Pannable Image Animation for Mobile UI

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users of mobile devices face difficulty in identifying pannable images within a user interface, leading to reduced interaction and increased resource consumption as they often need to download or display entire high-resolution images to discover pannable content.

Innovation Solution

Implementing animation techniques that indicate pannable images by moving and animating them when the user interface is swiped, allowing users to easily identify and interact with pannable images without needing to download the entire high-resolution image.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If the entire high-resolution image is displayed to allow users to identify pannable content, then users can see all image content, but computing resources and bandwidth are wasted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage content visibilityVSAvoidcomputing resources and bandwidth
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The image is divided into a visible portion and a hidden portion. The visible portion is displayed to users, while the hidden portion remains unloaded or partially loaded, reducing bandwidth consumption and computing resources while still allowing users to access the complete image content when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of loading and displaying the entire high-resolution image, only the necessary portion is loaded and displayed. This partial action approach reduces resource consumption while providing sufficient information for users to identify pannable content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Ease of operation

If pannable images are not clearly indicated in the user interface, then the interface remains simple, but users cannot easily identify which images are pannable

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage identificationVSAvoiduser interface complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The visible portion of the image uses different color characteristics (such as opacity, saturation, or brightness) to indicate that the image is pannable. This visual differentiation helps users easily identify interactive images without adding complex interface elements, maintaining simplicity while improving usability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

3Loss of information

If users interact with images to discover pannable content, then users can find interactive images, but interaction time and effort increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepannable content discoveryVSAvoiduser interaction time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By using visual indicators such as color changes, opacity variations, or other visual cues on the visible portion of the image, users can immediately identify which images are pannable without needing to interact with or explore multiple images. This reduces interaction time and effort while ensuring pannable content is discovered.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Data Source

PatentEP3504614B1Animating an image to indicate that the image is pannable
Publication Date: 2021.12.01 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP3504614B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3504614B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3504614B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

In general, the subject matter described in this disclosure can be embodied in methods, systems, and computer-readable devices. A computing device presents a user interface that includes first and second images. The computing device receives first user input that moves the user interface in a first direction. The computing device moves the user interface in the first direction by moving the first and second images in the first direction, and modifying a presentation of the second image at the same time that the second image is moved in the first direction, to indicate that the second image is an image that is pannable. The computing device receives second user input that interacts with the second image to pan the second image. The computing device pans the second image by replacing a first portion of the second image with a second portion of the second image.