Multi-Selection Interface for Non-Contiguous Item Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing graphical user interfaces (GUIs) are inefficient for selecting multiple non-contiguous items, as users often find it tedious to select specific items without selecting all, especially in list and grid controls, leading to time-consuming interactions.
Innovation Solution
A multi-selection system that allows users to quickly select multiple items using swipe- or concurrent point-style interactions, with automatic identification of actions and suggestive visual highlights, leveraging historical usage data to improve user interaction efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional selection methods (checkbox, shift-click, ctrl-click) are used in list and grid controls, then users can select multiple items, but the process becomes time-consuming and tedious especially for non-contiguous items
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-processes the data structure to identify hierarchical relationships and groupings among items before the user performs selection. When a user selects an item, the system has already prepared contextual information about related items, enabling immediate presentation of relevant options without requiring the user to manually navigate through multiple selection steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism that detects selection patterns and automatically identifies related items based on hierarchical relationships. This intermediary layer translates simple user selections into intelligent multi-selection recommendations, reducing the manual effort required to select non-contiguous items while maintaining precision.
2Ease of operation
If 'select all' option is provided, then all selectable items are simultaneously selected, but the user cannot easily deselect specific items or select only certain desired items
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts the selection interface based on the user's selection behavior. When users select items, the system automatically adjusts by presenting contextually relevant options that can be selected or deselected in subsequent interactions. This dynamic adaptation allows the interface to transition from simple selection to intelligent multi-selection, providing both bulk selection capability and fine-grained control as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system monitors user selection patterns and uses hierarchical relationships to suggest additional related items for selection. This feedback loop enables users to start with broad selections and progressively refine their choices, or vice versa, maintaining both ease of bulk selection and flexibility for precise item selection.
3Loss of information
If hierarchical relationships among items are utilized, then contextual understanding is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data structure into hierarchical levels and relationships, organizing items into parent-child connections and groups. This segmentation allows the system to efficiently query and traverse relationships without requiring the entire data structure to be processed simultaneously, managing complexity through modular organization while preserving contextual information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter representation of items by incorporating hierarchical metadata (parent IDs, group memberships, relationship types) into the data structure. This parameter enhancement enables the system to efficiently store and retrieve contextual relationships without fundamentally altering the core item structure, balancing information retention with manageable complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-selection system allows selection of multiple displayed items in a GUI, and processes an underlying data set based on the selection. Users may utilize swipes or concurrent point interactions with the GUI to co-select items. The system identifies actions to perform for selected items based on selection criteria associated with the selected items, or mapping data that maps the selected items to actions. The system automatically identifies grouping criteria for data returned from performed actions and displays resulting groups for further user selection. The system provides suggestive visual highlights that identify commonly co-selected items in the interface. The system collects instrumentation items, for historical usage data, that record aspects of users' interactions with the system. As such, the system may identify, from the historical usage data, sets of commonly co-selected items, mappings between combinations of items and one or more actions, productive arrangements of items displayed in GUIs, etc.