Circular Transit Timeline Display for Commute Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users rely heavily on electronic devices for managing daily activities, such as navigation, but existing solutions often require geographic information, which may not be necessary or desirable in all commuting scenarios, leading to a need for a simplified representation of transit timelines that focus on time rather than location.
Innovation Solution
An electronic apparatus determines a transit timeline representing a commute from a start to a destination location, configuring time along the timeline by an angle from a center point, with graphical representations for start and destination locations, route designation indicators, waypoints, and landmarks, allowing users to understand time-based information without geographic details.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If geographic information is provided in navigation programs, then route guidance capability is improved, but information complexity and user cognitive load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential time-based information from the complete geographic navigation data. The timeline display pulls out departure times, arrival times, and transit durations while leaving out detailed map views, street names, and geographic coordinates, thereby reducing information complexity while maintaining route guidance capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the commute journey into discrete time-based events and displays them as separate segments on the timeline. Each transit leg, transfer, and arrival is broken into individual timeline elements, allowing users to process information in manageable chunks rather than overwhelming geographic details
2Ease of operation
If traditional linear timeline display is used, then simplicity is maintained, but time duration representation accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a one-dimensional linear timeline to a two-dimensional circular timeline where the circumference represents a fixed time duration (e.g., 24 hours or a specific commute window). This dimensional change allows proportional representation of time durations around the circle, providing both visual simplicity and accurate time scaling
3Ease of manufacture
If circular timeline surrounding center point is used, then time-based visualization is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a circular curved layout instead of a linear straight line to represent the timeline. The circular form naturally organizes time progression around a center point, providing intuitive visual cues for time passage while the curvature itself serves as the organizational structure, reducing the need for additional complex display elements
Data Source
AI summary
A method comprising determining a transit timeline indicative of a commute from a start location to a destination location, and causing display of a representation of the transit timeline such that, at least part of, the transit timeline is configured to surround a center point such that time along the transit timeline is represented by an angle from the center point is disclosed.