Multifunction Touchscreen Search for Seamless Application Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional search methods on multifunction devices with touch-sensitive surfaces are cumbersome, inefficient, and place a significant cognitive burden on users, often requiring separate searches for each application and failing to provide seamless access to application results, thus wasting energy, particularly in battery-operated devices.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that concurrently displays application launch icons, allows for integrated searching, and enables seamless transitions between search results and associated applications, maintaining application visibility during search result display and vice versa, using a touch-sensitive surface and display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional separate search methods are used for each application, then search coverage is limited to individual applications, but user cognitive burden increases and search efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple application-specific search functions into a single unified search interface that simultaneously searches across contacts, messages, media, and other applications. This consolidation allows users to perform comprehensive searches without switching between applications or performing separate search operations, directly resolving the contradiction by improving search efficiency while reducing cognitive burden through a single integrated search experience.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified search interface is designed to perform multiple search functions across different application domains simultaneously. A single search query can retrieve results from contacts, messages, photos, videos, and other applications, making the search system universal and multi-functional. This approach enables users to access information from any application through one search interface, thereby improving productivity without increasing operational complexity.
2Loss of information
If full access to application is provided when search result is selected, then user can view detailed information, but returning to search results becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested interface structure where the detailed application view is embedded within the unified search context. When users select a search result, the application information is displayed in a nested manner that maintains the search results list as the parent context. This allows users to navigate between detailed information and search results seamlessly, as the search interface remains accessible and can be easily returned to, resolving the contradiction between full information access and ease of navigation.
3Use of energy by moving object
If conventional search methods are used, then implementation is simpler, but energy consumption increases due to longer search times
Solution Approach 1:
The unified search system performs preliminary indexing and organization of data from multiple applications before actual search execution. By pre-processing and structuring data from contacts, messages, media, and other applications in advance, the system enables faster search query execution. This preliminary action reduces the time required for searches, thereby decreasing energy consumption during search operations while maintaining implementation feasibility through systematic data organization.
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments, a multifunction device with a touch screen display and a plurality of applications concurrently displays a first plurality of application launch icons in a first area of the touch screen display, detects a first input by a user, and in response to detecting the first input by the user, displays a search input area on the touch screen display. In some embodiments, the device receives search input from the user, performs a search using the search input, and displays a plurality of search results from the search. In some embodiments, the device detects user selection of a first search result in the plurality of search results, and displays information corresponding to the first search result in the corresponding first application. In some embodiments, in response input from the user, the device returns to the search results and repeats this process for one or more applications.