Widget Controller Consolidating Multiple GUI Applications

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face challenges in efficiently managing and displaying multiple widgets on output devices, leading to cluttered spaces and difficulty for content publishers to gain attention and permanence for their widgets.

Innovation Solution

A widget controller system that allows users to associate, display, and cycle through multiple widgets within a single controller, enabling users to select and manage widgets efficiently, and automatically updates and adds widgets based on user preferences and usage data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple widgets are displayed simultaneously on the output device, then users can access diverse content and functionality, but display space becomes cluttered and limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewidget diversityVSAvoiddisplay space

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple separate widgets are merged into a single widget controller interface that consolidates diverse widget content and functionality into one unified display area, allowing users to access multiple widgets without cluttering the desktop with separate widget instances

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The widget controller serves as a universal interface that can display and manage multiple different types of widgets (weather, news, stock, etc.) within a single container, making the controller itself a multi-functional device that adapts to various widget types

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If users manually manage and select widgets individually, then each widget can be precisely controlled, but the management process becomes time-consuming and complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewidget selectionVSAvoidmanagement time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The widget controller implements automatic widget selection and management capabilities that perform widget selection, rotation, and display updates without requiring continuous manual user intervention, allowing the system to serve itself in managing the widget queue

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Widgets are pre-configured and queued in the widget controller before user interaction, so that when a user adds a widget or requests content, the controller is already prepared with a sequence of widgets to display, eliminating the need for real-time manual selection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If content publishers place widgets on users' pages, then widgets can reach a broad audience, but widgets lack permanence and are easily replaced or removed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedistribution reachVSAvoidwidget permanence

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Individual widgets are nested within the protective structure of the widget controller, which acts as a parent container that shields the embedded widgets from being easily removed or replaced, as removing a widget would require removing the entire controller rather than individual widgets in isolation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS10712894B2Method and apparatus to operate different widgets from a single widget controller

Publication Date: 2020.07.14 FROHWEIN ROBERT

AI summary

A method, apparatus, and computer readable storage to manage and display mini Graphical User Interface (GUI) applications, or widgets. A widget controller can be associated with a plurality of widgets, upon which a user of the widget controller can then cycle among the associated widgets to display a selected widget. This conserves space on an output device since space for only one widget is needed. Widgets controllers can be embedded on web pages which are part of social networking sites. Particular widgets associated with a widget controller can be automatically determined and associated based on content of a web page containing the widget controller.