3D Radial Content Search Interface for Home Entertainment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Home entertainment systems face challenges in navigating and selecting content from a large number of sources without tedious navigation through multiple display pages or hierarchies, and existing search paradigms assume user knowledge of desired content, limiting discovery and cross-linkage opportunities.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for searching content using a graphical user interface that displays visual elements in a three-dimensional array on a screen, where proximity to a central point indicates relevance, allowing users to select content for further search and re-draw relationships, enabling a free process of content association without textual input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users navigate through multiple display pages or hierarchies to access content, then content organization is maintained, but navigation efficiency and user experience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional two-dimensional linear navigation to a three-dimensional radial interface where content items are distributed in a circular arrangement around a central point. Users interact by rotating the view to navigate content in 360 degrees, eliminating the need for multiple display pages while maintaining comprehensive content organization. This dimensional change resolves the contradiction by providing efficient navigation without increasing interface complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional search paradigms are used, then search functionality is provided, but user discovery and cross-linkage opportunities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic search interface where the radial arrangement can be rotated and reconfigured based on user selections. When a user selects content, the system dynamically re-draws relationships and repositions items in the radial array to reflect new search criteria. This dynamic behavior enables continuous discovery and cross-linkage opportunities while maintaining ease of operation through intuitive rotational navigation.
3Loss of information
If content is displayed in a limited view, then display simplicity is maintained, but user awareness of all possible choices is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a three-dimensional radial display that wraps content around the periphery of the screen, allowing users to access a full gamut of possible content by rotating the view. This approach maximizes display area utilization by presenting content in a circular arrangement rather than a linear list, enabling comprehensive content awareness without sacrificing display simplicity. The radial geometry allows the display to utilize all available screen real estate efficiently.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for searching content and user interface for presenting results of the search are provided, wherein visual elements representing the content are distributed in three dimensions on a display, with the various axes representing criteria that relate to a central starting point of the search and the proximity to the central point indicating the degree of relevance. The outer bounds of the display contain a large amount of varied material of various types to allow a user to select content of a different type, with the content at the periphery of the display being essentially random and representing little or no link to the starting point of the search. Any displayed element may be selected, as a source for a next level search, in which case content relationships will be re-drawn, with the selected content used as the center point for a next level search.