Ordered List Grouping for Quick Selection on Small Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of hand-held devices face challenges in quickly selecting items from long ordered lists on small display screens, requiring continuous hand and eye involvement, which can be dangerous and inefficient, especially when engaged in other activities.
Innovation Solution
The method involves dividing ordered lists into groups, presenting corresponding icons on the screen to represent these groups, allowing users to select a range of items with minimal clicks and glances, enabling quick navigation through successive grouping until the desired item is selected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users scroll through long ordered lists on small display screens, then all items can be viewed sequentially, but the operation requires continuous hand and eye involvement and takes significant time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides a long ordered list into multiple groups, where each group contains a subset of items. Users first select a group from a condensed group list, then select an item from that group. This segmentation reduces the number of items users need to view and interact with at any one time, enabling faster selection without continuous scrolling through the entire list.
2Productivity
If users continuously operate the device to scroll and select items, then the desired item can be found, but the user's hands and eyes must remain focused on the device, which is dangerous during other activities
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the list into groups and presenting them in a condensed format, the patent allows users to quickly identify and select a group containing the desired item without continuously viewing or interacting with the device. This reduces the time hands and eyes must be focused on the screen, enabling safer operation during activities like driving.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary grouping and organization of items before user interaction. The grouped structure is prepared in advance, allowing users to make selections with minimal interaction steps. This preliminary organization enables users to complete selections quickly without prolonged attention to the device.
3Area of stationary object
If the display screen shows only a limited number of icons, then the device can be compact, but users cannot view all items simultaneously and must scroll through them
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the display into two main areas: a condensed group list showing all groups (enabling overview without scrolling) and a detailed item view showing items within the selected group. This segmentation allows the limited display area to efficiently present information at multiple levels of detail without requiring continuous scrolling or complex navigation.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for quick selection from an ordered list include dividing all items in the ordered list into current groups. Each current group includes a different range of the items. A corresponding plurality of icons for the plurality of current groups is presented substantively simultaneously on a display screen. One corresponding icon for each current group indicates a range of items included in the current group. In response to receiving input that indicates a particular icon corresponding to a particular group of the plurality of current groups, all items included in the particular group are divided into a plurality of next current groups. Each next current group includes a different range of the items included in the particular group. The next current group replaces the previous current group; thus, a corresponding plurality of icons for the plurality of next current groups is presented substantively simultaneously on the display screen.