Multitasking Mobile Terminal Work Process Selection and Control

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for multitasking mobile terminals require users to manually select new work processes through menus, leading to inconvenience, especially when terminating one process to control another, such as volume control during SMS message creation, resulting in potential data loss and increased user interaction.

Innovation Solution

A method allowing users to select a second work process by icons displayed during the first process and control functions through activated pop-up menus, enabling concurrent processing with reduced user input and minimizing data loss.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users manually select new work processes through menus in conventional multitasking mobile terminals, then work process selection is achieved, but user interaction complexity increases and data loss risk occurs when terminating processes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvework process selectionVSAvoiduser interaction

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically displays icons representing available work processes and enables direct selection without requiring manual menu navigation. The terminal self-manages the presentation of work process options through icons that appear on the screen, allowing users to simply tap the desired icon rather than navigating through complex menu structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the essential identification elements (icons) from the full menu structure and presents only these condensed visual representations on screen. This extraction eliminates the need for users to navigate through multiple menu levels while preserving the ability to identify and select different work processes through their distinctive icon symbols.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of operation

If users terminate one process to control another process in conventional multitasking mobile terminals, then process control is achieved, but data loss occurs and user interaction increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocess controlVSAvoiddata loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically preserving data from the current work process before allowing transition to another process. When a user selects a different work process icon, the system proactively saves the current process state and data, ensuring that no information is lost during the switching operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces an intermediary mechanism that mediates between process termination and data preservation. This intermediary layer automatically handles the data saving and process switching operations, preventing direct data loss that would occur in conventional systems where process termination directly results in data loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If conventional multitasking mobile terminals require manual menu navigation for work process selection, then work process selection is possible, but productivity decreases due to increased user interaction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvework process selection efficiencyVSAvoiduser interaction time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The invention segments the work process selection interface into distinct, easily identifiable icon elements that are directly accessible on the screen. Each work process is represented by a separate icon that can be independently selected, eliminating the need to navigate through hierarchical menu structures and reducing the time required to access different functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of requiring users to navigate through menus to reach work process options, the invention inverts the approach by bringing the work process options (icons) directly to the user's view on the main screen. This reversal of the traditional menu navigation paradigm allows users to select processes directly without intermediate navigation steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS12093504B2Method for selecting and controlling second work process during first work process in multitasking mobile terminal

Publication Date: 2024.09.17 PANTECH CORP

AI summary

Provided is a method for controlling a plurality of work processes in a multitasking mobile terminal, and more particularly, a method for selecting a second work process during a first work process and controlling a predetermined function of the selected second work process. In the controlling method, icons corresponding to the respective work processes are displayed in response to a user command, and a desired work process is selected through the displayed icons. A predetermined function of the selected work process is controlled through a pop-up menu activated in response to the user command.