Touch Screen Gesture Navigation and Brightness Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Handheld devices with touch screens face challenges in user interaction due to small screen size, imprecision of fingertip gestures, and the need for precise navigation and brightness control, which leads to errors and inconvenience.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a touch screen system that detects specific gestures such as taps, drag, and swipe gestures to navigate and control electronic documents, and using a partially opaque graphical object to adjust brightness, allowing users to interact with electronic documents without visible controls and manage screen brightness through intuitive gestures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional input devices like keyboards or mice are used, then text entry and icon selection are relatively easy, but handheld device users cannot access these traditional input devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical input devices (keyboard, mouse) with touch screen gestures. The touch screen detects finger movements and translates them into cursor control and selection operations, eliminating the need for physical input devices while maintaining ease of text entry and icon selection on handheld devices.
2Area of stationary object
If small icons or graphical buttons are used on touch screens, then the interface fits the small screen, but users must tap multiple times in a correct sequence which increases error probability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cursor as an intermediary between the user's finger and the on-screen elements. The cursor provides visual feedback and precision, allowing users to navigate to exact locations without needing to tap small icons directly. This mediator layer reduces errors by making the target more apparent and allowing for correction before final selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent separates the navigation function from the selection function. The cursor handles precise positioning through drag gestures, while selection is confirmed through a separate tap action. This segmentation allows users to first position the cursor accurately, then confirm selection, reducing the probability of errors compared to requiring multiple taps on small icons.
3Ease of operation
If graphic controls are made visible on the touch screen, then users can see the controls, but they consume screen real estate that could be used for reading documents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the control elements from the visible display area and implements them as invisible touch zones. The cursor and gesture recognition system operate without requiring visible buttons or sliders, allowing the entire screen to be dedicated to document display while controls remain accessible through touch gestures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces visible mechanical controls (buttons, sliders) with invisible touch-based cursor control. The cursor can be moved across the entire screen area without consuming display space, and selection is made through touch gestures rather than visible graphical interfaces, maximizing screen real estate for reading.
4Ease of operation
If a slider control is used for page navigation, then users can navigate to different pages, but hitting a precise page in a large book is virtually impossible on a small screen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a cursor as an intermediary for page navigation, replacing the slider control. The cursor can be precisely positioned on the page number display area, and users can tap to select exact pages. This intermediary layer provides pixel-level precision for page selection, overcoming the imprecision inherent in slider controls on small screens.
5Illumination intensity
If device settings are used to control backlight brightness, then brightness can be adjusted, but users must exit applications to access settings which is inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service brightness control through gestures performed directly on the screen content. Users can adjust backlight brightness by performing swipe gestures on the document itself, without needing to exit the application or access separate settings menus. The system serves the brightness control function directly within the context of document viewing.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatuses are provided for navigating an electronic document. In one implementation, a method includes executing a command associated with a region selected by a tap gesture. In another implementation, a method includes displaying a slider on a slide bar including an expanded part corresponding to a section of the electronic document. The expanded part is disproportionately larger than other parts of the slide bar corresponding to other sections of the electronic document. Methods and apparatuses are provided for activating an element of an electronic document. In one implementation, a method includes activating the element selected by a touch gesture. Methods and apparatuses are provided for controlling a perceived brightness of an electronic document. In one implementation, a method includes displaying a partially opaque graphical object in front of the electronic document. The perceived brightness of the electronic document being based on an opacity of the graphical object.