Electronic Document Layout Association for Cross-Format Fidelity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electronic document formats struggle to provide both fixed-layout and flexible-layout displays effectively, leading to inconveniences such as content being too small or large on different devices, and re-arrangement affecting the fidelity of original content.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that generate both fixed-layout and flexible-layout electronic documents by reading input documents, specifying display regions, storing content, and linking it across both formats, allowing users to switch between them conveniently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If fixed-layout mode is used to maintain original content arrangement, then content fidelity is preserved, but content may be too small or large requiring zooming and panning on different screen sizes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent fidelityVSAvoidreading convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically switches between fixed-layout and flexible-layout modes based on user selection or device characteristics. The fixed-layout mode preserves original content arrangement with precise positioning, while flexible-layout mode automatically adjusts content size and arrangement to fit different screen sizes, eliminating the need for zooming and panning operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the layout parameter from fixed to flexible based on user needs. In fixed-layout mode, content position and size parameters are preserved exactly as in the original document. In flexible-layout mode, these parameters are automatically adjusted to optimize readability on different devices while maintaining content fidelity through the association mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If flexible-layout mode is used to adapt content to screen size, then reading convenience is improved, but content arrangement fidelity is affected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereading convenienceVSAvoidcontent fidelity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates an associated flexible-layout document that copies the content structure and logical arrangement from the original fixed-layout document. This copy maintains the semantic relationships and content hierarchy while allowing physical arrangement to adapt to different screen sizes, thus preserving content fidelity in terms of meaning and structure even if visual positioning differs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The association mechanism enables the same content to be represented in multiple layout formats simultaneously. Users can access either fixed-layout or flexible-layout versions of the same document, making the system universal in accommodating both fidelity-oriented readers and convenience-oriented readers without sacrificing either requirement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If both fixed-layout and flexible-layout documents are generated and associated, then both content fidelity and reading convenience are maintained, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelayout flexibilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The association mechanism acts as an intermediary that links fixed-layout and flexible-layout documents. Instead of requiring a complex decision-making system to generate the appropriate layout, the system simply creates both versions with mutual references. The user agent or user choice determines which version to display, simplifying the system architecture while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Adaptability or versatility

If content is re-arranged in flexible layout, then readability on various devices is improved, but original design intent may be lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice compatibilityVSAvoiddesign fidelity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the document representation into two distinct but associated formats: fixed-layout that preserves design intent and flexible-layout that optimizes for device compatibility. By maintaining both segments separately with associative links, the system allows users to choose which aspect (design fidelity or device adaptation) to prioritize without compromising either capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9779068B2Method for associating fixed and flexible layout modes for reading documents

Publication Date: 2017.10.03 KONICA MINOLTA SYSTEMS LABORATORY INC

AI summary

A method for generating electronic documents (EDs) includes reading an input ED from storage, specifying in the input ED a predetermined element that defines a region comprising a content, storing the content in connection with the predetermined element, generating a fixed-layout ED having a fixed layout and comprising a content corresponding to the content of the input ED, generating a flexible-layout ED having a flexible layout and comprising a content corresponding to the content of the input ED, linking the content of the fixed-layout ED to a position of the content of the flexible-layout ED, linking the content of the flexible-layout ED to a position of the content of the fixed-layout ED, and outputting one or both of the fixed-layout ED and the flexible-layout ED to a user device.