Automated Element Selection in Layered Structured Documents
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for selecting elements from structured documents require user intervention to specify regions, making the process cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that automatically selects appropriate elements from structured documents by analyzing content represented in a layer structure, using an obtaining unit, selecting unit, and outputting unit to identify and output main elements and element groups.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the user specifies a region in a web page to select an element, then the element can be selected and output, but the operation becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically analyzes the structured document and identifies candidate elements for output without requiring user intervention to specify regions. The selecting unit autonomously determines which elements should be extracted based on the document structure and output conditions, making the system self-sufficient in the element selection process.
Solution Approach 2:
The obtaining unit pre-analyzes the structured document to extract information about multiple elements and their hierarchical relationships before the user initiates the output operation. This preliminary analysis prepares candidate elements and their metadata in advance, so when output is requested, the selecting unit can quickly identify appropriate elements without requiring user-region specification.
2Ease of manufacture
If the user manually selects regions to extract elements, then specific elements can be obtained, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical interaction of user-region specification with an automated information processing system. The selecting unit uses computational analysis of the structured document's hierarchical structure to identify elements, substituting manual dragging/selection operations with automated algorithmic element identification based on document structure and output conditions.
3Ease of operation
If automatic element selection is implemented, then user effort is reduced, but the system must analyze layer structures and content to make accurate selections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the element selection task into distinct functional units: the obtaining unit that extracts element information from the structured document's layer structure, and the selecting unit that applies selection criteria to identify candidate elements. This segmentation allows each unit to handle specific aspects of the analysis, managing complexity through functional decomposition while maintaining automated operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary information structure that captures the hierarchical relationships and content metadata of elements in the structured document. This intermediary representation serves as a bridge between the raw structured document and the selection decision, allowing the selecting unit to analyze element relationships and content without directly manipulating the complex original document structure.
Data Source
AI summary
Information representing content of a plurality of elements which are included in a structured document defined as a layer structure is obtained, and one of the elements included in the structured document is selected in accordance with the content of the elements included in the structured document. Then, the selected element is output separately from the other elements.Note that the elements included in the structured document are selectable in the plurality of layers and an element selected from any one of the layers is output separately from the other elements.By this, an appropriate element can be selected and output from among the plurality of elements included in the structured document.