Touch Screen List Management via Moving Affordance Icons
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable electronic devices face challenges in designing user interfaces that allow easy interaction with multifunction devices due to small screens, leading to complex key sequences and inflexible menu systems, making it difficult for users to access and manipulate data without a stylus.
Innovation Solution
A portable multifunction device with a touch-sensitive display and graphical user interface that allows users to interact primarily through finger contacts and gestures, featuring moving-affordance icons that respond to finger movements for easy re-arrangement and management of lists without the need for additional tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If physical pushbuttons are added to increase functionality, then device functionality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple pushbutton functions into a single touch-sensitive display area. The display can present different virtual buttons and controls based on user interaction context, merging what would traditionally require multiple physical buttons into one integrated interface that maintains full functionality while reducing structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The touch-sensitive display serves multiple functions that would traditionally require separate physical controls. A single display area can present navigation buttons, selection controls, and other interface elements that adapt based on the application state, making the interface universal rather than requiring dedicated hardware for each function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If menu systems are made more complex to access all functions, then functionality is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic menu system where the display adapts its presentation based on user interactions. The interface can change its structure and organization in real-time based on what the user is trying to access, transforming static hierarchical menus into a flexible, responsive system that reduces the number of steps needed to reach functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by anticipating user needs and pre-organizing interface elements. Based on usage patterns and current context, the display can pre-load relevant controls and information, reducing the steps a user must take to access frequently used functions and making the interface more intuitive.
3Measurement precision
If stylus is required for precise touch screen selection, then selection precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the interaction parameters by accepting that finger taps, while less precise than stylus contact, are sufficient when combined with visual feedback mechanisms. The system adjusts its response parameters to accommodate finger input by using larger touch targets and providing clear visual confirmation of selections, making the interface equally usable with either stylus or finger.
Data Source
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AI summary
A computer- implemented method for displaying and managing lists on a portable multifunction device (100) with a touch screen display (112) includes displaying (602) a list of items, detecting (608) a finger contact (2724) on a moving-af fordance icon (2722), detecting (610) movement of the finger contact on the touch screen display, and in response to detecting the movement of the finger contact, moving (612) the moving-affordance icon and the corresponding item in the list in accordance with the movement of the finger contact. In some embodiments, at least some of the items have corresponding moving-af fordance icons (2722).