Touchscreen Menu Item Selection via Category Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for selecting multiple items on portable terminals, such as touchscreens and mice, are inefficient as they often lead to the selection of unnecessary items, requiring manual deselection, which is time-consuming and prone to errors.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an associative selection mode that allows for the classification and simultaneous selection of multiple items by detecting a touch or mouse action held for a predetermined time, displaying a menu list to categorize items, and marking items with a selected status based on the menu selection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If multiple items are selected one by one using an input device, then item selection is possible, but the selection process becomes inefficient and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveitem selection efficiencyVSAvoidtime for selecting multiple items
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary classification of items into categories before the user needs to select them. When a user touches a category region, the system has already organized the items by category, enabling rapid selection without manual one-by-one picking, thus resolving the contradiction between selection efficiency and time consumption

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The display area is segmented into multiple category regions, each representing a different classification of items. This segmentation allows users to select multiple items simultaneously by touching a single category region, dramatically improving selection efficiency while reducing the time required compared to individual item selection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If a cursor is used to designate a region for selecting multiple items, then selection speed improves, but unnecessary items may be selected requiring manual deselection

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveitem selection speedVSAvoidaccuracy of item selection
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Different regions of the display are assigned different qualities or meanings - each category region has a specific classification meaning. When a user touches a category region, only items belonging to that specific category are selected, not all items in the touched area. This ensures high reliability and accuracy of selection while maintaining fast selection speed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides visual feedback by displaying category regions with their respective item classifications. Users can see which items will be selected before actually selecting them, allowing for accurate control and preventing unnecessary selections, thus resolving the contradiction between selection speed and accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If items are selected individually one by one, then precise selection control is achieved, but the operation becomes complex and error-prone

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecision of item selectionVSAvoidcomplexity of selection operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The category region touch operation serves multiple functions simultaneously: it classifies items, selects multiple items at once, and provides visual feedback. This multi-functional approach maintains precise selection control while dramatically simplifying the operation, resolving the contradiction between selection precision and operational complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2442224B1Method and apparatus for selecting menu item
Publication Date: 2020.07.15 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP2442224B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2442224B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2442224B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method and apparatus for selecting an item in a terminal using a touchscreen or a mouse includes displaying items, and selecting or deselecting items that are present on a touch movement route or a mouse drag route.