UI Item Rearrangement via Priority Grouping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional techniques for rearranging items in a user interface, such as application launchers, often result in unintuitive layouts that waste display space and make it difficult for users to locate items, especially when the display area changes due to orientation or resizing.
Innovation Solution
A computing device implements a priority ordering system to rearrange items into groups, selecting positions based on available space to minimize display area consumption and maintain a consistent, intuitive layout across different orientations and sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional rearrangement techniques are used when display area changes, then items are repositioned automatically, but the new positions are unexpected and unintuitive for users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing a priority ordering of items before the layout change occurs. When the display area changes, items are rearranged according to this pre-determined priority order, ensuring that the most important items are placed in intuitive positions first. This resolves the contradiction by preparing the arrangement strategy in advance, making the adaptive rearrangement intuitive rather than arbitrary.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional rearrangement techniques are used, then items are repositioned to fill the new layout, but display space is wasted and the layout is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the arrangement parameters based on the priority ordering and available display space. Instead of using fixed rearrangement rules, the system changes the positioning parameters according to item priority and space availability, ensuring optimal utilization of display area while adapting to different layout configurations.
3Area of stationary object
If items are rearranged to follow priority ordering and minimize display area consumption, then space efficiency improves, but the rearrangement process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the rearrangement process into distinct stages: first establishing priority ordering of items, then assigning positions based on this order, and finally adjusting for space optimization. This segmentation of the complex rearrangement task into manageable steps reduces overall system complexity while achieving both space efficiency and priority-based arrangement.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques to control arrangement of items in a user interface is described. In one or more implementations, intuitive rearrangement of items in a user interface is caused by a computing device. A priority ordering of items, one to another, is determined that is specified for display of the items in a first layout in a user interface of the computing device. The items are assigned into respective ones of a plurality of groups that together compose one or more linear arrangements of the groups. Arrangement of the items is controlled by the computing device for display in a second layout in the user interface that is different from the first layout by an amount of display area available in the user interface along one or more dimensions. The control includes following the priority ordering of the items to select positions of the items within respective groups based on availability of an open area that is available to fit a display of a respective item within the group and that minimizes a display area consumed by the group in the user interface.