Time Dial Pointer Interface for App Icon Triggering
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current display methods in electronic devices, such as smart wristbands, are limited by physical buttons and icon controls, leading to poor effectiveness in triggering application interfaces due to material quality and force feedback restrictions.
Innovation Solution
A display method and apparatus that utilizes a time dial with K pointers to indicate time, allowing for user inputs to trigger the display of M application icons associated with a selected pointer, which then displays the application interface corresponding to a target icon.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If physical buttons or icon controls are used to trigger application interface display, then the device structure is simple, but the triggering effectiveness is poor due to material quality and force feedback restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical mechanical buttons with a virtual time dial interface that responds to user interactions (rotation, tapping, long-pressing) without requiring physical force feedback mechanisms. This substitution eliminates the limitations of material quality and force feedback while maintaining intuitive user interaction, thereby improving triggering effectiveness without adding mechanical complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The time dial serves multiple functions: it displays time information and simultaneously acts as an interactive control interface for launching applications. By integrating these functions into a single interface element, the patent improves triggering effectiveness while avoiding the need for separate physical buttons or scattered icon controls, thus maintaining structural simplicity
2Reliability
If icon controls are scattered distributed on the interface, then the device structure remains simple, but the triggering effectiveness is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple application launch functions into a unified time dial interface. Instead of scattering icon controls across the display, all application triggers are integrated into the time dial through pointer associations, making the interface easier to operate while improving triggering effectiveness through centralized, intuitive interactions
3Reliability
If a time dial with K pointers is implemented, then the triggering effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The time dial with K pointers serves dual purposes: time display and application control. Each pointer can be associated with multiple applications, and different interaction modes (rotation, tapping, long-pressing) provide different functions. This multi-functionality improves triggering effectiveness while the unified interface structure avoids the complexity of multiple separate controls
Solution Approach 2:
The time dial interface is dynamic and adaptive - it can display different application icons based on the pointer's position, the type of user interaction, and the current time. This dynamic behavior provides rich functionality and improved triggering effectiveness without requiring a complex static interface structure, as the interface adapts to user needs in real-time
Data Source
AI summary
A display method and an electronic device are provided. The method includes: displaying a time dial. The time dial includes K pointers, the K pointers are used to indicate time, and K is a positive integer. The method further includes receiving a first input performed on a first pointer in the K pointers. The method also includes displaying, in response to the first input, M application icons associated with the first pointer. M is a positive integer. The method additionally includes displaying an application interface corresponding to a target icon in a case that the first pointer indicates the target icon. The M application icons include the target icon.