Multimedia Player Menu Screen With Semi-Transparent Folder Icons
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital home appliances, such as multimedia players, face challenges in providing an intuitive user interface for multiple users due to limited control panels and display areas, making it difficult for non-PC users to navigate and maintain a seamless viewing experience, especially when displaying content on a television screen from a distance.
Innovation Solution
A multimedia player system that includes an operation unit, storage unit, display output unit, and display control unit, which generates a menu screen with semi-transparent folder icons and function icons arranged in a two-dimensional array, allowing users to intuitively select content by interacting with folder icons that display related content images transparently beneath them.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a control panel with fewer buttons and a narrower display area is used, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates for non-PC users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a one-dimensional linear menu structure to a two-dimensional grid layout for displaying function icons and folder icons. This dimensional change allows more icons to be displayed simultaneously without requiring additional control buttons, resolving the contradiction between device simplicity and operational ease.
2Area of stationary object
If control items are displayed on a television screen from a distance, then the display area is effectively increased, but the visibility of small character strings and pointer movement deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the folder icons semi-transparent so that content thumbnails are visible through them. This allows users to see both the icon and the content preview simultaneously, improving visibility and content recognition when viewing from a distance on a television screen.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nesting by placing content thumbnails inside transparent folder icons. This nested structure allows multiple layers of information (folder identity and content preview) to be displayed in the same space, improving visibility without requiring additional display area.
3Device complexity
If a traditional PC-style menu interface is used, then the device complexity is reduced by using standard interface elements, but the ease of operation for non-PC users deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal interface that combines grid-based navigation (accessible to all users) with content thumbnails (intuitive for non-PC users). The transparent folder icons serve multiple functions: indicating folder selection, displaying content previews, and maintaining a clean visual layout, making the interface both simple and intuitive.
4Loss of information
If the user interface provides detailed information about content, then the loss of information is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses nesting to place content thumbnails within transparent folder icons, allowing detailed content information to be displayed without adding external complexity. The thumbnail provides visual content identification while the transparent folder maintains the organizational structure, reducing information loss without increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A menu management unit relates items of contents received from a storage unit to multiple folder icons 120, which represent units for displaying contents. A menu screen generating unit generates image data for a menu screen 50, which includes a function icon array 70 formed by multiple function icons 52-62 aligned horizontally, and a folder icon array 72 formed by multiple folder icons 120 aligned vertically. With respect to each of the multiple folder icons, an effect processing unit receives, as a folder attachment image 122, one of content icons representing related contents from the storage unit, and then displays, in the folder icon array 72, the folder attachment image 122 and the folder icon 120 so that the folder attachment image is included in the semi-transparent folder icon superimposed upon the image.