Widget-Based External Screen Mirroring for Partial Display Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
When electronic devices are synchronized or paired but physically distant, users cannot view the external device's screen effectively, and mirrored screens occupy the entire local device screen within a predetermined application.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device displays a mirrored screen of an external device as a widget using part of its display area, detects events associated with interoperable applications, and updates the screen accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If screen mirroring is displayed within a predetermined application, then the external device screen can be duplicated, but the mirrored screen occupies the entirety of the local device screen and is limited to a specific application context
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the display area into multiple regions, allowing the mirrored screen to be displayed as a widget within a larger home screen interface rather than occupying the entire screen. This enables partial display and integrates mirroring functionality with other home screen elements, resolving the contradiction between display flexibility and application dependency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal widget interface that can display mirrored screens from external devices independently of specific applications. The widget serves multiple functions: displaying mirrored content, providing device control, and integrating with the home screen ecosystem, thereby reducing dependency on predetermined applications while maintaining display flexibility.
2Loss of information
If the mirrored screen occupies the entirety of the local device screen, then the external device screen is fully visible, but the user cannot access other home screen functions simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the display into separate functional zones: a widget area for mirrored screen display and control, and the remaining home screen area for other applications and functions. This segmentation allows users to access both the external device information and local home screen functions simultaneously, eliminating information loss while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a widget as an intermediary interface element that mediates between the external device display and the local home screen. This intermediary component enables information flow and interaction in both directions without requiring full-screen occupation, allowing users to access external device information and local functions through a unified interface.
3Reliability
If screen mirroring requires synchronization or pairing, then the connection is established, but users cannot view the external device screen when physically distant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a visual copy of the external device screen through the widget, allowing users to view and interact with the external device interface locally. This copying mechanism enables remote accessibility without requiring physical proximity, while the widget maintains connection stability through established synchronization or pairing protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the widget as an intermediary that bridges the physical distance between devices. The widget receives display information from the external device through the synchronization connection and presents it locally, enabling remote viewing and interaction while maintaining the reliability of the underlying connection through standard pairing mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electronic device and a method are disclosed. The electronic device comprises a memory, a display and a processor. The processor implements a method comprising the operations of: using at least a part of the display area of a display to display, as a widget, a first screen related to an external electronic device through the display; detecting, through at least one processor, an event related to at least one application that can be linked to the external electronic device; acquiring, after detecting the event, a second screen related to the external electronic device on the basis of at least some information related to the detected event; and deleting the display of the first screen from the display and displaying the second screen.