Virtual Drop Area Indicator for Touchscreen Drag and Drop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable terminal devices face difficulties in performing drag and drop functions due to limited display size, inaccurate touch detection in bezel areas, and challenging control of scrolling speed, making it hard to efficiently move objects across the interface.
Innovation Solution
An electronic apparatus and method that virtually displays an intended drop area outside the current display area, allowing a drop operation within the current display area to be treated as if the object is dropped in that external area, by using a touch screen to identify draggable objects and display drop area indicators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the display area is reduced to fit portable terminal size, then portability is improved, but the drag and drop function becomes difficult to perform in a single action
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the display area beyond the physical bezel boundaries by detecting touches in the virtual extension area and mapping them to corresponding display coordinates. This creates a virtual second dimension for interaction, allowing users to drag objects to locations that appear outside the physical display area, effectively resolving the contradiction between small terminal size and ease of drag and drop operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If touch detection is extended to the bezel area to enable dragging outside display area, then drag and drop capability is improved, but touch detection accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual extension area as an intermediary zone between the physical display area and the bezel area. Touch inputs in this virtual zone are detected and then mapped to corresponding coordinates within the display area through coordinate transformation. This intermediary mechanism allows the system to capture drag operations intended for external areas while maintaining accurate touch detection by processing inputs through a controlled intermediate step rather than directly in the inaccurate bezel region.
3Ease of operation
If scrolling is enabled during drag and drop to reach desired location, then accessibility to drop areas is improved, but control of scrolling speed becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-adjusting scrolling mechanism where the scroll speed and extent are automatically determined by the drag distance and direction. When a user drags an object toward the edge of the display area, the system autonomously calculates the required scroll amount and executes the scrolling without requiring separate user control inputs. This self-service approach eliminates the complexity of manual scrolling speed control while ensuring the desired drop area becomes accessible during the drag operation.
4Adaptability or versatility
If drag and drop operation is implemented similar to web page gesture, then gesture interaction consistency is improved, but ability to distinguish from web page gestures deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing drag and drop detection with specific characteristics in the bezel area that differ from standard web page gesture detection. The system monitors touch duration, movement patterns, and release behavior specifically in the extended bezel region, applying localized detection criteria that distinguish drag and drop operations from casual web browsing gestures. This localized approach maintains consistency with web page interaction patterns while enabling reliable differentiation between the two gesture types.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and a method for processing a drag and drop are provided. The apparatus includes a touch screen configured to display a portion of content including an object and a control module configured to identify the object as a draggable object, determine whether a predetermined touch input associated with the identified object is detected, detect whether an intended drop area associated with the identified object exists in a remaining portion of content when the predetermined touch input is detected, and display a drop area indicator corresponding to the intended drop area on the touch screen.