Touch-Sensitive Display Gesture Control for Single-Handed Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing portable electronic devices with touch-sensitive displays require complex hand movements for selecting and navigating through display elements, often necessitating the use of both hands, which can be cumbersome and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

A method where a touch and hold gesture on a touch-sensitive display selects a first portion of display elements, and extending the gesture for a further duration selects additional portions, allowing for the selection of variable amounts of display elements with a single hand, including text, media, or containing elements, by progressively selecting words, lines, sentences, or paragraphs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If traditional touch interface methods are used for selecting display elements, then the device can be operated, but complex hand movements are required and both hands are needed, reducing ease of operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidcomplexity of hand movements

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the selection process into distinct phases based on touch duration: initial selection of focused display element, extended selection for additional elements, and prolonged selection for even more elements. This temporal segmentation allows a single hand to perform previously multi-hand tasks by varying touch duration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of touch duration to control selection behavior. By monitoring how long a user maintains contact with the display, the system dynamically adjusts the selection scope - from single element to multiple elements to extensive selections - enabling one-handed operation of functions that previously required both hands.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If touch duration is extended to select more display elements, then more elements can be selected with one hand, but the selection process takes longer, affecting productivity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveefficiency of element selectionVSAvoidtime for gesture execution

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary selection of the focused display element upon initial touch contact. This preliminary action establishes the starting point for subsequent selection expansion, allowing users to quickly select common elements while reserving extended touch options for more comprehensive selections, thereby optimizing the time-efficiency tradeoff.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The selection scope dynamically expands based on touch duration. The system continuously monitors the ongoing touch gesture and adjusts the selection set in real-time, transitioning from selecting only the focused element to including additional and then even more display elements as the touch persists, enabling adaptive efficiency based on user intent.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9652141B2Portable electronic device including touch-sensitive display and method of controlling same

Publication Date: 2017.05.16 MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LTD

AI summary

A method includes displaying a plurality of display elements on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device; in response to detecting a touch lasting at least a first duration and associated with a first portion of the plurality of display elements, selecting the first portion; and in response to the touch lasting at least a second duration longer than the first duration, selecting a second portion of the plurality of display elements.