Touch Screen Menu Navigation Using Orthogonal Icon Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
The spread of smartphones and tablet terminals with touch screens has highlighted the need for improved user manipulability and efficient menu display on these devices, as traditional menu navigation methods are not optimized for direct finger or stylus interaction.
Innovation Solution
An information processing device and method that displays menus as square icons, with additional icons opening from all four sides of a selected basic icon, and function icons displayed orthogonally to menu icons, allowing efficient and intuitive navigation through touch or stylus interactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional menu navigation methods are used on touch screen devices, then menu display is simple, but user manipulability is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional one-dimensional linear menu layouts to a two-dimensional grid-based menu structure. Menus are arranged in rows and columns, allowing users to navigate both horizontally and vertically. This dimensional expansion provides more navigation paths and improves accessibility while maintaining visual organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The menu system is divided into multiple independent menu items arranged in a grid, with each menu having associated sub-menus. The navigation is segmented into different directions (horizontal and vertical), and sub-menus are separated into first sub-menus (displayed in original direction) and second sub-menus (displayed in perpendicular direction), allowing independent navigation and selection.
2Area of stationary object
If sub-menus are displayed under the selected menu, then navigation is simple, but screen space utilization is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of displaying all sub-menus in a single linear direction under the selected menu, the patent utilizes both horizontal and vertical dimensions. First sub-menus are displayed in the original horizontal direction, while second sub-menus are displayed in the vertical direction, maximizing screen space utilization while maintaining navigational clarity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric display directions for different types of sub-menus. First sub-menus maintain the original horizontal display direction, while second sub-menus switch to vertical display direction. This asymmetric arrangement optimizes screen space usage by adapting the display orientation to the available space and menu hierarchy.
Data Source
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AI summary
To provide an information processing device capable of improving manipulability for a user while efficiently displaying menus on a screen. Provided is an information processing device including: a detection unit configured to detect a position of a manipulating object; and a display control unit configured to cause a menu to be displayed on a screen according to the position of the manipulating object detected by the detection unit. The display control unit causes, when the detection unit detects that the manipulating object is positioned on a first icon serving as a base point, one or more second icons corresponding to a main menu to be opened on at least four sides of the first icon and displayed, and causes, when the detection unit detects that the manipulating object is positioned on one of the second icons, one or more third icons corresponding to a sub-menu subordinate to the main menu to be opened in a direction orthogonal to an opening direction of the second icons and displayed by using the selected second icon as a base point.