Notification Timeout Indicator Prevents Accidental Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of electronic devices often accidentally select options beneath pop-up notifications due to the notifications timing out, leading to inefficient use of processing resources and potential battery depletion.
Innovation Solution
A method for generating display data that includes a second display object indicating the remaining time of a notification, which surrounds or partially surrounds selectable options, preventing accidental selections by notifying the user of the impending timeout.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pop-up notification is displayed for a predefined length of time, then the notification is visible to the user, but the user may accidentally select options underneath the notification when it times out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by displaying a visual indicator (such as a countdown timer or timeout warning) before the notification actually times out. This warning is shown in advance to alert the user that the notification will disappear soon, giving them time to make a deliberate decision about whether to dismiss it or let it timeout, thereby preventing accidental selections of underlying options.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by providing real-time visual information to the user about the notification's remaining display time. This feedback mechanism allows the user to understand the temporal state of the notification and adjust their interaction accordingly, preventing unintended actions caused by unexpected timeout behavior.
2Illumination intensity
If the notification overlaps selectable options, then the notification can be displayed prominently, but the user interface complexity increases and accidental selections occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary visual element (the timeout indicator) that mediates between the notification and the underlying interface elements. This intermediary provides clear temporal information without requiring complex interactions or changing the fundamental overlay structure, thus maintaining notification prominence while reducing interface complexity and preventing accidental selections.
3Productivity
If the notification times out automatically, then processing resources are freed, but the user may have intended to interact with the notification or underlying options
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses feedback by continuously displaying timeout information to the user, enabling them to monitor the notification's lifecycle and make informed decisions. This allows the system to maintain automatic timeout functionality for resource efficiency while giving users the information needed to ensure their intentions are accurately executed.
Solution Approach 2:
By providing advance warning of the timeout, the system allows users to take preliminary action (either dismissing the notification or preparing to interact with underlying options) before the automatic timeout occurs, thus preventing misinterpretation of user intent while maintaining resource-efficient automatic expiration.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of generating display objects comprises operating a processor to: detect an occurrence of an event; define a display time associated with a predefined duration following the occurrence of the event; generate a first display object for display for by a display device for the predefined duration, wherein the first display object is representative of the detected event; output the first display object on the display device; generate a second display object for display by a display device for the predefined duration, wherein the second display object is indicative of the display time; output the second display object on the display device; and update the second display object based on an elapsed time of the predefined duration. A device and executable computer program for performing the steps of the method is also provided.