Lightweight App Icons for Efficient UI Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques for navigating user interfaces on electronic devices are often cumbersome and inefficient, requiring multiple key presses and consuming unnecessary user time and device energy, especially in battery-operated devices.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of faster and more efficient methods and interfaces for navigating user interfaces, which include displaying a folder containing icons for lightweight applications that correspond to operations of a full application, allowing for automatic updating of the interface to replace the folder with an icon of the full application upon detection of the full application for download or installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If existing user interface navigation techniques are used, then users can access full applications, but the process requires multiple key presses and consumes excessive user time and device energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces lightweight applications as intermediary elements between the user interface and full applications. These lightweight apps serve as mediators that provide quick access to frequently used functions without requiring users to navigate through complex menus or press multiple keys to launch complete applications, thereby reducing navigation time and improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-loading and displaying icons of lightweight applications that correspond to full applications in the user interface. This preliminary setup allows users to access application functions directly through icon activation without undergoing lengthy navigation processes, thus reducing the time lost to navigation and energy consumption.
2Ease of operation
If existing user interface navigation techniques are used, then users can access full applications, but the process is cumbersome and requires multiple key presses
Solution Approach 1:
Lightweight applications act as intermediaries that simplify the user interface by providing direct icon-based access to full application functions. This intermediary layer reduces the complexity of navigation by eliminating the need for multiple key presses and complex menu structures, making the interface easier to operate while maintaining access to complete application functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified copies (lightweight applications) of full applications that replicate essential access functions through icons. These copies provide a simplified interface that mirrors the functionality needed for common operations, reducing the perceived complexity of the interface while maintaining ease of operation for users.
3Productivity
If existing user interface navigation techniques are used, then users can access full applications, but device energy and battery power are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring and displaying lightweight application icons that provide direct access to full applications. This preliminary setup eliminates the need for energy-consuming multi-step navigation processes, reducing device energy consumption while improving navigation efficiency and extending battery life for battery-operated devices.
Solution Approach 2:
Lightweight applications serve as energy-efficient intermediaries that reduce the computational and energy overhead associated with complex navigation. By providing direct icon-based access rather than requiring multiple key presses and system state transitions, the intermediary lightweight apps minimize energy consumption during navigation operations.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure generally relates to techniques for navigating one or more user interfaces, such as to access a folder or an application.