Hierarchical Selection UI Using Row-Based Cell Layout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional user interface elements, such as tree views and expandable menus, require significant vertical and horizontal screen space to display hierarchical items, making them inefficient in terms of space utilization and user interaction.
Innovation Solution
A user interface element that presents a hierarchy of items using cells, each associated with a level in the hierarchy, allowing for an expanded visual representation of items upon user input, where only the selected items and their children are displayed, minimizing space requirements while preserving the conceptual hierarchy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a tree view user interface element is used to display hierarchical items, then the hierarchy structure is clearly presented, but significant vertical screen space is required
Solution Approach 1:
The hierarchical structure is segmented into multiple levels, with each level displayed in a separate row. Only the currently selected level's items are fully expanded, while other levels are collapsed or summarized, allowing the hierarchy to be maintained without displaying all items simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and displays only the necessary portion of the hierarchical structure at any given time. When a user selects a parent item, only its child items are expanded and displayed, while other branches of the hierarchy are hidden or minimized, reducing the overall space required.
2Ease of operation
If an expandable menu is used to allow selection of items in a hierarchy, then item selection is enabled, but both significant vertical and horizontal screen space are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a traditional vertical/drop-down menu structure to a horizontal row-based layout. Each hierarchy level is represented as a separate row, and navigation occurs horizontally across rows rather than vertically through nested menus, fundamentally changing the spatial dimension used for navigation.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface dynamically adjusts its display based on user selection. When a parent item is selected, the interface dynamically expands to show its children in the next row, and dynamically collapses or hides other branches, allowing the displayed area to adapt to the current selection context.
3Loss of information
If multiple items at each hierarchy level are concurrently displayed, then complete hierarchy visibility is achieved, but significant vertical screen space is required
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of displaying all hierarchy levels and items simultaneously (excessive action), the patent displays only the currently relevant level and its immediate children (partial action). Users can navigate through different levels by selecting parent items, which triggers dynamic expansion of only the necessary portions of the hierarchy.
Data Source
AI summary
A user interface element for selecting items from a hierarchy of items can present a cell for each level in the hierarchy of items. Each cell can be associated with a level in the hierarchy and is operable to receive user input. In response to receiving user input directed to a cell, a collection of items can be presented where each presented item is from the level in the hierarchy associated with the cell. Each presented item can also be a child of a selected item in a cell associated with a higher level in the hierarchy.