Stretchable Cursor System for Touch Screen Drag Manipulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing touch-sensitive displays in electronic devices face challenges in providing improved usability, reliability, and accuracy while minimizing costs and maximizing efficiency, particularly in navigating and manipulating content like maps and media, where repeated drags are necessary to achieve desired scales, which can deteriorate manipulability.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a stretchable cursor system on touch screens that detects drags, extends based on the drag direction and length, and adjusts its position relative to a centerline, allowing users to easily recognize starting and ending points, direction, and length of the drag, enhancing manipulability by enabling intuitive manipulation inputs such as controlling reproduction speed and scroll direction through directional changes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a traditional touch-sensitive display is used, then the device can detect touch inputs, but the usability and manipulability deteriorate when repeated drags are necessary to achieve desired scales

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovemanipulabilityVSAvoidtime for repeated gestures
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by automatically extending the cursor in the direction of the drag before the user completes the gesture. When the user initiates a drag, the cursor extends ahead in that direction, so that when the user releases, the cursor is already positioned where it needs to be for the next operation, eliminating the need for repeated gestures to adjust position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies dynamics by making the cursor extendable and adaptive rather than fixed. The cursor dynamically changes its extension based on the drag direction and can be configured to extend in different directions (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) depending on the user's input, allowing flexible adaptation to various manipulation needs without requiring repeated gestures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Measurement precision

If the cursor is extended based on drag direction and length, then the accuracy of drag detection is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrag detection accuracyVSAvoidcursor extension mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies self-service by having the cursor extension mechanism automatically adjust based on the drag input without requiring additional complex processing. The cursor extension is directly driven by the drag direction and length, using the input itself to determine the extension parameters, which simplifies the overall system architecture compared to using separate sensors or complex algorithms to determine cursor position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If the starting position of the stretchable cursor is moved toward the centerline, then the ease of operation is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecursor positioningVSAvoidcursor position adjustment
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the cursor's starting position parameter based on the drag direction and the centerline of the display. When the drag direction indicates a need to move toward the centerline, the system changes the cursor's starting position parameter to reflect this adjustment, allowing intuitive operation while using software-based parameter modification rather than hardware precision requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2437150B1Electronic device system with information processing mechanism and method of operation thereof
Publication Date: 2018.02.28 SONY GROUP CORP
  • EP2437150B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2437150B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2437150B1 patent drawingFigure 5A~5B

AI summary

A method of operation of an electronic device system includes: detecting a drag performed on a touch screen, the drag having a first direction from a starting point and an ending point; detecting a stretchable cursor extendable based on the drag, the stretchable cursor having a cursor length, a cursor direction, a starting portion, and an ending portion at the ending point and larger than the starting portion at the starting point; displaying the stretchable cursor on the touch screen, the stretchable cursor stretched across a centerline on the touch screen; detecting whether a second direction of the drag is opposite the first direction; and moving a starting position of the stretchable cursor toward the centerline and away from the starting point when the second direction is opposite the first direction.