Sub-Display Notification Layout for Foldable Screen Constraints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current large display systems lack flexible and user-friendly content selection, layout, and placement options, often requiring complex user interfaces or simplified interfaces that sacrifice flexibility, and they do not effectively handle input mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A gesture-based method for designating sub-displays on a display, allowing users to define regions for content sharing through touch or air gestures, which are then paired with content source devices without needing a separate user interface, and enabling input detection and processing directly on the display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If notifications are displayed on the sub-display of a foldable device, then users can access notifications in a compact form factor, but the sub-display has limited screen real estate resulting in smaller notification content display area
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system is segmented into multiple components: notification icons, notification content, and notification actions. The icon serves as a compact identifier while the content and actions can be expanded upon user interaction, allowing efficient use of limited sub-display space while maintaining full functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification interface transitions from a two-dimensional compact icon display on the sub-display to a three-dimensional expanded view that utilizes the main display when the device is unfolded. This dimensional transition allows the same notification to occupy different spatial configurations based on device state.
2Area of moving object
If the device is in a folded state with limited screen space, then portability is improved, but displaying notification content becomes constrained
Solution Approach 1:
When a notification arrives in folded state, the system preliminarily displays only essential information (notification icon and brief content) on the sub-display. The complete notification content and actions are prepared but hidden, ready to be fully displayed when the user unfolds the device or interacts with the notification.
Solution Approach 2:
The sub-display acts as an intermediary that provides minimal notification information in folded state, while the main display serves as the intermediary for complete notification content. The system seamlessly transitions between these two display intermediaries based on device state and user interaction.
3Loss of information
If notification content is expanded on the sub-display, then more information is visible, but the limited screen real estate results in cramped layout and reduced readability
Solution Approach 1:
The notification display is dynamic rather than static. In folded state, notifications display compact icons with minimal information. Upon user interaction or device unfolding, the notification dynamically expands to show complete content and actions on the main display, optimizing readability based on available space and user needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification system serves multiple functions across different device states: it provides quick glanceable information on the sub-display in folded state, and provides detailed content viewing and interaction on the main display in unfolded state. This multi-functionality allows the same notification mechanism to adapt to different spatial constraints.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed in some examples are display systems, methods, devices, and machine-readable mediums which provide for a gesture-based method for specifying a region of a display in which to show shared content. Also disclosed are pairing methods for associating the region of the display with a content source device, methods for sharing content within the region, and methods for providing input from the region back to the content source device.