Digital Ink Spatial Relationship Preservation in Messaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic messaging services fail to preserve the intended spatial relationships of digital ink with respect to other content in electronic messages across different devices and platforms, leading to unintended display modifications when messages are sent to recipients.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating metadata that describes the semantic relationships between digital ink and other content in electronic messages, allowing for proper display alignment and retention of original resolution, along with the option to convert digital ink and surrounding objects into a single image for compatibility with devices that do not support separate processing of digital ink.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If digital ink is sent as a graphical object without metadata, then the message is simpler to process and send, but the spatial relationship between digital ink and other content is lost when displayed on different devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces metadata as an intermediary element that carries spatial relationship information between the digital ink and other content. This metadata acts as a mediator that enables receiving devices to correctly position and display the digital ink relative to other message content, resolving the contradiction by adding a structured information layer without fundamentally changing the core message structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimensional layer to the message structure by incorporating metadata that describes spatial relationships. This additional dimension contains information about the position, size, and relationships of digital ink elements, allowing them to be accurately reconstructed on different devices without losing their intended spatial context.
2Adaptability or versatility
If digital ink is displayed at different positions on different devices, then the message adapts to various display formats, but the intended spatial relationship with other content is distorted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameter changes by storing spatial relationship information as metadata parameters (position, size, relationships) that can be interpreted and applied consistently across different devices. These parameters allow the digital ink to be accurately positioned relative to other content while adapting to different display formats and device specifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing the spatial relationship metadata when the message is created. This preliminary encoding of spatial information ensures that when the message is received on different devices, the correct spatial relationships are automatically applied without requiring real-time calculation or adjustment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If digital ink is converted to text, then the message becomes more compatible with older systems, but the graphical annotations and spatial relationships are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the digital ink into two components: the graphical representation (which preserves annotations and visual information) and the spatial relationship metadata (which enables correct positioning). This segmentation allows the graphical elements to be maintained while adding compatibility through structured metadata that can be processed by different system types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves universality by creating a multi-functional message structure where metadata can be interpreted differently by various systems. Older systems can ignore the metadata and display basic graphical ink, while newer systems can utilize the metadata for precise spatial relationships, allowing the same message structure to serve multiple compatibility needs.
4Reliability
If metadata describing spatial relationships is added to digital ink, then the spatial relationships are preserved across devices, but the message size and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential spatial relationship information needed for correct display and places it in metadata. By taking out only the necessary positional and relational data rather than including all possible information, the patent minimizes the increase in message data volume while still achieving reliable spatial relationship preservation across different devices.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods for sending an electronic message including digital ink. One system includes at least one electronic processor. The at least one electronic processor is configured to receive the digital ink for inclusion in the electronic message, determine positional information for the digital ink, the positional information representing a position of the digital ink within the electronic message relative to a position of at least one additional object within the electronic message, and send the digital ink and the positional information as part of the electronic message.