Merging Mobile Widgets Into Unified Icons
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile terminals lack an efficient method for managing and merging functional applications into icons, making it difficult to streamline the user interface and optimize screen space.
Innovation Solution
A mobile terminal with an input unit, display unit, and controller that allows users to merge and demerge widgets or execute integrated functions based on user input, enabling the creation and management of merged icons that combine multiple functions into a single icon.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple functional applications are displayed as separate icons, then each function is easily accessible, but screen space is wasted and the interface becomes cluttered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functional applications into a single icon called a merged icon. When users touch the merged icon, they can select and execute specific functions from a list of available functions. This combining approach reduces the number of icons displayed on the screen, optimizing screen space while maintaining ease of access to individual functions through the selection interface.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple functions are merged into a single icon, then screen space is optimized, but it becomes difficult to manage and separate individual functions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a segmentation approach where the merged icon contains a list of individual functions that can be separately selected and managed. Users can touch the merged icon to access a list of functions, allowing them to select specific functions for execution. This segmentation enables easy management and separation of functions within the merged icon structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a dynamic interface where the merged icon can transition between different states: displaying as a single icon on the screen, expanding to show a list of functions when touched, and allowing functions to be added or removed. This dynamic behavior makes icon management flexible and user-friendly, reducing the perceived complexity.
3Productivity
If traditional separate icons are used for each application, then function execution is straightforward, but user interface efficiency and screen utilization are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal merged icon structure that can contain multiple different functions within a single icon. This multi-functional approach allows one icon to serve multiple purposes, improving user interface efficiency by reducing the number of icons needed. The universality is maintained through the ability to select specific functions from the merged icon when needed, keeping function execution simple and straightforward.
Data Source
AI summary
Functional applications (e.g., widgets) in the form of an icon are implemented to be merged or demerged, and a method for displaying, operating, and managing the widgets in a mobile terminal is provided. The concept of UI-wise merging and demerging is applied to simple widget functions to update the widget functions. Also, widgets can be effectively managed through various widget operations. The mobile terminal includes an input unit configured to detect a received input, a display unit configured to display a plurality of widgets and a controller configured to merge a plurality of widgets into an integrated widget based on the received input and to execute an integrated function related to a selected widget of the plurality of widgets merged into the integrated widget.