Screenshot Isolation via Resolution Matching

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face time-consuming and cumbersome processes when trying to retrieve specific screenshots or captured content items from a vast repository on electronic devices, as they must navigate through numerous images to find the desired item.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system that automatically isolates screenshots by matching their resolution with the screen resolution of the capturing device, allowing users to efficiently select and insert them into documents, and optionally analyzing against known device resolutions for cross-device compatibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If all captured content items (photographs, screenshots, etc.) are stored in a single content repository, then storage efficiency is improved, but retrieval efficiency deteriorates as users must navigate through numerous images to find the desired screenshot

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage efficiencyVSAvoidretrieval time
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the single content repository into two distinct galleries: a screenshots gallery and a photos gallery. This segmentation is achieved by detecting screenshots through resolution matching and automatically organizing them separately from photographs. Users can then quickly access screenshots through the dedicated gallery without navigating through all photos, thus reducing retrieval time while maintaining efficient storage utilization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts screenshots from the mixed content repository and places them in a separate screenshots gallery. The extraction process involves detecting screenshots by comparing image resolutions against known device screen resolutions, then automatically moving or linking these detected screenshots to the dedicated gallery. This allows users to access only screenshots when needed, eliminating the time wasted browsing through unrelated photographs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Measurement precision

If screenshots are manually identified and sorted from a large number of content items, then retrieval accuracy is improved, but operation complexity increases and time consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescreenshot identification accuracyVSAvoiduser operation simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a self-service system where screenshots automatically identify and organize themselves without user intervention. The system detects screenshots by comparing each content item's resolution against a database of known device screen resolutions, automatically tags them as screenshots, and places them in the appropriate gallery. This eliminates the need for users to manually identify or sort screenshots, maintaining high identification accuracy while preserving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical manual sorting process with an automated computational system. Instead of users physically browsing and selecting screenshots, the system uses resolution-based detection algorithms to automatically identify and categorize screenshots. This substitution maintains precise identification while dramatically simplifying user interaction, as users simply access the pre-organized screenshots gallery without manual sorting efforts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If resolution-based isolation of screenshots is implemented, then retrieval efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases due to resolution comparison operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescreenshot retrieval efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by pre-collecting and storing resolution information for various device screens in a database during system initialization or device registration. When a screenshot needs to be identified, the system simply compares the content item's resolution against this pre-prepared list, rather than performing complex analysis. This preliminary preparation maintains high retrieval efficiency while minimizing the complexity of the actual identification process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent simplifies the complexity issue by changing the approach from complex image analysis to simple parameter comparison. Instead of analyzing image content, metadata, or visual characteristics to identify screenshots, the system uses a single parameter - resolution - and compares it against known device screen resolutions. This parameter-based approach dramatically reduces computational complexity while maintaining high retrieval efficiency, as resolution comparison is a straightforward numerical operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3005675B1Automatic isolation and selection of screenshots from an electronic content repository
Publication Date: 2020.05.20 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3005675B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3005675B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3005675B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Automatic isolation of screenshots from other captured content items stored in an electronic content repository is provided. When a screen capture is performed on an electronic device, such as a smartphone, screen resolution information for the capturing device is stored with the captured content item (e.g., screenshot). When a user subsequently desires to recall a given stored captured screenshot, the resolution associated with each stored content item may be used for isolating screenshots from other stored content items like photographs, text items, clip art, and the like by comparing the resolutions of any of the stored content items with a screen resolution of the user's device or with known screen resolutions of various devices that may be used for capturing screen images.