Layered Icon Display Control for Search Bottlenecks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing display systems for personal computers and home appliances are inefficient in searching for desired content items due to the lack of layered structure in thumbnail icons, leading to prolonged time in searching through numerous icons.
Innovation Solution
A display controlling apparatus and method that allows icons to be displayed in layers, with user-controllable movement of icon array axes to facilitate clear visualization of icon locations, enabling efficient searching by highlighting the selected layer and moving icons in and out of a divided space to minimize clutter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If all thumbnail icons are displayed in a flat list without layered structure, then the display is simple and easy to implement, but the search time increases inordinately when there are a large number of icons
Solution Approach 1:
The display is segmented into multiple layers, with each layer containing a subset of thumbnail icons. This segmentation allows users to search within smaller groups rather than scrolling through all icons at once, significantly reducing search time while maintaining a manageable display structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension by stacking multiple layers of thumbnail icons. Instead of a single flat horizontal list, icons are arranged across multiple vertical layers that can be navigated between, transforming the search space from one dimension to two dimensions and reducing the visual complexity on each layer
2Productivity
If multiple layers of icons are displayed simultaneously, then search efficiency improves by organizing icons in layers, but it becomes difficult for users to understand where each icon is situated in the overall structure
Solution Approach 1:
Different layers are displayed with different transparency levels or visual characteristics, allowing users to distinguish between layers and understand the spatial organization. The selected layer can be highlighted or made more prominent, providing clear visual feedback about current position in the layered structure
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides visual feedback about layer selection and icon positions through highlighting, transparency changes, or positional indicators. This feedback mechanism maintains spatial orientation information, allowing users to understand where each icon is situated within the overall layered structure while preserving search efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A display controlling apparatus which displays icons representative of data in layers on a screen, the display controlling apparatus including: an operating section which, based on operations performed by a user, obtains at least instructions for how to display the icons on the screen; a storing section for storing at least data constituting the icons in the layers; a controlling section for generating picture data for displaying the icons in the layers on icon array axes; and a display outputting section for outputting the picture data generated by the controlling section onto a display device; wherein, when the operating section obtains an instruction from the user, the controlling section acting on the instruction generates the picture data in such a manner as to move each of the icon array axes into a different direction together with the icons displayed in an array on each of the axes.