Structured Document Grid for Hierarchical Information Organization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional text documents lack transparency in structure and relationships between ideas, making it difficult for authors and readers to organize and visualize information effectively, as they rely on linear structures that obscure hierarchical and spatial relationships.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for organizing information in a grid structure with user interface operations that allow for easy manipulation, including expanding or collapsing elements, reordering rows, and changing cell sizes, to create a hierarchical and visual representation of textual and non-textual information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional text documents use linear sequential structure, then the document can be easily created and displayed, but the structure and relationships between ideas lack transparency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments information into discrete units called 'items' that can be independently organized and manipulated. Each item represents a distinct unit of information that can be placed in a grid structure, allowing the document to maintain both simplicity and structural transparency. The segmentation enables readers to see individual information units and their relationships clearly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional linear one-dimensional text flow to a two-dimensional grid structure. This dimensional change allows information to be organized spatially with rows and columns, enabling simultaneous display of hierarchical relationships and spatial arrangements while maintaining ease of creation and display.
2Ease of operation
If text is organized in linear sequential format, then the document is easy to create, but it is difficult to visualize hierarchical and spatial relationships
Solution Approach 1:
By introducing a second spatial dimension through grid rows and columns, the patent enables visual representation of hierarchical relationships. Items can be positioned in different rows to indicate hierarchy levels and in different columns to show spatial relationships, making the structure immediately visible while maintaining ease of creation through simple item placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs visual formatting including bolding, italics, and other text styling to highlight different levels of information hierarchy. These visual changes help readers quickly distinguish between parent items, child items, and different types of information within the grid structure.
3Device complexity
If information is presented as flat sequential text, then the document structure is simple, but the relationships among ideas are obscured
Solution Approach 1:
Segmenting information into discrete items within a grid structure preserves simplicity while revealing relationships. Each item can be independently positioned in rows and columns, allowing the document to maintain structural simplicity while making relationships among ideas visible through spatial arrangement and hierarchical positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The two-dimensional grid structure provides additional spatial dimensions for organizing information, allowing relationships among ideas to be expressed through row and column positioning without increasing document structure complexity. Hierarchical relationships are shown through row positioning while spatial relationships are shown through column positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for organizing information in a grid. Aspects of this grid may be easily manipulated via user interface operations. This grid may be easily manipulated to create or edit a hierarchy. Grid elements may be expanded or collapsed alternatively to show or hide hidden elements. A block of textual information may contain elements that may be expanded or collapsed alternatively to show or hide hidden elements. Aspects of this block of text may be easily manipulated via user interface operations. This block of text may be easily manipulated to create or edit a hierarchy. A canvas may contain objects that may be easily moved and/or repositioned via user interface operations.