Touch Display Hover Preview for Paste Operations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Performing cut, copy, and paste operations on touch-sensitive displays of hand portable electronic devices is cumbersome due to the limitations of existing drag-and-drop and hovering-based methods.
Innovation Solution
A method where a user's digit is used as 'virtual storage' for information during a paste operation, with the touch-sensitive display showing a transient preview of content when the digit hovers nearby, allowing for intuitive selection and initiation of the paste operation without direct contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional drag-and-drop operations are used on touch-sensitive displays, then content can be transferred between locations, but the operation becomes cumbersome and complex for users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a finger hover state as an intermediary between content selection and pasting. When a user hovers their finger over the display without touching, the system displays a transient indication of the content to be pasted. This intermediary hover state simplifies the operation by eliminating the need for complex drag-and-drop gestures, multi-touch operations, or menu navigation, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically detects the finger hover state and autonomously displays the transient indication of the content to be pasted without requiring explicit user commands. The system self-services by interpreting the hover gesture as a paste initiation command and automatically presenting the content preview, reducing the operational steps the user must manually complete and thus improving ease of operation while maintaining simple interaction
2Reliability
If a preview of content is displayed during paste operation, then user intent can be confirmed, but the interface complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent displays only a transient indication (partial preview) of the content to be pasted during the finger hover state, rather than displaying the full content or requiring comprehensive confirmation dialogs. This partial action provides sufficient information for the user to confirm intent while avoiding excessive interface elements, thus improving reliability without significantly increasing interface complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The transient indication is dynamically displayed only during the finger hover state and automatically disappears when the finger touches the display or moves away. This dynamic behavior allows the preview to appear contextually when needed for confirmation while automatically disappearing to maintain a clean interface, resolving the contradiction between reliability and interface complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus, method and computer program are provided. The method comprises: controlling a touch sensitive display, while a user digit is detected hovering a distance from the touch sensitive display, to display a transient indication of first content for pasting, wherein if the user subsequently moves the user digit away from the touch sensitive display such that the user digit is no longer detected, the transient indication of the first content for pasting is removed from display on the touch sensitive display.