Image-Based Contact Browsing on Touchscreen Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
As media storage capacity increases, navigating through large collections of media on devices like media players becomes cumbersome due to extensive lists of songs, necessitating improved browsing methods.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an image-based browsing system on portable electronic devices with touch screens, allowing users to navigate and select images associated with media items using rotational or linear user inputs, transitioning through images in an intuitive and graphical manner.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If storage capacity of media players increases, then the number of songs stored increases, but the list through which users must navigate becomes extensive and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses visual representations (cover art, thumbnails, icons) as copies of media items to replace text-based list entries. Users interact with these visual copies to navigate and select media, making the interface more intuitive and easier to operate despite having large collections
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional text-based navigation to two-dimensional visual-based navigation by displaying media items as graphical representations on a touchscreen interface, enabling users to browse through collections more efficiently using visual recognition and gestures
2Quantity of substance
If storage capacity increases, then media collection size increases, but the complexity of selecting specific media items increases
Solution Approach 1:
Visual representations serve as simplified copies that capture essential media information (genre, mood, artist) through imagery, reducing the cognitive load required to select media from large collections compared to navigating extensive text lists
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces visual intermediaries (thumbnails, cover art, icons) as mediators between the user and the media collection. These visual elements simplify the selection process by providing intuitive visual cues that help users quickly identify and select desired media items
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are disclosed for navigating or browsing through images, such as contact images, on electronic devices, such as portable electronic device having a touch screen display. In one embodiment, users of electronic devices are able to browse through contact images to locate a particular contact within a plurality of contacts available (e.g., stored) on the electronic devices.