Peekable User Interface for Portable Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable electronic devices in sleep mode or covered by protective cases require users to unlock or uncover the display to access information, making it cumbersome to quickly view essential information like time, messages, or media playback status.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that detect displacement of a covering apparatus to partially uncover the display, allowing for a 'peekable' user interface to show contextual information without unlocking, using gestures or touch inputs to illuminate and display information based on the extent of displacement, even when the device is in a low power condition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the device is placed in sleep mode or covered by protective case, then power consumption is reduced and device is protected, but user cannot access information without unlocking or uncovering
Solution Approach 1:
The display is segmented into multiple regions with different power states. When the device is covered, only specific portions of the display remain active to show essential information (time, notifications, media playback status), while other portions remain in low-power mode. This allows users to access critical information without fully waking the device.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of fully waking the display when covered, the system applies partial action by illuminating only the necessary portions of the display that correspond to the uncovered area. This provides just enough information access to satisfy user needs while maintaining power savings.
2Loss of information
If the display is fully uncovered to access information, then complete information is visible, but power consumption increases and interaction complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the display have different quality states (active vs. low-power). When the device is partially covered, only the locally corresponding display regions are activated. For example, if the top portion of the case is uncovered, only the top portion of the display shows information, providing locally appropriate information visibility while conserving power.
3Reliability
If the device requires full unlock gesture to access information, then security is maintained, but operation time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by allowing limited information access through simplified gestures (peeking) without requiring the full unlock sequence. Users can quickly glance at essential information by performing a minimal gesture, maintaining security while reducing access time for non-critical operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Access to information is segmented into different levels: full access requiring complete unlock, and partial access requiring minimal gesture. The segmented display activation corresponds to these access levels, allowing users to choose the appropriate interaction depth based on their needs.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and portable electronic device are provided that presents a user interface based upon detected input, such as a touch contact with a touch-sensitive display of the portable electronic device, from displacement of a covering apparatus to uncover a portion of the display while the display is in a low power condition such as a sleep state. The information in the user interface that is displayed is determined at least in part by the extent of the displacement of the covering apparatus. The user of the device can peek at the user interface of the device and not have to completely uncover or remove the device from the covering apparatus to view particular types of information.