Document Shredding Into Component Blocks for In-App Reuse

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing productivity applications lack the ability to efficiently reuse content from different sources without requiring users to leave the application and manually copy-paste content from separate files.

Innovation Solution

A document shredder transforms documents into component objects that can be reused within the productivity application, allowing users to access and insert these objects without leaving the application, using a parser to identify and extract objects and their dependent entities, and storing them separately for quick retrieval.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If users manually copy-paste content from separate files, then content can be reused, but users must leave the application and switch between files which reduces productivity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent reuse efficiencyVSAvoidtime to switch between applications
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The document is segmented into reusable component objects (images, visualizations, data tables, slides, text blocks) that can be independently extracted and inserted. The parser divides the document structure into discrete selectable units, allowing users to reuse only the specific content they need without handling entire files.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A document shredder service acts as an intermediary between the source document and the productivity application. The service extracts component objects from the source document and provides them to the productivity application in a format suitable for insertion, eliminating the need for manual copy-pasting and application switching.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If documents are transformed into component objects, then content can be reused within the application, but additional processing steps are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent compatibilityVSAvoiddocument processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The document shredder service automatically performs the transformation of documents into component objects without requiring user intervention. The system self-manages the parsing, extraction, and formatting processes, making the complexity invisible to the end user who simply selects and inserts content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The document shredder service handles multiple document types and formats universally, converting them all into standardized component objects that can be used across different productivity applications. The service supports various file formats and object types through a single unified interface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Measurement precision

If a parser is used to identify and extract objects, then precise object boundaries can be detected, but the parsing process increases system complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobject boundary detection accuracyVSAvoidparser logic complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The parser serves as an intermediary layer between the raw document format and the component object representation. It translates document structures into standardized object formats with clear boundaries, handling the complexity of format-specific parsing logic within the service layer while presenting a uniform interface to the productivity application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3311308B1Deconstructing documents into component blocks for reuse in productivity applications
Publication Date: 2025.09.24 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3311308B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3311308B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3311308B1 patent drawingFigure 4A~4B

AI summary

Documents can be deconstructed into component blocks for reuse in productivity applications using a document shredder. The document shredder can identify specific objects within a source document that are likely to be reused, replicate the objects, and store the objects, or component blocks, separate from the source document. The productivity application can access the objects and present these objects to a user of the productivity application for easy insertion into the user's document. The component blocks, or identified relevant objects can be from document sources of previously generated content from a same or different author than the user of a productivity application.