Tap-Based GUI Reordering Mechanism for Touchscreens
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Solution Overview
Problem
The drag and drop operation for reordering graphical elements is inefficient and computationally intensive, particularly on touchscreens and other non-mouse devices, leading to user experience issues and increased processing load.
Innovation Solution
A user input mechanism that allows users to select GUI elements in a desired order without focusing on item positions, where the time between selections determines the completion of the selection process, reducing the need for continuous feedback and minimizing computational load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If drag and drop operation is used for reordering graphical elements, then reordering functionality is achieved, but user experience deteriorates on touchscreens and non-mouse devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical drag-and-drop interaction (requiring continuous finger movement across the screen) with a tap-based selection system. Users simply tap elements in the desired order, eliminating the need for precise dragging motions on touchscreens. This substitution fundamentally changes the interaction paradigm to one that is naturally suited for touchscreen devices while maintaining reordering functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of moving elements to specific positions (spatial-based ordering), the patent inverts the approach by having users select elements in the desired sequence through tapping (temporal-based ordering). The system then arranges selected elements according to the selection sequence, rather than requiring users to drag elements to their final positions. This inversion makes the operation much more intuitive on touchscreens.
2Manufacturing precision
If drag and drop operation with real-time feedback is implemented, then reordering accuracy is improved, but computational load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by only performing computational updates at discrete tap events rather than continuously during a drag operation. The system recalculates the reordering arrangement only when a user completes a tap selection, rather than continuously updating visual feedback during movement. This periodic approach maintains necessary precision while dramatically reducing processor power consumption between user interactions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the computationally intensive real-time visual feedback mechanism from the reordering process. Instead of continuously rendering and updating visual representations during the reordering operation, the system defers these computations until after the user completes their selection sequence. This extraction eliminates unnecessary computational overhead while preserving the ability to provide accurate reordering results.
3Productivity
If drag and drop operation is used for reordering scrambled letters or image segments, then reordering functionality is achieved, but operation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by breaking the reordering task into discrete tap selections rather than requiring a single continuous drag operation. Users can tap multiple elements in sequence, with each tap being a quick, simple action. This segmentation of the interaction into small, rapid steps allows users to efficiently reorder multiple elements without the time-consuming continuous motion required by traditional drag-and-drop, thereby improving overall reordering speed.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention provides a user input mechanism for reordering of items displayed on a display in which the user is focussed on item order, not item position as in the case of a drag and drop operation. The user selects one or more GUI elements displayed on a display of a data processing device in a desired order, where the time between each adjacent selected GUI element is less than a threshold time. Upon detection that no further selection has been made within the threshold time, the data processing device interprets the user as having completed their selection. At this point the selected one or more GUI elements are reordered based on the order that they were selected by the user, with any unselected GUI elements being placed before or after the reordered GUI elements as appropriate. The user is now free to make further selections if necessary.