Guided Mobile Document Interface for WYSIWYG Asset Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile inspection apps do not provide guided user interfaces that ensure captured photographs fit geometric constraints of the inspection report, making it difficult to generate asset-descriptive documents with both image and text components, and often require post-processing to achieve the desired format.
Innovation Solution
A guided user interface on a mobile computing device that displays spatially distributed image and text placeholder areas, allowing users to capture or select images and enter text directly into predefined areas, with live view adjustment for aspect ratio and orientation, ensuring a what-you-see-is-what-you-get representation of the final document.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a guided user interface with WYSIWYG representation is implemented, then the ease of operation and document formatting accuracy are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The document generation interface is segmented into multiple spatially distributed image placeholder areas and text placeholder areas, allowing users to interact with specific sections independently. Each placeholder area can be touched to display relevant acquisition interfaces, breaking down the complex document generation task into manageable steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface displays a what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) representation that copies the final document appearance directly on the touchscreen. This allows users to see the exact formatting and layout of the generated document before finalization, eliminating the need for post-processing and ensuring formatting accuracy.
2Device complexity
If the native digital camera application is used for image capture, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision of image formatting is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
Each image placeholder area has an associated image acquisition interface that provides localized control for image capture. The interface includes a digital camera interface with a live view area that displays a preview of the captured image, allowing users to adjust framing and ensure the image meets the specific formatting requirements of that placeholder area.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface dynamically adjusts camera parameters such as aspect ratio and orientation based on the requirements of each image placeholder area. The live view area displays the captured image with the correct aspect ratio, and the interface can rotate the camera view to match the required orientation, ensuring precise image formatting without post-processing.
3Manufacturing precision
If spatially distributed placeholder areas with live view adjustment are provided, then the manufacturing precision of document formatting is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The interface is dynamic and adaptive, automatically adjusting the display based on user interactions. When a user touches an image placeholder area, the interface dynamically displays the corresponding image acquisition interface with the correct aspect ratio and orientation. The live view area continuously updates to show the captured image in the required format, and the interface can rotate the camera view to match the placeholder area's orientation requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Computer program products, systems and methods provide a guided user interface on a mobile computing device for generating an asset-descriptive electronic document (e.g., an inspection report or a brochure) with image and text components depicting and describing an asset. In one method, a touchscreen of a mobile computing device display a document generation interface having image placeholder areas. In response to detecting a touch input at one of the image place holder areas, the touchscreen displays an image acquisition interface, which may be a digital camera interface. The touchscreen displays an updated document generation interface with an image acquired using the image acquisition interface and positioned in the touched mage placeholder areas. The asset-descriptive electronic document is generated and stored, with at least a portion of the updated document generation interface being a what-you-see-is what-you-get (WYSIWYG) representation of at least a portion of the generated asset-descriptive electronic document.