Design Application Compatibility Checker for Electronic Content

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Solution Overview

Problem

In electronic content creation, compatibility issues arise when design applications with limited capabilities attempt to edit content created by more capable development applications, leading to inefficiencies and potential loss of designer intent due to incompatibilities and the need for manual code integration.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a compatibility checker and edit approver within the design application to identify and restrict editing of developer-created elements, allowing partial editing while preventing undesirable changes, and providing notifications for incompatible features, ensuring a reliable design experience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a design application provides a limited interface to simplify usage for designers, then ease of operation is improved, but adaptability deteriorates because the application cannot edit all features of electronic content created by more capable development applications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of use for designersVSAvoidcapability to edit all content features

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the electronic content into different types: fully editable items and developer-created items. The design application selectively applies different editing capabilities to different segments of content, allowing full editing for designer-created elements while restricting editing for developer-created elements, thus maintaining both ease of use and adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (compatibility checker and edit approver) that mediates between the design application's limited capabilities and the full-featured content created by development applications. This intermediary enables the design application to work with diverse content types without requiring full editing capability for each type

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If a design application attempts to edit electronic content created by development applications, then productivity is improved through direct designer editing, but reliability deteriorates due to incompatibility issues and potential loss of developer code integrity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesigner editing efficiencyVSAvoidcode integrity and compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by implementing a compatibility checker that proactively identifies incompatible developer-created items before editing occurs. By detecting and flagging these items in advance, the system prevents potential compatibility issues and code integrity problems from arising during the editing process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms through notifications that inform designers when they attempt to edit restricted developer-created items. This feedback loop allows the system to maintain reliability by preventing inappropriate edits while still allowing productive editing of compatible items

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of manufacture

If separate design and development applications are used to target different creator types, then ease of manufacture is improved by simplifying each application's interface, but loss of information increases due to incompatibility and inability to share projects directly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterface simplicity for designersVSAvoiddesigner intent and project compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the design application universal by enabling it to open and edit electronic content created by both design applications and development applications. Through the compatibility checker and selective editing approach, the design application can handle multiple content types without compromising interface simplicity or designer intent

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9594468B2Systems and methods for creating electronic content using creation applications of limited capabilities

Publication Date: 2017.03.14 ADOBE INC

AI summary

One exemplary embodiment involves receiving electronic content to be displayed and edited in an application that has limited capabilities for editing an item of the electronic content. The application opens the electronic content for editing and displays a notification indicating that editing of the item is restricted in the application. Such an application can also be configured to address one or more of various additional circumstances. For example, the application may identify representations to be displayed for items that cannot be directly displayed. As another example, the application may provide an edit approver that determines whether edits that have effects on the item are allowed.