user can access the application functionality, but the user cannot monitor the progress in real time and cannot use other applications during waiting periods

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewaiting timeVSAvoidmonitoring application progress
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the display into multiple independent regions: a floating window for the application interface and a remaining area for other applications or notifications. This segmentation allows the application to be displayed in a smaller, non-full-screen window, enabling users to monitor progress while using other applications simultaneously, thus resolving the contradiction between full-screen access and real-time monitoring during waiting periods

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from a single full-screen display dimension to a multi-dimensional display arrangement where the application interface is placed in a floating window at a specific position, and other applications or notifications can be displayed in the remaining space. This dimensional change enables simultaneous visibility of multiple applications, allowing users to monitor progress without losing access to other functions during waiting periods

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If the application interface is displayed in a floating window, then the user can monitor progress and use other applications simultaneously, but the application context may be lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice usage efficiencyVSAvoidapplication context retention
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system detects user actions (such as opening the application from the floating window) and automatically restores the application to its previous full-screen state or updates the floating window to reflect the current application state. This feedback loop ensures that users maintain awareness of the application context while benefiting from the efficiency of simultaneous multi-application usage, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and context retention

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3885885A1Method, apparatus and storage medium for displaying application interface
Publication Date: 2021.09.29 BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO LTD
  • EP3885885A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3885885A1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3885885A1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A method for displaying application interface includes: receiving a first instruction for instructing to display an interactive interface of a current application in a floating window manner; determining a first application to which an interactive interface currently displayed on a display interface of the mobile terminal belongs; and displaying a floating window on the display interface, and displaying the interactive interface of the first application in the floating window. When a response time of the first application to certain requests is longer in the process for a user to use the first application, the interactive interface of the first application is displayed in a floating window manner, such that the user can view the response of the first application at any time, and can view information other than the first application, thereby improving efficiency of using the mobile terminal and user experience.