GUI Hierarchy Indication via Color Coding for Navigation Clarity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulty navigating cluttered computer screens with numerous active windows and icons, requiring a method to organize and visually illustrate hierarchical structures in graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to simplify navigation.
Innovation Solution
The method employs different colors, either distinct hues or shades, to indicate hierarchy levels within a GUI, where objects at higher levels are displayed in one color and their subordinate objects in another, helping users visually distinguish and understand the hierarchical relationships.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If numerous windows and icons are displayed on the computer screen, then the functionality and features of the operating system are enhanced, but the navigation difficulty increases and user confusion worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color changes to indicate hierarchical levels of GUI elements. Different colors or shades are used to distinguish parent objects from child objects, enabling users to quickly understand the hierarchical structure and navigation path without confusion, thus resolving the navigation difficulty caused by numerous windows and icons
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different visual properties (colors) to different parts of the GUI elements based on their hierarchical level. This localized visual differentiation helps users navigate through multiple windows and icons by providing immediate visual cues about the hierarchical relationships, reducing overall navigation complexity
2Device complexity
If hierarchical structures are organized with multiple embedded levels, then the organization capability is improved, but the visual clarity and ease of understanding deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color changes to represent different hierarchical levels. Parent objects are displayed in one color while child objects are displayed in a different color or shade, making the embedded levels visually distinct and easy to understand even when multiple hierarchical levels are present, thus maintaining visual clarity while preserving organization capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a visual dimension (color) to represent hierarchical depth. Instead of relying solely on spatial arrangement or text descriptions, the hierarchical level is encoded in the color dimension, allowing users to quickly perceive the structure of multiple embedded levels without increasing visual complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for indicating hierarchy of objects in a graphical user interface (GUI) of a computer system. The method uses a first color to display a first set of objects at a first level of the hierarchy. The method then uses a second color, different from the first color, to display a second set of objects at a second level of the hierarchy. The first and second colors are two different colors in the visible light spectrum in some embodiments, while they are two different shades of the same color in other embodiments.