Graphical Menu Interface Using Operating Frames as Icons
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hand-held electronic devices with Windows operating systems face challenges in user convenience due to small font and icon sizes on compact screens, requiring users to navigate multi-tiered menus, which is time-consuming and inefficient for users unfamiliar with the system.
Innovation Solution
A graphical menu interface where operating frames related to function groups serve as menu icons, allowing users to intuitively understand function groups, with the option to display frequently used functions prominently and restore the last operating status of selected function groups, enhancing usability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a function menu is displayed on a small screen with reduced font and icon sizes, then all functions can be accommodated, but users cannot quickly and clearly inspect the menu contents
Solution Approach 1:
The menu is divided into multiple tiers or levels, with commonly used functions displayed prominently on the first tier and less frequently used functions organized on subsequent tiers. This segmentation allows users to quickly access frequent functions while still providing access to all functions through hierarchical navigation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the screen are allocated different functions based on their importance. The first tier or prominent area displays frequently used functions with larger icons, while other areas display less frequent functions. This local differentiation optimizes both the quantity of functions displayed and the ease of inspecting commonly used functions.
2Device complexity
If all functions are arranged in a multi-tiered menu under standby mode, then functions can be organized systematically, but users unfamiliar with the system require considerable time to locate functions
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-organizes functions into tiers based on usage frequency and importance before the user needs to access them. The most commonly used functions are placed on the first tier and made immediately accessible, eliminating the need for users to navigate through multiple tiers to find frequently used functions. This preliminary arrangement significantly reduces the time required to locate functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical navigation through multi-tiered menus with an intelligent sorting system that automatically arranges functions based on usage patterns. This substitution uses information processing and adaptive algorithms rather than fixed hierarchical structures, allowing the menu to evolve and optimize itself based on user behavior.
3Adaptability or versatility
If users must click through multiple tiers of the menu to access a function, then all functions can be accessed, but the operation process becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
Functions are segmented into tiers based on accessibility requirements. The first tier contains all functions that can be accessed directly without navigation, while other tiers contain functions that require sequential access. This segmentation ensures that commonly used functions maintain high accessibility while still providing a structured way to organize all functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The menu structure is made dynamic and adaptive, allowing it to reorganize based on user behavior patterns. Frequently accessed functions automatically move to more prominent positions or the first tier, while less frequently used functions are placed in lower tiers. This dynamic adjustment optimizes both the accessibility of all functions and the speed of accessing commonly used functions.
Data Source
AI summary
A graphical menu interface, an implementing method thereof, and an operating method thereof are provided. In the implementing method of the graphical menu interface, m function groups are provided first, and each of the function groups has at least one function. Then, an operating frame related to each function group is obtained and used as the menu icon representing a corresponding function group in the graphical menu interface. Finally, there are n function groups displayed on the screen, and the corresponding operating frames are used as the menu icons of these n function groups in the graphical menu interface. As a result, users can infer the position of each function in the graphical menu interface more intuitively, and thus the convenience in operating the graphical menu is improved.