Spatial Data Management on Mobile Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile device user interfaces are limited in managing data items as they rely primarily on textual and visual indicators, failing to effectively utilize spatial relationships between data items and the user, which are essential for organization and recall, especially in three-dimensional spaces.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a mobile device system that leverages kinetic and tracking user interfaces to define and manage data items within a non-geographic physical region, using absolute positioning and dead reckoning, allowing users to interact with data items through spatial relationships, without requiring immersive virtual reality equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional textual and visual indicators are used to organize data items, then the user interface remains simple and familiar, but the ability to represent three-dimensional spatial relationships and improve organization effectiveness is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional planar displays to three-dimensional spatial representation of data items. Virtual data items are positioned in 3D space relative to the user, allowing organization along multiple spatial dimensions (height, distance, angle) rather than just screen coordinates. This enables more intuitive spatial relationships while maintaining compatibility with traditional 2D display devices through appropriate projection and rendering techniques.
2Loss of information
If data items are organized using inherent characteristics like dates or keywords, then the organization method is straightforward, but the effectiveness of recall and spatial association is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data item organization into multiple independent characteristics: spatial position (3D coordinates), temporal attributes (dates, times), and metadata (keywords, categories). Each data item can be organized and retrieved using any combination of these segments, allowing flexible query approaches without requiring complex hierarchical structures. Users can organize by spatial location, time, or metadata independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter space for data organization by introducing spatial parameters (x, y, z coordinates, distance, angle) alongside traditional temporal and categorical parameters. This multi-parameter approach allows data to be organized and retrieved based on spatial relationships in addition to conventional attributes, improving recall effectiveness through multiple access paths.
3Volume of moving object
If two-dimensional plan views are used to represent spatial relationships, then the implementation is simple, but the ability to represent true three-dimensional relationships and nearer-farther schemes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual coordinate system and rendering engine as intermediaries between the physical device and the user. The system calculates virtual data item positions in 3D space based on device orientation, position, and user preferences, then projects these 3D positions onto the 2D display surface. This intermediary layer enables true 3D spatial relationships to be represented on conventional 2D displays without requiring specialized 3D hardware.
Data Source
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AI summary
A device, system and method are provided for creation, accessing, and management of data items on a computing device, such as a mobile device, using physically-defined spatial relationships between the data items and the user. At least one of a tracking user interface and a kinetic user interface is used to determine the physical location of the mobile device with respect to the user, rather than with reference to a geographic location. Using one or both of these interfaces, individual data items may be associated with a location in the physical space surrounding the user. Data items may also be associated with a particular characteristic, such as a category or tag, based on its associated location. Data items may be subsequently retrieved by holding the mobile device in the physical space surrounding the user, then identifying those data items having an associated location proximate to the mobile device location.