Content Editing Undo Cache Using Instruction-Only History

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Content editing applications on terminal devices require large storage space to store multiple data versions for undo and redo operations, leading to increased I/O overheads and reduced performance due to slower data read speeds from larger storage.

Innovation Solution

Store only operation instructions and generate archive points for content data based on preset conditions, allowing quick restoration to desired data versions without storing full content data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If content data of multiple historical data versions is stored in cache to enable undo and redo operations, then undo/redo functionality is achieved, but storage space requirement increases beyond cache capacity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveundo/redo functionalityVSAvoidstorage space occupation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the operation instructions from the full content data and stores them separately in the cache. Instead of storing complete content versions, it stores only the operational commands (add, delete, modify) that transformed the content, thereby reducing storage space while maintaining undo/redo capability through instruction replay

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the content data into two parts: the current content stored in memory and the operation instructions stored in cache. This segmentation allows the system to maintain a compact cache by storing only the incremental operation instructions rather than complete content versions, resolving the storage space constraint

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Quantity of substance

If content data is stored in memory with larger storage space, then historical data versions can be stored, but data read speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage spaceVSAvoiddata read speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different storage qualities to different data types: operation instructions are stored in cache with high read speed for quick access during undo/redo operations, while complete content data is stored in memory with larger capacity. This local quality differentiation optimizes both speed and storage space utilization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If full content data is stored for each operation to enable quick restoration, then undo operation speed is improved, but storage space occupation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveundo operation speedVSAvoidstorage space occupation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a simplified copy of the operation history by storing only the operation instructions rather than full content data. These instruction copies can be replayed to restore content versions, providing sufficient functionality with minimal storage space while maintaining acceptable undo operation speed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4700643A1Content editing method, medium, and electronic device
Publication Date: 2026.02.25 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4700643A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4700643A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4700643A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This application is applied to the field of terminal technologies, and provides a content editing method, a medium, and an electronic device. The method includes: for an operation performed by a user on content data, storing only an instruction corresponding to the operation, and only after the user performs a plurality of operations, storing corresponding content data obtained after the plurality of operations. In this way, a terminal device does not need to store content data corresponding to each operation. This saves storage space occupied by an editing-type application. In addition, because an amount of stored data is reduced, the instructions and the content data can be directly stored in a cache. Further, when a redo or undo operation is performed, a corresponding instruction and content data can be read from the cache with a higher read speed. This improves efficiency for performing a redo or undo function.