Sidebar Control Group Switching for Dense Touchscreen Interfaces

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing interactive interfaces struggle to accommodate an increasing variety of function controls within their sidebars, limiting user interaction and reducing the user experience.

Innovation Solution

A control display method that groups function controls within a target interface sidebar, allowing switching between adjacent groups upon triggering a control, thereby expanding the number of available functions without overwhelming the user.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If multiple applications are displayed in a list view on a limited-size touchscreen, then more applications can be viewed at once, but the display becomes cluttered and difficult to operate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of applications displayedVSAvoidease of selecting application
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The display is segmented into two distinct views: a thumbnail view showing multiple applications simultaneously and a full view showing one application at a time. Users can switch between these views to either browse multiple applications or select one easily, resolving the contradiction between displaying more applications and maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a spatial dimension by displaying application thumbnails in a grid layout on the touchscreen. This allows multiple applications to be viewed at once without cluttering a single linear space, and users can easily navigate by tapping on the desired thumbnail to switch to full view.

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

2Volume of moving object

If a small touchscreen is used to reduce device size, then the device becomes more portable, but the display area for applications is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice sizeVSAvoiddisplay area
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The display dynamically adapts its content based on the selected view mode. In thumbnail view, multiple small application icons are displayed to maximize the use of limited screen real estate. When a user selects an application, the display transitions to full view, showing the complete application interface. This dynamic adjustment allows the small touchscreen to effectively display both multiple applications and full application content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4343512B1Control display method and apparatus, device, and medium
Publication Date: 2026.05.13 BEIJING ZITIAO NETWORK TECH CO LTD
  • EP4343512B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4343512B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4343512B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present application discloses a control display method and apparatus, a device, and a medium. The control display method comprises: displaying, in a target interface sidebar, a first group of function controls and a first trigger control; and when a first trigger operation on the first trigger control is detected, in the target interface sidebar, switching the first group of function controls to a second group of function controls for display, the second group of function controls being adjacent to the first group of function controls in a first switching direction corresponding to the first trigger control. According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, while facilitating user operation, the number of function controls that an interactive interface sidebar can provide to a user can be increased, the function expansion capability of the interactive interface sidebar is improved, and more interactive functions that can be used are provided to the user, thus user experience is improved.