Virtual Display Simulation for Handheld GUI Development
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional visual software development systems are unsuitable for programming applications for handheld devices due to the multitude of interface variations, screen sizes, and resolutions, leading to difficulties in ensuring a graphical user interface (GUI) appears and functions correctly across multiple devices, resulting in inefficient development and debugging processes.
Innovation Solution
A development system that simulates the target handheld device's high resolution display on a low resolution development system, allowing developers to see the actual device's appearance and feel, with a conversion algorithm to ensure proportional font sizes and geometric positions, enabling design re-use across different resolutions and devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a developer programs on a low resolution development system display, then the development process is simpler and more accessible, but the display appearance and functionality will be incorrect on high resolution handheld devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the high resolution handheld device display on the low resolution development system. This virtual display device replicates the visual appearance, geometry, and characteristics of the target high resolution device, allowing developers to program as if they were working directly on the actual device. The virtual copy maintains proportional relationships and visual fidelity so that what is seen during development matches what will appear on the final high resolution device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual display device as an intermediary layer between the low resolution development system and the high resolution target device. This virtual display acts as a mediator that translates development activities on the low resolution system into accurate representations for the high resolution device. It bridges the resolution gap by maintaining proportional mappings and visual correspondence, ensuring that programming actions on the development system produce the intended results on the target device.
2Manufacturing precision
If a developer tests on actual handheld devices or emulators, then display accuracy is improved, but development time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent sets up the virtual display device in advance during the development environment configuration, before actual programming begins. This preliminary setup creates a persistent visual reference that remains available throughout the entire development process. Developers can immediately see proportional font sizes, geometric positions, and display characteristics without needing to repeatedly deploy to physical devices or emulators, eliminating iterative testing cycles and saving significant development time.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the development system display resolution differs from the target device resolution, then the development system is more versatile and compatible with different devices, but proportional font sizes and geometric positions cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts parameters of the virtual display device to match the target high resolution device characteristics. The system modifies display parameters such as font size proportions, geometric positioning relationships, and visual scaling factors within the virtual environment. By changing these parameters in the virtual display configuration, the system maintains accurate proportional representations despite the underlying low resolution hardware, enabling developers to work with correct proportions on any development system.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of viewing a high resolution display on a low resolution development system display for a digital device includes selecting a target device and identifying an image form for the selected device. An image form displays a realistic form of the selected target device. A form factor is selected which represents the display capabilities of the target device. The image form size is adjusted such that the developer may see text in proper proportion to the image form so as to simulate the look of the high resolution display of the target device. Object code for the target device is generated which contains the proper font size to correspond to the image form and font on the development display.