Mobile Device Gesture Interface for Precision Target Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Finger-based touch input on small mobile devices suffers from imprecision due to the 'fat finger' problem, where the touched area is larger than a single pixel, and occlusion issues, making it difficult to accurately select small UI targets, especially when the user is in motion.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a 'Gesture Avatar' mode that allows users to draw gestures on a touchscreen to interact with UI targets, creating a graphical selection area associated with the gesture, which is larger than the target, enabling easier selection and operation of smaller targets without requiring high precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a small touchscreen is used to improve portability, then device compactness is improved, but input precision deteriorates due to the fat finger problem
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a visual indicator (crosshair or bounding box) as an intermediary between the user's finger and the UI target. This indicator acts as a mediator that provides precise positioning feedback, allowing the user to accurately select small targets without directly touching them with their finger, thereby resolving the fat finger problem on compact devices
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical finger-to-target contact with a visual indication system. Instead of relying on the physical precision of finger placement, the system uses visual feedback (indicator positioned near the target) to guide selection, substituting mechanical precision with visual guidance
2Measurement precision
If the finger touches the target directly to select it, then selection accuracy is improved, but the finger occludes the UI target before touching it
Solution Approach 1:
The patent displays a visual indicator in advance of the actual touch contact. The indicator appears near the target element before the user's finger makes contact, allowing the user to verify the correct target is selected without occluding it. This preliminary visual action prevents the occlusion problem while maintaining selection accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The visual indicator serves as an intermediary that bridges the gap between the user's intent and the actual touch contact. It provides a visual representation of the selection target that does not require physical contact, thereby avoiding occlusion while ensuring accurate selection
Data Source
AI summary
In general, this disclosure describes techniques for providing a user of a computing device (e.g., a mobile device) with the ability to utilize drawn gestures to operate objects displayed on a user interface of the computing device. Specifically, the techniques of this disclosure may, in some examples, include receiving user input comprising a gesture that defines an attribute associated with one or more target elements displayed in the user interface and graphically highlighting the one or more target elements in the user interface. The user may then utilize the drawn gesture to operate the highlighted target element by interacting with the defined selection area.