Wake Screen Notification Access With Fewer Inputs and Lower Power

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Solution Overview

Problem

User interfaces for accessing notifications on electronic devices with touch-sensitive surfaces are cumbersome and inefficient, leading to energy waste, particularly in battery-operated devices.

Innovation Solution

Implement methods and interfaces that reduce user inputs and enhance navigation efficiency by utilizing touch-sensitive surfaces for faster access to notifications, including wake screen interfaces, swipe gestures, and cover sheet interactions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional notification interfaces are used, then notifications can be displayed, but user navigation becomes cumbersome and energy is wasted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenotification access efficiencyVSAvoidbattery power consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system prepares notification display elements and interface components in advance during screen-off state, so that when the user wakes the device, notifications are already rendered and ready for immediate display without requiring additional processing time or energy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the notification display function from the traditional full-screen interface, allowing notifications to be displayed in a condensed format on the wake screen. This separation enables users to access notification information without navigating through multiple interface layers, reducing both interaction complexity and energy consumption

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If conventional notification interfaces are used, then notifications can be displayed, but navigation becomes confusing and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenotification access speedVSAvoidnavigation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-renders notification content and organizes interface elements during the screen-off state, so that when the device wakes, notifications are immediately displayable without requiring users to wait for interface loading or navigation setup

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of requiring users to navigate from the lock screen to a separate notifications screen, the patent inverts the approach by integrating notification display directly into the wake screen itself. This eliminates the need for additional navigation steps and allows users to access notification information in the same interface where they wake the device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP4711910A2Devices, methods, and graphical user interfaces for accessing notifications
Publication Date: 2026.03.18 APPLE INC
  • EP4711910A2 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4711910A2 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4711910A2 patent drawingFigure 1C

AI summary

An electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface receives notification(s) while the device is in a screen-off state. After receiving the notification(s), the device detects an input for waking the device to a screen-on state. In response, the device transitions to the screen-on state and displays the notification(s) on a wake screen user interface. The device further detects another input for dismissing the wake screen user interface and ceases to display the wake screen user interface. Afterwards, the device detects a third input for redisplaying the wake screen user interface. In response, upon determining that the third input meets notification-clearance criteria, the device redisplays the wake screen user interface without displaying at least one of the notification(s); and upon determining that the third input does not meet the notification-clearance criteria: the device redisplays the wake screen user interface and redisplays at least one of notification(s).