Proximity-Based Contact Icon Management on Mobile Home Screens
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mobile devices make it inconvenient to quickly access contact information and related applications, as users often face difficulty in finding frequently needed contacts amidst numerous entries in their address book.
Innovation Solution
Creating an icon for a contact on the mobile device's user interface that can be displayed on the home screen, allowing users to access contact information and associated applications, with the option to temporarily display icons based on proximity to the contact, reducing the need for constant data storage of application data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If all contact information is stored in one place (address book database), then data organization is simplified, but quickly finding often needed contacts becomes difficult and inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments contact access by creating separate icon representations for frequently accessed contacts on the home screen, distinct from the main address book. This allows users to quickly access specific contacts through icons rather than searching through the entire address book database.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces icons as intermediary elements between the user and contact information. These icons serve as shortcuts that mediate access to contact data, applications, and services without requiring direct interaction with the address book database.
2Ease of operation
If icons are permanently stored on the mobile device, then access to contact information is convenient, but storage space is continuously occupied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic icon management where icons can be temporarily added to the home screen based on user interaction or proximity detection, and automatically removed after a period of time or when no longer needed. This dynamic approach allows convenient access when required while minimizing permanent storage occupation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables temporary storage of icon data on the mobile device, with automatic discarding after use or time expiration. The contact information can be recovered on-demand from the address book database without permanently storing duplicate copies, thus balancing accessibility with storage efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
An icon can be created for a contact (e.g., an individual(s) or an entity) and presented on a user interface of a mobile device, such as a “home screen.” The icon can be used to retrieve and display contact information. The icon can also be used to invoke one or more applications that are personalized to the contact. The icon can be modified to display information related to the contact. In one aspect, an icon associated with an entity can be temporarily displayed on the mobile device based on the proximity of the mobile device to the entity. The icon can be used to retrieve and display information related to the entity. Additionally, the icon can be removed from the display on the mobile device when the mobile device is no longer within a certain proximity of the entity.