Dynamic Thumbnail Graph Interface for Entity Navigation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for searching and displaying entities, such as artists or multimedia content, require successive user interactions to navigate and obtain a complete cartography, and are limited by a fixed number of related entities displayed, leading to an inefficient user experience and potential overlap of thumbnails.

Innovation Solution

A data processing method that generates a graphical interface with a graph composed of links and nodes (thumbnails) where the number of second-level thumbnails varies based on a threshold value, allowing for dynamic selection and display of entities meeting specific criteria, enabling a complete cartography without successive user selections and reducing overlap by adjusting the number of thumbnails displayed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a fixed number of related entities are displayed in each level, then the interface structure is simple and easy to implement, but the user cannot obtain a complete cartography without successive selections and thumbnails may overlap

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser navigation efficiencyVSAvoidinterface structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the number of displayed thumbnails variable rather than fixed. The system dynamically adjusts the number of thumbnails shown at each level based on spatial availability and predefined thresholds, allowing the interface to adapt its structure to display complete cartography information without requiring multiple successive user selections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of thumbnail quantity from a fixed value to a variable determined by threshold values. Different threshold values control the maximum number of thumbnails displayed at each level, enabling the system to optimize between completeness of information and visual clarity based on the specific display context.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of information

If the number of thumbnails displayed per level is increased to show complete cartography, then user navigation efficiency improves, but thumbnail overlap occurs and interface clarity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of cartographyVSAvoidthumbnail overlap
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses parameter changes by introducing threshold values that control the maximum number of thumbnails displayed at each level. The system calculates appropriate threshold values based on the available display space and the total number of entities, dynamically adjusting the displayed quantity to prevent overlap while maintaining complete cartography information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system monitors the display state and adjusts the number of thumbnails accordingly. Threshold values serve as feedback parameters that guide the display algorithm to optimize between showing complete information and avoiding visual clutter, ensuring that the displayed cartography is both complete and clear.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of information

If successive user selections are required to navigate through entities, then the interface structure remains simple, but the time required to obtain complete information increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of entity cartographyVSAvoidnavigation time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing threshold values that determine the optimal number of thumbnails to display at each level. This allows the system to immediately display the complete cartography when a user selects an entity, without requiring successive selections, thereby reducing navigation time while maintaining interface simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent makes the information display dynamic by automatically expanding to show the complete cartography based on pre-established threshold values. When a user selects an entity, the system dynamically determines how many related entities to display at each level using the stored thresholds, providing complete information in a single step rather than requiring multiple successive selections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2876565B1Processing of data relating to objects
Publication Date: 2020.12.30 ORANGE SA
  • EP2876565B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2876565B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2876565B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a data processing method comprising a step of generating a display control signal on a screen of a graphical interface comprising a graph (GF1) composed of links and nodes materialized by thumbnails, each thumbnail representing an entity, said graph contains a first thumbnail (V1) representing a first entity (A1). According to the invention, the method is adapted to select a set of entities according to at least one second criterion, from among a plurality of entities meeting a first selection criterion relative to the first entity, the first thumbnail (V1) of said graph being linked in said graph directly to one or more second thumbnails (V21, V22, V23) each representing a second entity of said set of entities, the number of second thumbnails being a function of a current threshold value determined from the plurality of entities.The invention also relates to a device implementing a treatment process.