Two-dimensional hierarchical menu for questionnaire navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Field service engineers (FSEs) face inefficiencies while navigating hierarchical electronic questionnaires for medical imaging device maintenance, requiring numerous clicks to reach relevant questions, which reduces their efficiency and may lead to neglecting important information.
Innovation Solution
A tree-based questionnaire map is presented on a display device, allowing users to select nodes and branches directly, with auto-population of relevant questions and annotations for required answers, enabling more efficient navigation and data entry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hierarchical tree-structured menu is used for structured data entry, then data structure and analyzability are improved, but navigation time and user efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the traditional linear hierarchical menu into a two-dimensional map view where questions are displayed as nodes in a graphical layout. This dimensional change allows users to see the overall questionnaire structure at a glance and navigate directly to relevant sections without traversing through intermediate questions, thus maintaining data structure while reducing navigation time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the navigation function from the sequential question-flow and separates it into an independent visual map interface. Users can first explore the questionnaire structure via the 2D map, select relevant question nodes, and then answer questions in an optimized sequence. This extraction allows navigation and data entry to occur in different dimensions, resolving the contradiction between structured navigation and time efficiency
2Loss of information
If a linear hierarchical menu is used to ensure all questions are answered, then completeness of information is improved, but user efficiency and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system automatically tracks which questions have been answered and which remain pending. The 2D map visually indicates the status of each question node, and the system can prompt users to complete missing information. This feedback loop ensures information completeness without requiring users to manually traverse the entire hierarchical structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent allows users to perform preliminary navigation and question selection via the 2D map before actually answering questions. Users can identify all relevant questions in advance, plan their answer sequence, and then systematically work through them. This preliminary action phase separates the cognitive task of identifying needed information from the execution task of answering, improving both completeness and efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus (10) for navigating a hierarchical electronic questionnaire (12) includes at least one electronic processor (20) programmed to: provide (102) a user interface (UI) (27) via which: at least a portion of the hierarchical electronic questionnaire is presented on a display device (24) represented as a tree-based questionnaire map (30) with a plurality of nodes (32) connected by a plurality of branches (34), the nodes of the plurality of nodes corresponding to questions; a user input is received, via at least one user input device (22), indicative of a selection of at least one of the nodes; and the question corresponding to the selected node is displayed and a user input indicative of an answer to the question corresponding to the selected node is received via the at least one user input device; and populate (104) one or more nodes other than the selected node based on the selected node and/or the answer to the question corresponding to the selected node.