Touch-Sensitive Navigation Scaling by Finger Count
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current portable entertainment devices with small touch-sensitive screens face challenges in accurately navigating large multimedia files due to limited finger movement space, leading to either high scroll speeds or non-intuitive non-linear scrolling, making it difficult for users to precisely control playback positions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a touch-sensitive surface capable of detecting multiple points of touch, where the navigation function scales based on the number of fingers used, allowing for rapid and accurate navigation by adjusting scroll speed and extent in response to the number of fingers, enabling precise control over playback positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the scroll speed is increased to enable navigation across large documents on small screens, then the navigation speed is improved, but the navigation precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the scroll speed variable rather than fixed. The scroll speed dynamically adjusts based on the detected number of simultaneous touch points - more fingers produce faster scrolling, fewer fingers produce slower scrolling. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize between speed and precision in real-time during navigation operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of scroll speed based on the number of touch points detected. By mapping different finger counts to different scroll speed multipliers, the system transforms a single-parameter control (touch position) into a multi-parameter control system (touch position + touch count), enabling both rapid and precise navigation through parameter variation.
2Measurement precision
If the scroll speed is decreased to improve navigation precision, then the navigation precision is improved, but the navigation speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts scroll speed based on user input complexity. When precise navigation is needed (fewer fingers), the scroll speed automatically decreases. When rapid navigation is sufficient (more fingers), the scroll speed increases. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction by adapting speed to the specific navigation context.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent varies the scroll speed parameter according to the number of simultaneous touch points. By establishing a mapping where touch count determines speed multiplier, the system enables precision control (low speed with 1-2 fingers) and rapid navigation (high speed with 3+ fingers) using the same underlying mechanism.
3Measurement precision
If a non-linear scroll speed mapping is implemented to improve navigation accuracy, then the navigation precision is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to non-intuitive behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the interpretation parameter (number of touch points) to control scroll speed in a non-linear manner. This provides a intuitive control mechanism where users naturally understand that using more fingers should produce a stronger effect (faster scrolling), while maintaining precise control capability with fewer fingers.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
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AI summary
Where an entertainment device comprises a display for displaying a part of a document and a touch sensitive surface operable to detect two or more points of touch, then a method of content navigation for the entertainment device comprises the steps of detecting a touch-based gesture used to control a navigation function, wherein the navigation function is operable to change which part of the document is displayed by the display, detecting the number of points of touch used in the gesture, and selecting a scaling of the navigation function responsive to the detected number of points of touch.