Watch Mobile Terminal Hands Dynamic Repositioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

In wearable mobile terminals, the hour and minute hands on a clock face often obstruct the display unit when showing the current time, causing issues with viewing application execution screens.

Innovation Solution

A mobile terminal design that allows the hour and minute hands to be dynamically repositioned or hidden when an application execution screen is displayed, using a control unit to manage the hands' movement and placement to avoid obstruction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the hour and minute hands are displayed on the clock face to indicate the current time, then the time indication function is improved, but the display unit is blocked and application execution screens cannot be viewed properly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetime indication functionVSAvoidscreen viewing
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The hour and minute hands are made dynamically repositionable rather than fixed. The control unit receives input signals to move the hands to predetermined positions (such as 10:10 or 2:00) or hide them completely, allowing the display to switch between time indication mode and full-screen application mode seamlessly

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The display functionality is segmented into separate controllable elements: the time indication function (hands) and the application execution screen are independently controllable. The control unit can selectively activate or deactivate the hands' visibility while maintaining application display, allowing users to prioritize one function over the other based on current needs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Device complexity

If the hands are kept at fixed positions to simplify the control mechanism, then the device complexity is reduced, but the hands continuously block portions of the application execution screen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol mechanismVSAvoidscreen obstruction
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The hands transition from fixed positions to dynamically repositionable elements. The control mechanism, while slightly more complex than fixed hands, uses a control unit to receive input signals and automatically position or hide the hands, reducing manual adjustment complexity while eliminating continuous screen obstruction

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit acts as an intermediary between the user's input signal and the hands' position. It processes the input signal and automatically moves the hands to appropriate positions or hides them, eliminating the need for direct manual manipulation while reducing screen obstruction harm

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3144792B1Watch type mobile terminal and controlling method thereof
Publication Date: 2021.11.17 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3144792B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3144792B1 patent drawingFigure 1B~1C
  • EP3144792B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

A watch type mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed, by which a position of an hour hand and a position of a minute hand can be automatically changed to prevent an object contained in an application running screen from being blocked. A watch type mobile terminal in which time is indicated by at least one hand, the mobile terminal comprising: a display; and a controller configured to: cause the display to display a face screen; cause the at least one hand to point to a current time while the face screen is displayed; cause the display to display an execution screen of an application when the application is executed; and cause the at least one hand to move from a first position to a second position, deviating from the current time, to not block an area of the execution screen at which an object is displayed.