Gesture Navigation for Hierarchical Interface Levels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties navigating through the hierarchical levels of computing devices due to limited screen real-estate, requiring cumbersome selections and multiple view switches to access desired data or functionality.
Innovation Solution
Implementing multiple finger pinch or splay gestures to transition between functional levels, such as from an application page to a home screen or network level, allowing intuitive navigation and access to data across various levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional navigation methods (scrolling, button presses, view switching) are used to navigate between functional levels, then users can access different levels of the computing device, but the process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming due to limited screen real-estate and multiple required interactions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical navigation methods (physical buttons, scrolling gestures, view switching) with a gesture-based control system. Multiple finger gestures (pinch, splay, spread) are recognized by the computing device to directly transition between functional levels, eliminating the need for multiple intermediate interactions and significantly reducing navigation time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the interaction parameter from traditional single-finger tapping or scrolling to multi-finger gestures with specific configurations (number of fingers, spacing between fingers). By varying the gesture parameters (e.g., two-finger pinch vs. five-finger splay), the system enables direct navigation to different functional levels, transforming the navigation process from multi-step to single-step operations
2Area of stationary object
If the screen size is increased to improve information visibility, then users can see more information at once, but the device becomes less portable and more difficult to handle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a new dimension to the interaction space by recognizing gestures that occur above the screen surface (in the air space between the user's hand and the display). This allows the system to interpret gesture configurations (finger spacing, orientation) as navigation commands without requiring the physical screen area to expand, thereby maintaining device portability while enhancing operational capability
3Adaptability or versatility
If more icons and elements are added to the screen to provide more functionality, then users can access more features, but the interface becomes more cluttered and harder to navigate with limited screen space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the gesture system universal by designing it to work across multiple functional levels and applications. The same gesture recognition mechanism (detecting finger configurations in air space) serves as a common interface for navigating between home screen, applications, settings, and other functional levels, providing a unified control method that simplifies the interface while maintaining access to diverse functions
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments enable a user to navigate between various hierarchical or functional levels of a computing device by providing a hand gesture, such as a multiple finger pinch or splay. For example, a user viewing an application page on an interface of a computing device can leave the application page and navigate to the home page with a single hand gesture. Accordingly, the same hand gesture could be subsequently used to navigate the user to a higher functional level, such as a network level, a disk utility level, and the like. A multiple finger pinch or splay can also be utilized as a trigger to reveal an application's chrome, reveal running applications, provide a short-cut to accessing favorite applications or notes, or to provide alternative views or organization schemes for applications, documents, and the like.