LG is at it again. The South Korean electronics powerhouse is intent on taking full screen mobile technology to the next level – spearheaded with that beautiful LG KE850 Prada Phone. The company’s recent patent filings give us a glimpse of what’s to come. One application outlines a dual-touchscreen-display flip phone that does away with hardkeys, in favor of another touchscreen display. And to make touchscreen use more “fumble-friendly,” LG is developing a user-interface (UI) with dynamic icons that respond to touch inputs.
The dual-touchscreen patent isn’t an entirely new idea (Nintendo DS?), but LG is official putting “dibs” on this idea as it applies to a “Mobile Communication Terminal.” There’s no keypad, or any hardkeys, for that matter, on this clamshell design. Instead, the touchscreen on the upper-flip is supplemented with another touchscreen on the lower-flip, which can re-configure its layout for different applications (keypad, games, handwriting recognition, etc.)
And, to make using that touchy touchscreen a little easier on the fumble-prone, LG wants to re-design the traditional touchscreen UI with dynamic icons. No longer will you have to mumble curses under your breath for hitting the wrong icon, or missing it altogether. The new UI from LG will feature moving icons that respond to the user’s touch input and what function is being used.
Tapping an empty area of the touchscreen can prompt icons to gravitate towards that area – making it easier to choose the right application. On the other hand, if you tap an empty portion of the screen, but the input is in close proximity to another icon, the UI will automatically select that icon for you.
Another way this new UI could ease touchscreen use, while making it fun at the same time, is the ability to reconfigure their layout and options based on a certain function or event. Say you get a new text message; the icons can move around the screen – some disappearing, some popping up – to make it easier to access your message. Or, if your battery is critically low, we envision all the icons moving away and being replaced by a highly visible warning icon – or something to that effect.
via: unwired