Touch Screen Image Scrolling via Drag Distance Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image display systems require complex and repetitive operations to navigate and retrieve target images from large collections, such as scrolling through images on digital still cameras, which can be cumbersome and time-consuming.

Innovation Solution

An imaging processing apparatus with a touch screen interface that allows users to initiate and continue image display processes, such as scrolling, enlarging, or changing playback speed, through a single pointing operation, where the process is maintained as long as the user's finger is in contact with the screen, eliminating the need for frequent key presses.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users operate hardware keys or touch panel multiple times to navigate through images, then they can retrieve target images, but the operation becomes complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage navigation operationVSAvoidtime to retrieve target image
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system calculates and prepares the amount of scrolling in advance based on the drag distance, so when the user releases their finger, the scrolling has already been positioned at the target location rather than requiring multiple incremental operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical key-press system with a touch-based drag operation that uses spatial distance (drag length) to directly control scrolling amount, substituting repetitive temporal operations with a single spatial gesture

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If users perform long drag operations to scroll through more images, then they can access distant images faster, but the operation becomes more difficult to control precisely

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage scrolling speedVSAvoidscrolling position accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides visual feedback during the drag operation by showing the drag distance and calculating the corresponding scrolling amount, allowing users to adjust their drag length to achieve precise positioning while maintaining fast scrolling capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If the display screen size is increased to show more images, then navigation efficiency improves, but the device size and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage display capacityVSAvoiddisplay device size
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes the two-dimensional touch surface as a control interface where the drag distance in any direction correlates to the scrolling amount, effectively using the spatial dimension of the touch interface to control navigation without requiring a larger display

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

Data Source

PatentEP2189892B1Method and apparatus for image processing
Publication Date: 2017.07.19 SONY GROUP CORP
  • EP2189892B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2189892B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2189892B1 patent drawingFigure 4(a)~4(e)

AI summary

An image processing apparatus includes an image display device, a pointed-position detecting section configured to accept a pointing operation from a user via an operating surface provided on a display screen of the image display device, and detect and output a position pointed by the pointing operation, a storing section configured to store image data, and a display control section configured to display on the image display device an image according to the image data. When the pointing operation is made on the operating surface by the user, the display control section starts an image display process on the image display device in a manner according to the pointing operation which is determined on the basis of a detection output from the pointed-position detecting section, and continues the display process when pointing on the operating surface continues successively from the pointing operation on the operating surface.