Screen Icon Gesture Control for One-Handed Row and Column Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The operation of icons on touchscreen devices is tedious and time-consuming due to the need for frequent dragging when the number of applications exceeds the screen's control range, especially on large screens, leading to difficulty in finding specific icons and requiring two-handed operations.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that determine the nature of a user's sliding operation based on initial location, speed, and duration to perform either an entire screen operation or single-row/column operation, optimizing icon movement by excluding conventional operations and facilitating quick icon finding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If unified dragging operation is used to navigate icons on touchscreen, then the operation method is simple, but the user needs to drag the entire screen frequently to find icons, causing tedious operations and time consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the icon navigation operation into two distinct modes: whole-screen dragging for general navigation and row/column-based dragging for efficient icon access. When the user drags from an icon's position, the system identifies the icon and moves only its row or column, rather than requiring the user to drag through the entire screen. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by providing both simple operation (through intuitive drag gestures) and reduced time consumption (through targeted icon movement).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic operation modes that adapt based on the user's gesture characteristics. The system detects whether the user intends whole-screen navigation or icon-specific access by analyzing the drag starting position and movement pattern. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to automatically switch between different navigation strategies, resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and efficiency by providing the appropriate mode without requiring the user to manually select it.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the screen displays more icons to increase application availability, then the quantity of applications increases, but the user needs to perform frequent dragging to find specific icons
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the icon grid into identifiable rows and columns, allowing the user to access icons by dragging along row or column vectors. This segmentation transforms the overwhelming task of searching through many icons into a more manageable operation where the user can systematically navigate through rows or columns. The system detects the user's intent by analyzing the drag gesture and automatically identifies the target icon, resolving the contradiction between displaying many applications and maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism that automatically identifies the target icon based on the user's drag gesture characteristics. Instead of requiring the user to manually locate and precisely tap each icon among many, the system acts as an intermediary that interprets the drag gesture, identifies the starting icon, and determines the intended row or column. This intermediary process resolves the contradiction by enabling efficient navigation through large numbers of icons while maintaining simple user gestures.
3Area of stationary object
If the screen size is increased to provide more display space, then the display capacity increases, but one-hand operation becomes difficult due to the excessively large screen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the navigation task into localized row or column operations rather than requiring the user to reach across the entire large screen. When the user initiates a drag gesture from an icon, the system identifies and moves only the relevant row or column, keeping the operational scope localized. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling efficient icon access on large screens without requiring the user to stretch their hand across the entire display area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by moving only the necessary row or column of icons rather than requiring the user to navigate through the entire screen. This partial operation approach allows the system to provide the functionality needed for icon access while minimizing the physical distance the user's finger must travel. The system performs exactly the amount of icon movement required to satisfy the user's intent, resolving the contradiction between large screen real estate and one-hand operability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A screen icon operating method is provided. The method includes: collecting user sliding operation information, where the sliding operation information includes: a first location, a sliding speed, pressing duration before sliding, or a sliding direction (S201), and the first location is an initial location of a user sliding operation; and when the first location is not located on an icon, if the sliding speed is less than a sliding speed threshold, moving icons on a display page by columns or by rows in the sliding direction (S204); or when the first location is located on the icon, determining that the pressing duration is greater than or equal to a first duration threshold and less than or equal to a second duration threshold, and moving column icons or row icons in the sliding direction (S207). According to the method, a corresponding icon can be quickly found, and for a large-screen terminal device whose size exceeds a specific size, operations can be quickly implemented with one hand. Therefore, the operations are more simple and convenient.