GUI Time Point Navigation via Segmented Thumbnails
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for changing the reproducing time point in moving image playback, such as progress bars, are inefficient as they require multiple user interactions and are cumbersome, especially for longer content, making it difficult for users to accurately locate desired time points.
Innovation Solution
A GUI method that generates a reproducing time point guiding graphic with a pointer, allowing users to select specific time points and display reduction images within a time period, enabling direct change of the playback time to the selected time point, with visually connected reduction images and proportional time period representation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a progress bar is used to represent the current reproducing time point, then the user can see the current position in the moving image, but the user has to go through multiple trials and errors to locate the desired time point
Solution Approach 1:
The progress bar is segmented into multiple thumbnail images representing different time points. Each thumbnail provides visual information about the content at that specific time, allowing users to quickly identify and locate desired time points without multiple trials and errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-generates and displays thumbnail images for various time points along the progress bar before the user needs to navigate. This preliminary preparation of visual information enables users to immediately identify target time points, eliminating the need for repeated forwarding and rewinding operations.
2Ease of operation
If the user uses fast forward or rewind operations to change the reproducing time point, then the reproducing time point changes in real time, but the process is time-consuming and requires multiple manipulations
Solution Approach 1:
The time period is segmented into discrete thumbnail representations, allowing users to directly jump to specific time points by selecting the corresponding thumbnail, rather than incrementally moving through time with FF/REW operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates visual copies (thumbnails) of content at different time points and displays them along the progress bar. Users can directly select the desired time point by clicking on the appropriate thumbnail copy, instantly jumping to that moment without time-consuming sequential playback.
3Duration of action of moving object
If the length of the moving image increases, then the content becomes more comprehensive, but the user is more inconvenienced in navigating to desired time points
Solution Approach 1:
Long moving images are segmented into multiple thumbnail representations distributed along the progress bar. This segmentation provides a visual overview of the entire duration, allowing users to quickly scan and locate desired time points regardless of the total length of the content.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a spatial dimension to time navigation by displaying thumbnails along the progress bar. This transforms the one-dimensional temporal navigation into a two-dimensional interface where users can visually scan across time points and directly jump to desired moments, making navigation of long content much more efficient.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for providing a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for changing a reproducing time point, and an imaging apparatus incorporating the same are provided. The GUI for changing a reproducing time point displays reduction images of specific time points within a time period including a specific time point selected by a pointer, and changes the reproducing time point to the time point represented by the reduction image selected from the displayed reduction images. Accordingly, a user is able to search for a desired time point without going through a plurality of manipulations to change the reproducing time point on the progress bar using the pointer.