Hierarchical Layered Menu Pane Access to Application Functionality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional directory tree structures in graphical user interfaces are not user-friendly for consumers, requiring complex navigation and equal emphasis on all items within a subdirectory, making it difficult for users with limited computer knowledge to access relevant content intuitively.
Innovation Solution
A graphical user interface with a hierarchical structure that uses expandable panes on a display screen, where panes remain in register at a vertex as one pane expands, optimizing display space and keeping content visible, with animation and opacity adjustments to prioritize relevant content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional directory tree structures are used to organize information, then information can be organized into directories and sub-directories, but users require complex navigation controls and manipulation to access content
Solution Approach 1:
The interface is segmented into multiple panes that can be independently expanded and collapsed. Each pane represents a directory or category, allowing users to navigate by selectively expanding only the relevant sections rather than managing a single complex tree structure with multiple levels of nesting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a traditional single-dimensional tree structure to a multi-pane layout that utilizes two-dimensional screen space. Multiple panes are arranged side-by-side, allowing users to view and compare different directory contents simultaneously, eliminating the need for deep nesting and complex hierarchical navigation.
2Loss of information
If all items within a subdirectory are displayed with equal emphasis, then complete information is provided, but relevant content becomes difficult to locate among irrelevant items
Solution Approach 1:
Different panes can have different visual qualities and states. The active or relevant pane is expanded and given visual prominence, while less relevant panes are collapsed or minimized. This allows all information to remain available while highlighting only the locally relevant content at any given moment.
Solution Approach 2:
The panes are dynamic and can be expanded or collapsed based on user interaction and relevance. When a user selects or hovers over a particular pane, it expands to show detailed content, while other panes automatically collapse. This dynamic behavior ensures that relevant content is always prominently displayed without losing access to other information.
3Loss of information
If expandable panes are used to maximize visible information, then more content is visible at once, but panes may overlap and create visual clutter
Solution Approach 1:
The panes are arranged in an asymmetric layout where one pane is expanded and positioned prominently (typically on the left or top), while other panes are collapsed or minimized to asymmetrically smaller sizes. This asymmetric arrangement naturally prevents overlap and creates a clear visual hierarchy without requiring complex overlap management.
Solution Approach 2:
Collapsed panes are nested within or adjacent to the expanded pane structure. When a pane is collapsed, its content is effectively nested within the boundary of the expanded pane or positioned in a nested hierarchical arrangement, allowing multiple levels of content to be organized without visual overlap while maintaining access to all information.
Data Source
AI summary
A graphical user interface for a computer program, the interface comprising an array of main panes each providing access to a particular aspect of the program, the panes being in register with one another at a vertex corresponding to the area in which all the panes meet, each of the panes being adapted to expand as a pointing device highlights a pane, the expansion of said pane relative to the other panes wherein the panes remain in register with one another at the vertex as a pane expands.