Contact-Sensitive Keyboard Sweeping Navigation Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Handheld communication devices face challenges in providing intuitive user interfaces due to the limited space for both keyboards and navigation tools, leading to inefficient data entry and navigation, especially when users need to perform multifunctional tasks like sending and receiving emails and browsing the internet.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a contact-sensitive area that allows for both data entry and navigation control, enabling users to launch applications by sweeping motions across the surface, thereby reducing the need for separate navigation tools like trackballs and optimizing the use of the device's limited front surface area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a separate navigation device like a trackball is added to the device, then navigation control is improved, but the device size increases and keyboard space is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the navigation control function with the keyboard by making the keyboard itself contact-sensitive. The keyboard keys can detect contact and sweeping motions, allowing them to serve both as input keys and navigation controls, thereby eliminating the need for a separate trackball or navigation device.
Solution Approach 2:
The keyboard is designed to perform multiple functions: individual key presses for data entry, and sweeping motions across multiple keys for navigation control. This multi-functionality allows the keyboard to replace both the traditional keyboard and separate navigation device, optimizing the use of limited device space.
2Length of moving object
If the device size is reduced to fit in pocket or palm, then portability is improved, but the keyboard and navigation space is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By merging navigation control into the keyboard structure, the patent eliminates the need for additional space-consuming components. The keyboard becomes a multifunctional input device that handles both data entry and navigation, allowing the device to maintain small dimensions while preserving operational capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces sweeping motions across the keyboard surface as a new dimension of interaction. Instead of only vertical key presses, users can perform diagonal or horizontal sweeps across multiple keys to navigate, effectively utilizing the two-dimensional keyboard surface for control purposes.
3Productivity
If traditional keyboards and navigation devices are used, then data entry function is maintained, but the user interface becomes cumbersome and less intuitive
Solution Approach 1:
The contact-sensitive keyboard serves as a universal input device that handles both data entry and navigation functions. By integrating these capabilities into a single device, the patent reduces the number of separate components the user must learn and operate, thereby simplifying the overall user interface while maintaining productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A handheld electronic device having a microprocessor housed within a body including a display area and a contact-sensitive area is disclosed. The contact-sensitive area detects contact engagement therewith and produces instruction data based thereupon. A microprocessor-run software program receives instruction data from the contact-sensitive area. The contact-sensitive area has a home zone area and a plurality of activity launch zone areas. The software program is programmed to process the instruction data and determine sweeping contact motion detected on the contact-sensitive area originating at the home zone area and terminating at one of the plurality of activity launch zone areas. The program responsively launches an operator-instructed activity corresponding to the activity launch zone area at which the sweeping contact motion terminated.