Printer Control Interface Layout for Thumbnail Visibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current electronic device interfaces for controlling printers are not user-friendly, leading to poor user experience due to inconvenient layout and occlusion of thumbnails by controls.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device control method that includes displaying a first interface with a thumbnail and controls, allowing users to perform swipe-up operations to expand the interface, reducing the thumbnail size and adding more controls, and enabling swipe-down operations to reduce controls and enlarge the thumbnail, thereby improving visibility and control access.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the interface displays all controls at once, then the user can access all printing options, but the thumbnail becomes occluded by the controls and the interface becomes cluttered

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol accessibilityVSAvoidthumbnail occlusion
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The interface is segmented into a fixed header area for the thumbnail and a variable control area. The control area can be expanded or contracted based on user needs, allowing all controls to be accessible when needed while keeping the thumbnail visible in the fixed header area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The control area is made dynamic with expandable and contractable properties. Users can swipe up to expand the control area for full access to all printing options, and swipe down to contract it and enlarge the thumbnail, creating an adaptive interface that responds to user needs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If the interface displays more controls, then the user has more printing options available, but the interface size increases and thumbnail visibility decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprinting optionsVSAvoidinterface area
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The control area dynamically adjusts its size based on the number of controls displayed. When more controls are needed, the control area expands vertically while the thumbnail remains visible in the fixed header area. When fewer controls are needed, the control area contracts, freeing up space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The interface utilizes vertical dimensionality by stacking the thumbnail in the header area and controls in the body area. The swipe-up/swipe-down operations move controls between hidden and visible states in the vertical dimension, allowing more controls without increasing the overall interface width.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the interface is simplified with fewer controls, then the layout is cleaner and thumbnail is more visible, but the user has fewer printing options immediately available

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterface clutterVSAvoidcontrol accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The interface separates the thumbnail display function from the control display function into distinct spatial regions. The fixed header area maintains a clean, clutter-free thumbnail display, while the variable control area provides access to printing options only when needed through swipe operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The control area dynamically expands when users need more options and contracts when fewer options are needed. This dynamic behavior allows the interface to adapt between a simplified clean layout and a feature-rich control layout based on real-time user needs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4293495B1Control method for electronic device and electronic device
Publication Date: 2026.04.15 HONOR DEVICE CO LTD
  • EP4293495B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4293495B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4293495B1 patent drawingFigure 3a

AI summary

This application provides an electronic device control method and an electronic device. The method is helpful to improve convenience of a user to control, through the electronic device, a printing device for printing and finally improve user experience. The method includes: displaying a first interface, the first interface including: a first thumbnail and a first quantity of controls, the first thumbnail corresponding to a first file, the first thumbnail having a first size, and the first quantity of controls including a first control; sending a printing instruction to a printing device in response to a first operation on the first control, the printing instruction indicating printing the first file; and displaying a second interface in response to a second operation acting on the first interface, the second interface including: a second thumbnail and a second quantity of controls, the second quantity of controls including the first control, the second thumbnail corresponding to the first file, the second thumbnail having a second size, the second size being smaller than the first size, the second quantity being greater than the first quantity, the second interface being of a same size as the first interface.