Touch Panel Screen State Restoration via Contact Area Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mobile terminals with small screens struggle to display and manage information effectively, as users face difficulties in saving and restoring screen contents, which hinders usability.

Innovation Solution

An information processing device with a touch panel that allows users to store and restore screen contents via a simple touch operation, utilizing a control unit to capture and store restoration information when a predetermined area is touched and slid, enabling easy saving and later retrieval of screen states.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If screen contents are switched to display different information, then information management flexibility is improved, but the ability to recheck previous display contents deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation management flexibilityVSAvoidprevious display contents

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by automatically storing restoration information (screen state, application state, window position) in the memory unit before the user switches screens. This allows the user to freely switch between different information displays while the system pre-saves the previous state for potential restoration, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and information retention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a copy of the current screen state and application state as restoration information and stores it in the memory unit. This copying mechanism allows the original screen to be switched away while a duplicate state is preserved, enabling later restoration without losing the previous display contents.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Ease of operation

If a simple operation is used to store screen contents, then ease of operation is improved, but the functionality to restore specific screen states deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperation simplicityVSAvoidscreen state restoration capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service by automatically detecting touch operations and determining whether they are restoration operations based on contact area thresholds. When a touch operation with sufficient contact area is detected, the system automatically retrieves and restores the stored screen state without requiring complex user commands, thus maintaining ease of operation while enabling sophisticated restoration functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The touch panel serves multiple functions: it acts as both a standard input device for normal operations and a restoration trigger when specific touch patterns (large contact area) are detected. This multi-functionality allows the same simple interface to provide both ease of operation and advanced screen state restoration capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If touch operation contact area threshold is set low, then sensitivity to user input is improved, but false activation of restoration function increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch input sensitivityVSAvoidrestoration function activation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses parameter changes by establishing a specific threshold for touch contact area that distinguishes restoration operations from normal interactions. By setting this parameter threshold, the system achieves reliable differentiation between intentional restoration triggers and ordinary touch inputs, balancing sensitivity with activation accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS8947375B2Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program

Publication Date: 2015.02.03 SONY GROUP CORP

AI summary

An information processing device including an operation unit in which an operation input is possible by a touch operation on an operating surface; and a control unit that executes processing corresponding to an operation input performed via the operation unit, wherein the control unit causes, if an area of a portion that is in contact with the operating surface accompanying a touch operation is obtained and a touch operation in which the area is equal to or greater than a predetermined value is performed, restoration information for later restoring the display contents of a screen that are currently being displayed on a display unit to be stored in a memory unit, and display contents of a screen are restored, according to an operation input performed via the operation unit, based on the restoration information recorded in the memory unit.