Touch Pad Segmentation for Handheld Display Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Handheld devices with small visual displays face challenges in selecting and magnifying content due to the obscuration of the user's fingers, making it difficult to interact with small touchscreens effectively.

Innovation Solution

The content is decomposed into regions associated with active elements, which are mapped to corresponding touch-sensitive regions on a separate touch pad or integrated touch screen, allowing users to select and magnify elements more easily by interacting with the touch pad rather than the screen, using techniques like Voronoi decomposition and tessellation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If the display screen is used as both visual output and touch input interface, then integration is improved, but finger obscuration during selection becomes worse

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay screen areaVSAvoidselection ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The display system is segmented into two separate components: a visual display screen for showing content and a separate touch-sensitive pad for input operations. This segmentation allows the touch pad to be used for selection without obscuring the display content, resolving the contradiction between integrated design and operational clarity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A separate touch-sensitive pad acts as an intermediary device between the user and the display content. The pad provides tactile feedback and selection capability without requiring direct contact with the display screen, eliminating finger obscuration while maintaining interaction effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Volume of moving object

If the display screen size is reduced for portability, then device compactness is improved, but visibility and selection precision become worse

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice volumeVSAvoidselection precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

By separating the touch input function from the visual display, the system allows the display to be smaller while the touch pad can be optimized for precise input. The touch pad provides adequate selection precision without requiring the display screen to be large, resolving the contradiction between compactness and precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The touch-sensitive pad adds a new dimension for interaction by providing tactile feedback and selection capability independent of the visual display size. This allows precise selection on small screens through the separate pad interface, overcoming the limitations of small display size.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Volume of moving object

If the display screen is made smaller for handheld portability, then portability is improved, but content visibility becomes worse

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice volumeVSAvoiddisplay area
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the interaction functions by providing a separate touch-sensitive pad for input operations. This allows the visual display to be minimized for portability while the touch pad compensates for the reduced display area by enabling precise content selection and manipulation without requiring larger screen real estate.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2409295B1Customization of GUI layout based on history of use
Publication Date: 2020.10.07 SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
  • EP2409295B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP2409295B1 patent drawingFigure 1C~1I
  • EP2409295B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B

AI summary

A hand-held electronic device, method of operation and computer readable medium are disclosed. The device may include a case having one or more major surfaces. A visual display and a touch interface are disposed on at least one of the major surfaces. A processor is operably coupled to the visual display and touch screen. Instructions executable by the processor may be configured to a) present an image on the visual display containing one or more active elements; b) correlate one or more active portions of the touch interface to one or more corresponding active elements in the image on the visual display; and c) adjust a layout of content shown on the display according to a probability of one or more actions that may be taken with the one or more active elements.