Unified Search Interface for Mobile Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices face challenges in allowing users to efficiently locate and access various functions and data due to their limited user interfaces and the complexity of information organization, making it difficult for users to fully exploit their capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A search system that enables users to search multiple software applications and data sources without navigating away from the user interface, allowing retrieval and presentation of content based on user input, with dynamic updating of search results and organization by type or class, using keywords that can map to different data, services, and tasks, and providing shortcuts to local or remote data and services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If information is organized by application software, then data can be managed within specific applications, but users must navigate to each application to access information, increasing access complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a search interface as an intermediary layer between the user and application-specific data. This search interface aggregates content from multiple applications and presents unified search results, allowing users to access information without navigating to individual applications. The search interface acts as a mediator that translates user queries into application-specific searches and consolidates results.
Solution Approach 2:
The search interface provides a universal access point for retrieving information from diverse application sources. Instead of requiring separate access methods for each application, the unified search interface handles multiple data types and application sources through a single interface, making the system adaptable to various information retrieval needs while maintaining ease of operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If mobile devices include multiple functions and features, then device capability and usefulness increase, but user interface complexity and difficulty in locating content increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the search and navigation function from individual applications and consolidates it into a separate, dedicated search interface. This extraction allows the search capability to operate independently across multiple applications, reducing the complexity burden on each individual application while maintaining comprehensive access to all device functions and data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the information retrieval task from the application-specific contexts. By separating the search function into an independent interface that can query multiple applications simultaneously, the system reduces overall complexity while preserving access to diverse functions. The search interface handles the complexity of multi-application coordination, leaving individual applications simpler.
3Weight of moving object
If display screens and input devices are made small for portability, then device portability improves, but ease of entering and viewing information deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses the limited display space by organizing search results in a hierarchical, multi-dimensional structure. Results are grouped by type and presented in scrollable lists that extend beyond the immediate viewable area. This dimensional organization allows comprehensive information display on small screens by utilizing vertical scrolling and hierarchical grouping rather than requiring large horizontal space.
Data Source
AI summary
The subject disclosure pertains to systems and methods for providing a user interface for mobile devices. The user interface can include a search function that utilizes user input to search multiple software applications and data sources. Content can be retrieved and presented to a user without requiring the user to navigate to the underlying application or sources supplying the content. The applications or content sources can be local to the mobile device or remotely located, such as an Internet site. One or more types of data can be retrieved and presented to a user based upon the user input. Search results can be displayed and dynamically updated as additional user input is obtained.