Persistent Electronic Tick Marks for Document Annotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional database and spreadsheet applications fail to maintain persistent electronic tick marks, leading to data loss, corruption, and errors due to modifications in document versions, where tick marks become irrelevant or invalid as associated data changes, and their legends become disassociated, causing errors and increased costs in reviewing successive document versions.
Innovation Solution
A computer-based data annotation tool generates and stores tick marks as persistent, user-viewable, and machine-readable symbols directly associated with data items, using XML tags and tick mark rules that modify the symbol based on data changes, ensuring tick marks remain attached to their corresponding data across multiple user sessions and document sections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional database and spreadsheet applications are used to store tick marks, then the system is simple and easy to operate, but the tick marks become lost or corrupt when document versions are modified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tick mark data with the underlying data item itself by storing both in the same database record. This integration ensures that when data is modified, the tick mark status is automatically updated or preserved, eliminating the problem of tick marks becoming lost or corrupt across document versions while maintaining system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a persistent copy of the tick mark data structure that is independently stored and linked to the data item. This copying mechanism ensures that tick mark information is preserved even when the original document undergoes modifications, as the tick mark data exists as a separate but associated record in the database.
2Adaptability or versatility
If data items are modified in successive document versions, then the data remains current and relevant, but the associated tick marks become irrelevant or invalid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system automatically monitors changes to data items and updates the associated tick mark records accordingly. When data is modified, the system detects the change and either updates the tick mark status or maintains its validity through automatic re-evaluation, ensuring tick marks remain relevant without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the tick mark system dynamic by establishing automatic links between data items and their tick mark annotations. This dynamic relationship allows tick marks to automatically adapt to data changes, maintaining their validity and relevance across successive document versions through automated updates rather than static associations.
3Measurement precision
If manual review of successive document versions is performed to ensure correctness, then errors can be detected, but time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the system to perform self-validation by automatically tracking and preserving tick mark data across document versions. The system independently monitors data changes and maintains the integrity of tick mark annotations without requiring manual review, thereby detecting potential errors automatically while significantly reducing the time and resources needed for verification.
Data Source
AI summary
Consistent with embodiments of the invention, computer-based systems and methods for annotating documents with a special type of graphical icon—referred to herein as a tick mark—are provided. Accordingly, utilizing a document annotation tool consistent with one embodiment of the invention, a user can quickly and easily place a tick mark next to an element of a document (e.g., a word, sentence, paragraph, number, chart, graph or figure) being displayed to visually convey some information about that particular element of the document. A second user, who is viewing the same document subsequent to the first user placing the tick mark, will immediately recognize and appreciate the information conveyed by the placement of the tick mark.