Hierarchical Inheritance Model for Presentation Slide Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Presentation programs lack the ability to define a consistent overall look while allowing for individual customization of slide layouts and slides, resulting in uniformity across all slides once a template is created.
Innovation Solution
A multi-level hierarchical inheritance model is introduced within the presentation program, comprising a master slide level, layout level, and slide level, enabling properties to be inherited and allowing exceptions at each level, allowing authors to create custom layouts that can be applied to individual slides or sets of slides, and override inherited properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a template is created to define overall look and feel, then consistency across all slides is improved, but individual customization capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the slide design into three hierarchical levels: master slide level (overall look), layout level (slide templates), and slide level (individual slides). This segmentation allows each level to be customized independently while maintaining consistency at higher levels, resolving the contradiction between overall consistency and individual customization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested hierarchical structure where layouts are nested within master slides, and individual slides are nested within layouts. Properties flow down through these nested levels, allowing customization at any level without affecting the entire structure, thus enabling both consistency and customization.
2Stability of the object's composition
If properties are defined at the master slide level, then overall presentation consistency is improved, but flexibility for individual slide customization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables local quality by allowing different levels of the hierarchy to have different properties. Master slides define global properties, layouts define local properties for slide templates, and individual slides can override both. This local quality approach maintains overall consistency while enabling flexible customization where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic inheritance where properties can be inherited from parent levels or overridden at child levels. This dynamic behavior allows the system to adapt between consistency (when inheritance is used) and flexibility (when overrides are applied), resolving the contradiction between presentation consistency and customization flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
An N-level inheritance model is provided to develop presentations. A hierarchical inheritance model includes master slides, custom layout slides, and slides including the material for the presentation. The inheritance model allows presentation authors to both define an overall look for the presentation as well as the ability to customize slide layouts individually. An author may create custom layouts that may be applied to a single slide as well as a set of slides. Properties that are defined at any level within the hierarchy may be inherited by the lower levels within the hierarchy. Each level within the presentation may also make an exception to an inherited property.