Terminal Icon Exchange via Control Box Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The process of exchanging icons on a terminal is complicated and time-consuming, as it often requires moving an icon to a blank area before moving it to another position, which can result in incorrect placement and changes to the positions of other icons.

Innovation Solution

The terminal displays an icon display area and an icon control box corresponding to that area, allowing icons to be moved directly from one icon display area to another icon control box, eliminating the need for moving icons to a blank area and maintaining the positions and order of unmoved icons.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the terminal moves an icon to a blank area before moving it to another position, then the icon can be exchanged with another icon, but the operation becomes complicated and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveicon exchange operationVSAvoidtime required for icon rearrangement
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the blank area as an intermediate step from the icon exchange process. By introducing a blank area as a temporary holding position, the system enables direct icon exchange without requiring the icon to be moved through multiple intermediate positions, thereby simplifying the operation and reducing time consumption

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The blank area serves as an intermediary element in the icon exchange process. When exchanging icon A and icon B, the blank area acts as a temporary storage position that facilitates the exchange operation, allowing the terminal to control the icon movement more efficiently without complicating the user's operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the terminal moves an icon to a blank area for exchange, then the icon position can be changed, but the position of unmoved icons may change incorrectly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveicon position adjustmentVSAvoidicon position accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the desktop into distinct icon display areas, each with its own control box. This segmentation allows the terminal to independently control icon movement within each area, ensuring that when an icon is moved to exchange positions, the positions of unmoved icons remain unchanged and accurate

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the terminal controls the icon movement based on the user's input and the current display state. The terminal receives feedback about the icon positions and controls the movement to ensure that only the intended icon is moved to the blank area, while other icons maintain their correct positions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3779656B1Method for controlling icon display, and terminal
Publication Date: 2023.08.23 VIVO MOBILE COMM CO LTD

AI summary

An icon display control method and a terminal are disclosed and applied to the field of communications technologies, so as to resolve a problem that an operation in a process of controlling an icon by the terminal to move and display is complicated and time-consuming. The method includes: displaying, by the terminal, a first icon and a second icon in a first icon display area and a second icon display area, respectively (201); receiving, by the terminal, a first input by a user (202); in response to the first input, displaying, by the terminal, the first icon in an icon control box corresponding to the second icon display area (203); and updating, by the terminal, display content of the second icon display area to the first icon (204).