Just-in-time UI Layout Defers Rendering

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing graphical user interface systems face challenges in managing large collections of user interface elements, leading to high computational costs and reduced responsiveness, especially when dealing with extremely large collections of items, such as those returned by web searches.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that defer the cost of layout for selected user interface items until they are actually displayed, using a just-in-time approach that determines the complexity of items and approximates their size, thereby minimizing processing operations for rendering complex displays.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If layout is performed for all user interface elements in advance, then the complete interface is ready for display, but computational resources are excessively consumed and responsiveness decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterface responsivenessVSAvoidcomputational resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary rough layout calculations to estimate dimensions and positions of UI elements without completing full detailed layout for all elements. This preliminary action prepares sufficient information for immediate display while avoiding the computational cost of complete pre-layout, thereby improving responsiveness and reducing resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the layout process into distinct phases: rough layout (performed for all elements) and detailed layout (performed only for visible elements). This segmentation allows the system to perform minimal necessary calculations upfront and defer expensive detailed layout operations until needed, resolving the contradiction between completeness and resource efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If detailed layout is performed for all elements before display, then rendering accuracy is high, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelayout precisionVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different levels of layout quality to different elements based on their visibility. Visible elements receive detailed precise layout calculations, while invisible elements receive only rough approximate layout. This local differentiation maintains high precision where needed while minimizing processing time for elements that will not be displayed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs partial layout action by completing detailed layout only for the subset of elements that are currently visible, rather than performing excessive action on all elements. This partial approach achieves sufficient precision for the displayed portion while significantly reducing overall processing time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If all user interface elements are rendered completely, then the interface is visually complete, but system performance deteriorates with large collections

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterface completenessVSAvoidsystem performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary rough layout for all UI elements to establish their approximate positions and dimensions, ensuring that the interface structure is prepared and complete. This preliminary action maintains interface reliability while avoiding the performance penalty of complete detailed rendering, as detailed layout is deferred until elements become visible.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic layout calculation where the level of detail applied to each element changes based on its visibility state. Elements transition from rough layout when invisible to detailed layout when visible, creating a dynamic system that adapts computational effort to actual display needs, thereby maintaining completeness while improving performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS7554544B2Just-in-time user interface layout

Publication Date: 2009.06.30 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

The present invention relates to a system and method to facilitate rendering of a collection of display items in a computationally efficient manner. In one aspect, a system for rendering a display is provided. The system includes a drawing component that determines visible items to display and a logic component that selectively defers layout of the visible items in a just-in-time manner. The logic component determines complexity of the visible items in order to defer the layout. This can include associating a flag with the visible items, wherein if the flag can be set true for complex items and the flag set false for non-complex items. The complexity can be determined by a threshold number of subcomponents or children objects that are associated with the visible items.