Responsive Line Chart Display with Density-Based Thickness
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Viewing and understanding line charts on mobile computing systems is challenging due to small screen sizes, which limit the display of information and require users to switch between multiple screens to gain a full understanding of the data.
Innovation Solution
A method for displaying line charts on mobile devices by varying the thickness of line segments based on information density and available screen space, where thicker lines represent lower density and thinner lines represent higher density, allowing users to intuitively understand the data without needing to switch screens.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If line charts are displayed on mobile computing systems with small screen sizes, then the device portability and compactness are maintained, but the information display completeness and user understanding capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the thickness of line segments based on their local information density. Areas with higher information density (more data points per unit length) are represented by thinner lines, while areas with lower information density are represented by thicker lines. This allows the chart to convey different levels of detail within the same visual space, enabling complete information representation on small mobile screens without requiring users to switch between multiple views.
2Loss of information
If multiple screens are used to display full line chart information, then information display completeness is improved, but device complexity and user operation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple views of line chart information into a single integrated display. By encoding information density within the line thickness itself, the system combines what would traditionally require multiple separate screens or views into one unified visualization. Users can understand the complete data landscape, including both overview and detailed sections, without navigating between multiple screens, thus reducing operational complexity while maintaining information completeness.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus for displaying line charts with responsive line thickness using a display screen of a mobile computing system and include a processor, and one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive a request to display a line chart on a display screen of a mobile computing system with the line chart having multiple line segments, determine density of information to be displayed with the line chart, and display the line chart with thickness of lines of the line chart corresponding to the determined density of information. The thickness of the line segments of the line chart is relatively thinner when the line chart includes higher density of information and relatively thicker when the line chart includes lower density of information.