Document Content Transformation Lenses for Flexible Editing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic documents are too rigid, limiting content expression to specific forms and types, restricting flexibility in content transformation and editing.
Innovation Solution
A software and hardware facility that applies transformational 'lenses' to document content, enabling users to change content form through various transformations, such as language translation, summarization, and format changes, with extensibility for new lenses and flexible user interface techniques for lens imposition and management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional electronic documents use rigid categorization into specific types (word processing, spreadsheets, slideshows), then document creation and editing can be performed using specialized monolithic applications, but the system lacks flexibility in content transformation and expression
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments document content into independent transformable units that can be individually transformed using different lenses. Instead of treating entire documents as monolithic entities, the system divides content into selectable portions that can be transformed independently, enabling flexible content transformation while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal transformation system where a single platform can handle multiple document types and transformations through interchangeable lenses. The same base system can transform text, tables, images, and other content formats using different transformation rules, eliminating the need for separate specialized applications while maintaining versatility.
2Ease of operation
If electronic documents are categorized into specific types with dedicated applications, then each application can optimize for its specific document type, but the system lacks ease of operation for cross-format transformations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of document transformation from format-specific operations to universal lens-based transformations. By implementing transformation rules as adjustable parameters that can be applied across different content types, the system enables easy cross-format transformations while maintaining the ability to optimize for specific document types when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces lenses as intermediary transformation layers between the user and document content. These lenses act as mediators that translate user intent into specific transformations, simplifying the operation interface while enabling complex cross-format transformations through a unified, easy-to-use lens selection mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A facility for authoring a document is described. The facility receives first user input that identifies content to be included in the document. The identified content is in a first form. The facility also receives second user input that specifies a transformation operation to be performed on the identified content in order to transform the identified content from the first form into a second form. The facility applies the specified transformation operation to transform the identified content from the first form into the second form for display.