Mode Switching for Map Dialog and Button Controls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current portable electronic devices with mapping capabilities face challenges in providing an intuitive and ergonomic user-map interaction interface, particularly when a single user interface element is used for both map navigation and interacting with non-map onscreen elements.
Innovation Solution
The method allows for toggling between map manipulation mode and control button mode using a single user interface element, such as an optical jog pad, enabling seamless navigation between map editing and control button interactions on wireless communications devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single user interface element is used for both map navigation and control button interaction, then device complexity is reduced, but ease of operation deteriorates due to mode switching requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The user interface element dynamically changes its function based on the current mode (map manipulation mode vs. control button mode). The same physical element (e.g., optical jog pad) can navigate the map in one mode and navigate control buttons in another mode, with the system automatically adjusting its behavior based on which mode is active.
Solution Approach 2:
The system periodically switches between two distinct operational modes through predetermined user inputs. This periodic mode switching allows a single interface element to serve multiple purposes - alternating between map manipulation and control button navigation based on the current state.
2Ease of operation
If multiple user interface elements are provided for separate map and control interactions, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity and screen space requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
A single user interface element is designed to perform multiple functions - it can navigate the map, select control buttons, and switch between different operational modes. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate interface elements for map and control interactions, saving screen space while maintaining operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functionality of separate map navigation and control button navigation into a single unified interface element. By combining these functions and using mode switching to differentiate operations, the system reduces the number of interface elements needed while preserving the efficiency of both interaction types.
3Reliability
If mode switching is implemented using complex input sequences, then ease of operation worsens, but reliability of mode distinction improves
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic mode switching triggered by predetermined user inputs. Each input sequence toggles between map manipulation mode and control button mode, creating a clear, reliable alternation between states. The periodic nature ensures that the current mode is always well-defined and predictable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to indicate the current mode, allowing users to understand which operational mode is active. This feedback mechanism ensures reliable mode distinction while keeping the switching process simple, as users can see or hear the current state and adjust their interactions accordingly.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of interacting with a map displayed on a mobile device entails displaying a map in a map dialog on a display of the mobile device, displaying control buttons on the display but outside the map dialog, and receiving user input to switch between a map manipulation mode, where user input manipulates the map, and a control button mode, where user input enables navigation between the control buttons. In one implementation, switching between the two modes permits the same user interface element to be used for navigation/manipulation of the map and of the control buttons, depending on which mode is activated. In one implementation, clicking the track pad toggles between the map manipulation mode and the control button mode.