Search Engine Thumbnail Display for Visual Context Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current search engines are ineffective in presenting relevant results for non-text-based source documents like image files and scanned copies, as initial results are often displayed in textual format, losing important visual cues and lacking context.
Innovation Solution
The system retrieves and displays relevant image portions of source documents in their original context within the initial search results, using a view window to capture relevant portions and provide an image that includes contextual information, such as text and graphics, allowing users to identify desirable documents quickly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If search engines display initial results in textual format, then text-based information can be extracted and searched, but important visual cues are lost and non-text-based documents become difficult to review
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates thumbnail copies of the original non-text-based documents (images, scanned PDFs, TIF files) and displays these thumbnails directly in the search results. This copying approach preserves the visual appearance and contextual information of the original documents while making them reviewable in the search interface, thus resolving the contradiction between preserving visual cues and enabling easy document review.
2Loss of information
If search engines provide text portions from source documents, then relevant text can be identified, but the text is out of context and less useful
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by displaying different representations of the document based on the user's needs: thumbnails provide contextual visual information while expanded views provide detailed text content. The system dynamically adjusts the display quality and format for different portions of the search result, preserving context where needed while providing detailed text when relevant.
3Loss of information
If search engines return images of relevant portions, then users can see documents in original context, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial action by generating and displaying only thumbnails or partial views of documents in the initial search results, rather than requiring the system to process, store, and display complete high-resolution versions of all documents. This partial display approach preserves original context while avoiding the excessive complexity of full document image processing.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides methods, devices, and systems for displaying results of a search engine query in a graphic, rather than, or in addition to, textual format. The search results are provided to a user such that the user is able to see the context of the words and phrases in the format of the original source document. Presentation of graphic fragments from the source document help to improve a user's ability to select among documents provided in the search results more efficiently.