Rotating Bezel Application Activation via Angular Input
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable electronic devices face challenges in providing an intuitive and efficient user interface due to their limited display size, often leading to unintended inputs and inconvenient input environments, especially when trying to activate applications.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a bezel member that is bidirectionally rotatable around a display, allowing users to activate applications by specific rotation angles, with associated angular difference or range data stored in the device's memory to determine which application to activate based on the rotation input, and providing haptic feedback to confirm the input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a touch display is used for user input, then the device can receive user inputs, but the limited display size causes unintended inputs and inconvenient input environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a rotational dimension to the interface interaction. Instead of relying solely on the two-dimensional touch display, the solution adds a third dimension of rotation around the display axis. This allows users to activate applications by rotating the device or a component to specific angles, effectively expanding the input space beyond the limited display area and enabling application activation without direct touch interaction.
2Ease of operation
If the display size is increased to improve input environment, then the input environment improves, but the device portability and ease of handling deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by utilizing the rotational dimension around the display rather than increasing the display area. Users can rotate the device or a rotatable component to specific angles to activate applications, providing an enhanced input environment without increasing the physical device size. This maintains portability while improving input capabilities.
3Ease of operation
If rotation input is implemented to activate applications, then application activation becomes intuitive and reduces unintended inputs, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a rotatable component (such as a bezel or crown) that serves multiple functions: it can be rotated to activate applications at specific angles, pressed to provide haptic feedback, and potentially used for other navigation tasks. This multi-functional approach allows the device to gain enhanced application activation capabilities without proportionally increasing overall device complexity, as the same physical component performs multiple roles.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides haptic feedback through vibration when a user rotates the component to a specific angle corresponding to an application activation position. This feedback mechanism confirms to the user that the rotation has reached the correct position, making the application activation process more intuitive and reliable while using a relatively simple mechanical or electromagnetic vibration mechanism.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electronic device for activating an application based on a rotation input is provided. The electronic device includes a memory configured to store at least one of angular range data and angular data for activating an application, and a processor configured to activate the application if a rotation angle according to a rotation input corresponds to at least one of the angular range data and the angular data.