Touch Screen Keypad Thumbnail Selection via Zoom Gesture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face inconvenience and complexity in selecting a specific key pad on portable terminals with touch screens due to the numerous available options, requiring repeated interactions with the selection button or menu screen.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize touch gestures, such as zoom-out and zoom-in, to display and access thumbnails of key pads, allowing users to intuitively recognize and select desired key pads through a simplified touch operation, enabling rapid switching between different key pads and adjusting their size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple key pads are provided for different data input needs, then the versatility of the terminal is improved, but the complexity of selecting a specific key pad increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the key pad selection process by displaying multiple key pad thumbnails simultaneously on the screen rather than requiring sequential menu navigation. Each thumbnail represents a different key pad layout (QWERTY, 3x4, split, etc.), allowing users to visually identify and select their preferred layout in a single view, thereby reducing selection complexity while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a one-dimensional sequential menu selection process to a two-dimensional grid layout displaying multiple key pad thumbnails. This dimensional change allows users to scan and compare different key pad options spatially, making the selection process more intuitive and less complex while preserving access to multiple key pad types.
2Ease of operation
If a menu screen or selection button is used to choose a key pad, then the terminal can display the desired key pad, but the number of operations required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent prepares multiple key pad thumbnails in advance and displays them simultaneously on the screen before the user needs to select a key pad. This preliminary arrangement eliminates the need for sequential menu navigation, allowing users to directly touch and select their desired key pad in a single operation, thereby reducing selection time while maintaining ease of access.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables users to skip the traditional multi-step menu navigation process by directly touching the desired key pad thumbnail from the displayed grid. This skipping mechanism allows immediate access to the selected key pad layout, significantly reducing the time required for key pad selection while maintaining user-friendly operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If various key pads are displayed for selection, then users can access different key pad types, but the procedure becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates visual copies (thumbnails) of different key pad layouts and displays them simultaneously on the screen. Each thumbnail is a simplified representation of the full key pad, allowing users to quickly scan and identify desired layouts without dealing with complex selection procedures. This copying approach maintains access to multiple key pad types while simplifying the selection process.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and an apparatus thereof display a key pad and solve the trouble and difficulty of a user in selecting the key pad displayed in a terminal having a touch screen. The method detects a touch gesture with respect to the touch screen; determines whether the detects touch gesture is zoom-out; displays thumbnails representing key pads, respectively, when the detected touch gesture is the zoom-out; and displays a key pad of a selected thumbnail when one of the displayed thumbnails is selected by a user.