Geographic Application Screen Orientation Transition Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing geographic applications fail to efficiently and intuitively manage the presentation of digital maps and geographic content across different physical orientations of a display device, such as portrait and landscape, leading to suboptimal use of screen real estate and user experience.

Innovation Solution

A method where processors generate and manage multiple presentation formats of geographic content based on the current and previous orientations of the display device, storing indications of previous presentations to restore formats efficiently when the device orientation changes, ensuring seamless transitions and intuitive user interactions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the geographic application generates different presentation formats for different device orientations, then the adaptability and user experience are improved, but the device complexity and processing overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to different orientationsVSAvoidcomplexity of managing multiple presentations
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-generates and stores multiple presentation formats for different device orientations before they are needed. When an orientation change occurs, the system simply retrieves the pre-prepared presentation format corresponding to the new orientation, avoiding complex real-time generation and reducing processing overhead during actual orientation transitions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates and stores copy instances of geographic content presentations for different orientations. Instead of generating presentations from scratch during orientation changes, the system maintains pre-generated copies of presentations optimized for each orientation, enabling instant switching without complex real-time processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Ease of operation

If the application stores indication of previous presentation to restore upon orientation change, then the ease of operation is improved, but the memory usage increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveintuitiveness of presentation restorationVSAvoidmemory storage for presentation indications
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and stores only the essential indication data needed to restore the previous presentation format, rather than storing complete presentation instances. This selective extraction minimizes memory usage while preserving the capability to restore presentations intuitively when device orientation changes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If the system generates presentations in response to orientation changes, then the productivity of presentation updates is improved, but the loss of time during transitions increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveefficiency of presentation updatesVSAvoidtransition time during orientation change
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Presentation formats for different orientations are generated and prepared in advance, before orientation changes occur. This preliminary generation eliminates the need for time-consuming real-time processing during actual orientation transitions, reducing perceived transition time while maintaining efficient presentation updates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Pre-generated copies of presentations for different orientations are stored and instantly retrieved upon orientation change. This copying approach eliminates the time delay associated with generating presentations during transitions, as the system simply switches to the pre-prepared copy corresponding to the new orientation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3180685B1Screen transitions in a geographic application
Publication Date: 2018.10.03 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP3180685B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3180685B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3180685B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C

AI summary

The display device of a portable device is configured to operate in at least a first physical orientation and a second physical orientation. Instructions, when executed on one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to detect a first transition from the first physical orientation of the display device to the second physical orientation of the display device, detect a second transition from the second physical orientation of the display device to the first physical orientation of the display device, and, in response to the second transition, select a presentation format for displaying geographic content via the display device in the first physical orientation, based at least in part on a prior presentation format according to which the geographic content was presented via the display device prior to the first transition.