Scroll Bar Play Event Icons for Sporting Event Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for displaying game plays in sporting events, such as listing them chronologically, can be overwhelming and make it difficult for fans to find specific plays, as they lack effective navigation and contextualization.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a graphical user interface on mobile devices that displays play event icons in a scroll bar, where each icon is associated with a sports team and timestamp, allowing for filtering by team or event type, with markers indicating game states and expandable frames or indicators for detailed viewing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If plays are listed in chronological order, then all plays can be displayed, but it becomes overwhelming and difficult for fans to find specific plays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the chronological list of plays into discrete, visually distinct play event icons arranged along a scroll bar. Each icon represents a separate play event, allowing fans to scan and locate specific plays easily rather than reading through a continuous text list. The scroll bar itself is segmented into time-based portions corresponding to different periods of the game.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the traditional one-dimensional chronological list into a two-dimensional visual interface. Play events are displayed as icons positioned along a horizontal scroll bar that represents the timeline of the game, adding a spatial dimension to the temporal sequence. This allows fans to visually scan across multiple plays simultaneously rather than reading sequentially.
2Loss of information
If detailed information about each play is provided, then fans can analyze plays thoroughly, but the interface becomes complex and overwhelming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different levels of information density at different locations in the interface. The scroll bar area displays condensed visual icons representing plays, while expanding a specific play icon reveals detailed information about that particular play. This allows comprehensive information to be available without overwhelming the entire interface at once.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where play event icons are contained within the scroll bar, and upon interaction, additional detailed information about each play is expanded or nested within the icon's display area. This nested organization allows multiple levels of information to be accessed hierarchically without creating a complex flat interface.
3Ease of operation
If a scroll bar is used to display multiple plays, then navigation becomes easier, but the interface requires more screen space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic scroll bar that can be interacted with through dragging and scrolling gestures. The scroll bar adapts to the available screen space and can be manipulated to display different portions of the game timeline. This dynamic behavior allows efficient use of limited screen real estate while maintaining comprehensive navigation capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the display parameters of the scroll bar and play icons based on the available screen space and user interaction. The size, spacing, and detail level of play icons can be adjusted dynamically, allowing the interface to optimize between displaying comprehensive information and fitting within limited screen boundaries.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is disclosed for receiving a plurality of play events associated with a sporting event, wherein each play event of the plurality of play events comprises a timestamp; for each of the play events, associating the play event with a sports team of a plurality of sports teams; for each of the play events, associating with the play event a particular icon from among a plurality of different icons based, at least in part, on the sports team that is associated with the play event; causing to display a bar in a graphical user interface of a mobile computing device, wherein the bar represents at least a portion of a time duration of the sporting event; for each of the play events, causing to display the particular icon at a position in the bar, wherein the position is based, at least in part, on the timestamp of the event.