Unified Game Overlay Interface for Faster Friend Invitations
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a demand for simplifying the procedure for establishing communication with friends over the Internet, such as playing games or chatting, due to increasing opportunities for remote interactions.
Innovation Solution
An information processing device and method that allows users to overlap a system image, generated by system software, on a content image, such as a game image, and display the overlapped image, enabling easy selection and invitation of friends to game sessions or chats through a unified user interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional multi-step procedure is used to establish communication with friends (changing display screens sequentially), then the system can maintain clear display separation, but the operation procedure becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the friend list display and game selection functions into a single integrated display screen. The friend list is shown with associated game icons directly on the same screen, eliminating the need to switch between separate display screens for friend selection and game selection. This integration directly reduces the number of operational steps while maintaining clear visual separation through layout design.
Solution Approach 2:
The display screen is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: displaying the friend list, showing available games, and providing selection capabilities for both friends and games on the same interface. This multi-functional design reduces the procedural complexity by consolidating what would traditionally require separate display screen transitions into a single unified interface.
2Loss of time
If a unified interface is used to display both friend list and game selection, then the operation procedure is simplified, but the interface design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The unified display screen is segmented into distinct visual regions: a friend list section displaying user avatars and names, and a game selection section displaying available game icons. Each segment maintains its own visual identity and selection mechanisms, allowing users to quickly identify and select from friends and games without confusion. This segmentation reduces cognitive load and speeds up the selection process.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the unified interface are designed with locally optimized characteristics: the friend list area uses avatar-based identification with name tags, while the game selection area uses icon-based visualization. Each local region has tailored visual properties appropriate to its function, making the overall interface efficient despite its integrated nature.
3Productivity
If the system displays only one function at a time (either friend list or game selection), then the interface remains simple, but the procedure to establish communication becomes longer
Solution Approach 1:
The friend list entries are nested with game selection options directly within each friend's display row. When a user views a friend's information, the associated game icons are displayed nested within that same visual space, allowing the user to select a game without leaving the friend list context. This nesting structure enables rapid progression through multiple selection steps within a single interface view.
Data Source
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Figure 3
AI summary
A content image display section 112 displays a content image. A system image display section 130 overlaps a system image on the content image, according to a user operation, and displays the overlapped image. A button display section 144 displays a session button for inviting a specific user to a game session.