Columnized User Interface for Hierarchical Item Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current user interfaces for navigating hierarchically arranged data structures, such as file structures and relational databases, lack the ability to efficiently accumulate and process items from various locations within the hierarchy for global operations.

Innovation Solution

A columnized user interface is developed that allows users to interactively navigate through a hierarchy, selectively adding items from different levels to a final column for subsequent processing, with features like grouping, favorites, and recall to facilitate rapid creation and recreation of item groups for processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional user interfaces for navigating hierarchies are used, then navigation through hierarchical data structures is possible, but accumulation and aggregation of items from throughout the hierarchy for global processing cannot be efficiently performed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to accumulate items from hierarchyVSAvoidease of selecting items for processing

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The interface is segmented into multiple columns, with a navigation column for browsing the hierarchy and a separate accumulation column for collecting selected items. This segmentation allows users to navigate and accumulate items independently without interfering with each other, solving the problem of efficiently accumulating items from throughout the hierarchy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The accumulation column acts as an intermediary between the hierarchical navigation and the global processing operations. Items are first selected and placed in this intermediate column, then processed globally from there. This mediator approach enables efficient accumulation and aggregation of items for subsequent operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If users manually navigate and select items throughout the hierarchy, then item selection is possible, but time-consuming operations occur without rapid creation and recreation of item groups

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed of creating item groupsVSAvoidtime for selecting and processing items

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system stores previously selected item groups and makes them available for recall. Users can retrieve past selections without re-navigating the hierarchy, enabling rapid recreation of item groups and significantly reducing the time required for repeated selection tasks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The interface copies selected items from the navigation column to the accumulation column, and also copies previous selections from stored data. This copying mechanism allows rapid duplication of item groups without manual re-selection, improving productivity and reducing time loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Adaptability or versatility

If comprehensive navigation and selection capabilities are provided, then users can access items throughout the hierarchy, but interface complexity increases without streamlined accumulation and processing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecapability to process items globallyVSAvoidcomplexity of selection interface

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

By dividing the interface into distinct columns for navigation and accumulation, the system provides comprehensive capabilities without increasing perceived complexity. Each column has a specific function, making the overall complex system easier to understand and use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The accumulation column serves multiple functions: displaying selected items, enabling global processing operations, and storing selections for later recall. This multi-functionality provides comprehensive processing capabilities while maintaining a simple, unified interface structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9606700B2Selection of hierarchically organized items

Publication Date: 2017.03.28 INFORMATION RESOURCES INC

AI summary

Disclosed herein are user interfaces and related systems and methods for selecting hierarchically arranged items in order to facilitate subsequent operations on an accumulation of such data selected from throughout a hierarchy. More specifically, a columnized user interface is disclosed that includes a final column containing an accumulation of items selected from various locations within the hierarchy. A user may interactively navigate throughout the hierarchy in one or more other columns, while selectively adding specific items from any such hierarchical locations in the final column for subsequent processing. Other tools may support grouping into favorites, recall of previous selections, or other operations to facilitate rapid creation and recreation of item groups for processing.