Digital Content Zooming via Hypotenuse Constant
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing zooming techniques for digital content on computing devices result in inconsistent behavior due to varying aspect ratios and resolutions of content and display systems, leading to unpredictable user experiences across different devices and viewing windows.
Innovation Solution
The use of an arbitrary constant, such as a hypotenuse size in pixels, to set the initial 100% zoom level for digital content, allowing for consistent resizing across different resolutions and aspect ratios, ensuring that zoom steps are uniform across all display screens and virtual windows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If standard zooming techniques are used, then zooming functionality is provided, but zoom behavior becomes inconsistent across different resolutions and aspect ratios
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter used for zoom calculations from content-specific dimensions (which vary with aspect ratio and resolution) to a device-specific constant (such as screen diagonal length in pixels). This parameter transformation ensures that zoom levels are consistent across different content types and device configurations, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and predictability.
2Ease of operation
If content-specific zooming is used, then content is displayed, but zoom steps vary between different content and devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal zoom constant that functions across all content types and devices. By defining the zoom reference based on device characteristics rather than content properties, the same zoom step (e.g., 50% zoom) produces consistent visual results whether viewing an eBook, article, or image on any device, achieving both ease of operation and cross-device consistency.
3Reliability
If arbitrary zoom constants are used, then consistent zoom behavior is achieved, but content scaling must be computed against device dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary calculation of device-specific zoom constants when the device is first used or configured. These pre-computed constants (such as the number of pixels along the screen diagonal) are stored and reused for all subsequent zoom operations, eliminating the need for complex real-time calculations and reducing system complexity while maintaining consistent zoom behavior.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are disclosed for digital content zooming. In one example case, the hypotenuse of the digital content (or a combination of both height and width values of the content) is initially set to provide the 100% zoom level and is subsequently used to resize or zoom that content. In particular, an arbitrary constant that is independent of the content itself is used to define the initial or 100% zoom level at which the content is initially displayed. The arbitrary constant may be, for example, a hypotenuse size in pixels, or a specific combination of height and width in pixels. In one specific example, the arbitrary constant can be selected based on, for instance, an average of current physical screen and/or virtual viewing window resolutions' hypotenuse sizes, in pixels. In any case, the arbitrary constant can be used to set the initial size of the content, and to compute zoom steps.