Touch Screen Content Selection Across Page Breaks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch screen devices require users to perform multiple selection actions when selecting content that spans across pages, as current selection techniques do not allow for seamless selection across page breaks, making it cumbersome to copy or manipulate content that extends beyond a single page.
Innovation Solution
A content selecting mode is introduced, where users can engage a gesture with two distinct contact points on the touch screen to select content, allowing the selection to traverse section or page breaks, using a combination of press-hold-and-release or other gestures to identify the start and end of the content, with optional navigation gestures to locate the end point, and providing visual indicators for selected content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If users perform multiple selection actions for content spanning across pages, then content selection capability is maintained, but user operation complexity increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the content selection process into two distinct contact points: a first contact point to initiate selection and a second contact point to terminate selection. This segmentation allows the system to handle content spanning multiple pages by breaking down the continuous selection action into manageable touch events, thereby improving selection efficiency across page breaks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism that detects and processes touch events across page boundaries. The system acts as an intermediary between the user's touch gestures and the content selection function, automatically managing the complexity of cross-page selection without requiring users to perform multiple separate actions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional selection techniques are used, then simple single-page selection is achieved, but selection across page breaks is not supported
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal selection mechanism that handles both single-page and multi-page content selection through the same gesture interface. The touch-based selection system is designed to be multi-functional, automatically adapting to content that spans across page breaks without requiring different interaction modes or increasing device complexity.
3Reliability
If drag-based selection is used, then selection within a continuous area is possible, but selection across page breaks is interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs preliminary action by detecting the first contact point and preparing the selection state before the user completes the gesture. The system anticipates potential page breaks and maintains selection continuity by keeping the selection state active until the second contact point is detected, ensuring reliable cross-page selection without interrupting the user's gesture.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are disclosed for providing a content selecting mode in electronic touch sensitive devices. The content may be, for instance, text, photos, and/or other consumable content. The user can engage the mode with a gesture that includes a combination of contact points on the touch sensitive surface that identifies the content selecting mode is desired. The combination may include, for example, a first contact point at a starting location in the content, and a second contact point at an end location in the content to be selected. Upon receiving the second contact point, the content between the first and second contact points is selected. The selection may be traverse section breaks, column breaks, and page breaks as needed, depending on the placement of the contact points. Intervening navigation gestures such as scrolling or paging swipes between the two contact points can be used to locate the desired end location.