Referential Gestures for Dynamic Visual Context in Text

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Solution Overview

Problem

Written communications often lack the contextual richness of in-person interactions, leading to inefficiencies in conveying thoughts, especially when referencing visual media, as they cannot effectively incorporate gestures or body language.

Innovation Solution

The development of referential gestures within a content management system that link text strings to visual media items, allowing for additional context and animation, enabling editors to create and display gestures that maintain their reference points even with document edits or resizing, unlike static annotations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If static annotations are used to reference visual media in written communications, then the implementation is simple, but the contextual richness and dynamic representation of gestures are lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontextual richnessVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by transforming static annotations into dynamic referential gestures that can animate and move within the content item. These gestures maintain their reference points through document edits and resizing while providing dynamic visual representation, thus resolving the contradiction between information richness and system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a new dimension by adding spatial and temporal characteristics to traditional annotations. Referential gestures operate in multiple dimensions including position, movement轨迹, and animation timing, enabling richer contextual representation without overwhelming system complexity through structured implementation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Loss of information

If referential gestures with animation are implemented, then the contextual richness is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontextual richnessVSAvoidease of creation
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies self-service by automatically maintaining referential gesture reference points through document edits and resizing operations. The gestures autonomously adapt to content changes without requiring manual repositioning by the user, thus preserving ease of operation while providing rich contextual representation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system continuously monitors document structure changes and automatically adjusts referential gesture positions and animations accordingly. This automated feedback loop eliminates the need for manual intervention, maintaining ease of operation while ensuring contextual accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If referential gestures are made resilient to document edits and resizing, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereference point stabilityVSAvoidsystem architecture
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by creating a multi-functional referential gesture system that simultaneously provides annotation, spatial reference, animation, and automatic adaptation to document changes. This unified approach improves reference point stability while avoiding the complexity of multiple separate systems through integrated design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10839143B2Referential gestures within content items
Publication Date: 2020.11.17 DROPBOX INC
  • US10839143B2 patent drawing
  • US10839143B2 patent drawing
  • US10839143B2 patent drawing

AI summary

The disclosed technology provides for creating and displaying referential gestures in a content item. In some instances many words may be required to clearly describe a point that can be made in few words by referencing visual media. The present technology provides a method for associating a referential gesture to a text string and a particular location in a visual media item.