Scrollable Desktop Navigation With Miniature App Representations

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional desktop user interfaces on electronic devices limit the number of accessible applications due to screen space constraints, making it difficult for users to manage and navigate multiple open applications efficiently.

Innovation Solution

A scrollable desktop interface with a navigation key that allows users to access more applications than the visible screen space, providing a circular or infinite view of open applications, with miniature representations on the navigation key that preserve relative sizes and positions, enabling seamless scrolling and orientation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If conventional desktop user interface is used, then screen space is sufficient for display, but the number of accessible applications is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of accessible applicationsVSAvoidscreen space

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a scrollable desktop interface that extends beyond the visible screen boundaries in horizontal and/or vertical directions. Applications are arranged in a multi-dimensional space that can be navigated through scrolling operations, effectively adding spatial dimensions beyond the immediate viewport to accommodate more applications than would fit on a single screen.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The navigation key displays miniature representations (copies) of applications that are out of view on the main desktop. These thumbnail copies allow users to see and access applications that exist in the extended desktop space but are not currently visible, providing a map or overview of the entire application landscape.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Ease of operation

If more applications are displayed on screen, then application accessibility improves, but navigation and organization becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication accessibilityVSAvoidnavigation and organization

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The desktop interface is segmented into a visible main desktop area and an extended scrollable desktop area. The navigation key further segments the overview of applications into manageable thumbnail representations. This segmentation allows users to interact with applications in organized chunks rather than attempting to manage all applications simultaneously in a single crowded view.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The navigation key acts as an intermediary between the user and the extended desktop space. It provides a condensed overview that mediates the user's interaction with applications out of view, allowing users to locate and navigate to specific applications without directly managing the entire extended desktop layout. The navigation key translates the complex extended desktop state into a manageable overview format.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9600159B2Scrollable desktop navigation

Publication Date: 2017.03.21 HEWLETT PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LP

AI summary

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to navigation of a scrollable desktop. In one embodiment, a user interface includes a scrollable desktop portion and a navigation portion. The scrollable desktop portion may display open applications, and the navigation portion may display representations of the open applications on the scrollable desktop with the relative position of the open applications on the scrollable desktop.