Z-Axis Stack Interface for Application Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current user interfaces on telecommunication and portable computing devices require extensive scrolling and navigation through multiple pages to access desired applications, making it cumbersome to locate and interact with a large number of applications and items.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an interactive three-dimensional user interface that allows scrolling along the z-axis, enabling users to browse through layers of applications or items by detecting finger position and movement relative to the device, using sensors and controls such as sliders or tilting, to provide a hierarchical and perspective-based view of multiple stacks of items on a single desktop.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional 2D GUI scrolling is used to display multiple applications, then all applications can be accessed, but the navigation becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a third dimension (z-axis) to the traditional 2D GUI interface. Applications are arranged in multiple layers or stacks that can be navigated by tilting the device, creating a 3D spatial interface. This dimensional transformation allows users to access applications more intuitively by tilting the device forward or backward to scroll through layers, eliminating the need for extensive 2D scrolling and significantly reducing the time to locate desired applications.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple desktop views are created to organize applications, then application categorization is improved, but the complexity of navigating between desktops increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple desktop views into a single unified 3D interface. Instead of requiring users to switch between separate desktops, all applications from multiple virtual desktops are combined into one continuous 3D space organized in layers and stacks. Users can navigate through all applications across all desktops by tilting the device, eliminating the need to manually switch between desktop views and simplifying the overall interface structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested organization structure where applications are arranged in stacks within layers, and layers are organized within the 3D space. This nested arrangement allows applications to be grouped by category or function while maintaining a unified navigation space. Users can drill down into specific stacks or browse through layers, providing flexible organization without requiring separate desktop contexts.
3Ease of operation
If more applications are displayed on the main screen, then accessibility is improved, but the screen layout becomes cluttered and difficult to navigate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the layout clutter problem by moving applications from the 2D screen plane into the 3D space. The main screen displays a clean, organized view of selected applications or frequently used items, while additional applications are placed in layers behind or in front of the main view. Users can access these additional applications by tilting the device to scroll through the 3D layers, maintaining a clean screen layout while providing access to numerous applications.
Data Source
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AI summary
A user interface presents a plurality of items configured as a stack in a display of a device. The stack is scrollable in a direction oblique to a plane of the display for successively viewing the items in the stack. Some implementations provide for control of the user interface based on input from a finger position sensor or a slider.