Launch Wave Gesture Interface for Direct Application Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile devices require users to return to the home screen to launch applications, making the process cumbersome and inefficient, especially for frequently used applications.
Innovation Solution
A gesture-based user interface, known as the 'launch wave,' allows users to launch applications directly from any screen without returning to the home screen, using a touch-sensitive surface that extends beyond the display screen, enabling a single-handed, ambidextrous gesture for quick access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users return to the home screen to launch applications, then applications can be accessed from the launch screen, but the process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by maintaining a list of recently launched applications and their states in memory, so that when a user wants to launch an application, the system already has the necessary information ready. This eliminates the need to return to the home screen and search for icons, directly reducing the time and steps required for application launching.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary mechanism - a recent applications list that acts as a mediator between the current screen and the application launching function. This intermediary stores application state information and provides quick access points, allowing users to launch applications without navigating through the entire home screen interface.
2Adaptability or versatility
If applications are arranged in a non-categorized manner on the home screen, then all applications are accessible, but it becomes more difficult to quickly find the desired application
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments applications into different categories and groups them logically (e.g., by function, frequency of use, or type). This segmentation allows users to quickly locate desired applications within relevant groups rather than searching through a non-organized list of all applications, improving search efficiency while maintaining comprehensive accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically organizes applications based on usage patterns and user behavior. Frequently used applications are prioritized and positioned prominently, while less used applications are organized in a structured manner. This dynamic reorganization adapts to user needs over time, making application查找 more efficient without sacrificing the ability to access any application.
3Ease of operation
If a dock is provided for commonly used applications, then easy access to frequent applications is enabled, but the user must still return to the home screen before the dock appears
Solution Approach 1:
The system makes the recent applications list universally accessible from any screen, not just the home screen. This multi-functional approach allows the same mechanism to serve both as a home screen organization tool and as a quick-launch interface from within applications, eliminating the need to return to home screen and enabling direct access to frequently used applications.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a user interface is presented for initiating activities in an electronic device. The user interface includes an element referred to as a “launch wave”, which can be activated at substantially any time, even if the user is engaged with an activity, without requiring the user to first return to a home screen. In various embodiments, the user can activate the launch wave by performing a gesture, or by pressing a physical button, or by tapping at a particular location on a touchscreen, or by activating a keyboard command. In one embodiment, activation of the launch wave and selection of an item from the launch wave can be performed in one continuous operation on a touch-sensitive screen, so as to improve the expediency and convenience of launching applications and other items.