Investigation Management Application with Dynamic Breadcrumb Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Investigating and tracking the sequence of related cases in law enforcement and intelligence operations is challenging due to the high number of interconnected cases, making it difficult for investigators to keep track of the investigation path, especially when revisiting previous cases.
Innovation Solution
An investigation management application that uses a network view to visually represent entities as nodes and their relationships, with a navigation breadcrumb system to dynamically generate and store navigation identifiers, allowing investigators to probe linear and non-linear relationships between entities and easily retrace their investigation paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If investigators manually track and review related cases, then they can investigate case relationships, but it becomes difficult to keep track of the investigation sequence when the number of related cases is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the investigation process into discrete actionable items (tasks, notes, evidence) associated with each case node. This segmentation allows investigators to break down complex investigation paths into manageable units, making it easier to track and revisit specific portions of the investigation without being overwhelmed by the entire case network.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary investigation management system that acts as a mediator between investigators and the complex network of related cases. This system provides automated features including case relationship mapping, investigation path tracking, and persistent state storage, which mediate the interaction between investigators and the large number of related cases, eliminating the need for manual tracking.
2Adaptability or versatility
If investigators revisit previous cases to continue investigation, then they can follow up on leads, but it is challenging to keep track of the sequence of cases that lead to one another
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by automatically capturing and storing the investigation path and state information as investigators progress through cases. The system proactively records the sequence of cases visited, actions taken, and current investigation state, so that when investigators need to revisit cases, the path information is already prepared and stored, eliminating the need to manually retrace steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms that provide investigators with real-time information about their investigation progress and the relationships between cases. The system feeds back the investigation path, case connections, and current state information to investigators, enabling them to understand the sequence of cases and make informed decisions about which cases to revisit, thereby reducing time loss.
3Measurement precision
If the investigation management system stores detailed state information for each case, then investigators can retrace their paths accurately, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and stores only the essential state information and path data needed for investigation tracking, rather than storing all possible case details. The system identifies and captures key investigation state elements (current case position, relationship mappings, actionable items) and stores them in a structured format, achieving accurate path retracing while avoiding the complexity of storing redundant or unnecessary information.
Data Source
AI summary
To probe linear and non-linear relationships of entities in a network, in a graphical user interface, in a login session, a selection of an action on a first node is received. In response to the selection of the action on the first node, the action is automatically performed. A navigation breadcrumb is dynamically generated in the graphical user interface with a first navigation identifier corresponding to the action performed on the first node and a corresponding first state information of the nodes. In database tables in a database, the first state information of the nodes corresponding to the first navigation identifier is stored. Selection of the first navigation identifier on the navigation breadcrumb is received, and in response to the selection, the first state information of the nodes is retrieved from the database tables and displayed in a canvas in an area of focus.