Split-Screen Control Windows for Limited-Display User Interaction

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Solution Overview

Problem

The limited size of application interfaces on electronic devices hinders effective user interaction, particularly in operations like text input, due to restricted display space or running applications, leading to inconvenience and poor user experience.

Innovation Solution

A split screen method and apparatus that allows for a larger target area and separate windows for controls, enabling enhanced user interaction by displaying additional information or switching applications within the same window.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the application interface is displayed on a limited-size display, then the device can run multiple applications, but the user cannot conveniently perform operations on the application interface

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of running applicationsVSAvoidconvenience of user operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The application interface is segmented into multiple independent windows that can be displayed simultaneously on the display. Each window contains a portion of the interface elements (e.g., chat input box, message list), allowing users to access and operate on enlarged interface elements while maintaining the ability to run multiple applications. The window manager divides the display area into multiple regions, each dedicated to a specific window or application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The interface transitions from a single-plane limited display to a multi-window spatial arrangement. By organizing interface elements across multiple windows in different spatial positions on the display, the system effectively adds a spatial dimension to the interface layout, allowing users to access larger target areas for operations while maintaining multi-application functionality.

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

2Area of stationary object

If the display size is limited, then the device maintains compact form factor, but the target area of controls is small making operations difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay sizeVSAvoidtarget area size for control operations
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The control interface is segmented into multiple windows, each containing specific control elements. By distributing controls across multiple windows rather than compressing them into a single small area, each control element can maintain an adequate target area for easy operation while the overall display size remains compact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple windows displaying different portions of the application interface are merged into a unified multi-window interface system. This allows the system to provide large effective target areas for controls across the combined window space while maintaining a compact physical display device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple applications run simultaneously, then functionality is enhanced, but the interface becomes cluttered and hard to operate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapplication functionalityVSAvoidinterface complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Each running application or application module is assigned to a separate window, segmenting the interface into distinct, manageable units. This segmentation reduces interface clutter by organizing multiple applications into separate spatial regions, making it easier for users to navigate and operate each application independently while maintaining enhanced functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each window is designed with local quality appropriate to its specific function or application, allowing optimized layout and control arrangement for each task. This local optimization reduces overall interface complexity by allowing each region to be simplified for its specific purpose while the system as a whole provides enhanced multi-application functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4206910B1Split-screen method and apparatus, and electronic device
Publication Date: 2025.10.08 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4206910B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4206910B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4206910B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A split screen method and apparatus, and an electronic device (100) are provided, and relate to the field of communications technologies. The split screen method is applied to the electronic device (100) having a display (194). The split screen method includes: displaying a first interface of a first application on the display (194), where the first interface includes a first control (S101); detecting a first operation input by a user (S102); displaying prompt information in response to the detected first operation, where the prompt information is used to prompt that the first control supports split screen (S103); detecting a second operation input by the user on the first control (S104); and displaying a second interface in response to the detected second operation, where the second interface includes a first window and a second window, a third interface corresponding to the first interface is displayed in the first window, and a second control corresponding to the first control is displayed in the second window (S105). This method allows a split screen operation on a control on an application interface. In this way, a user can perform a corresponding operation on a split screen control. This resolves a problem that it is difficult for the user to perform the corresponding operation on the application interface when a size of the application interface on the electronic device (100) is limited.