Sprocket Shaped User Interface for Dynamic Information Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional navigation systems for dynamic collections of information are inefficient due to lack of uniformity and context, leading to user disorientation in high-bandwidth, high-processing environments, where information is frequently updated and presented differently across various types of collections such as web sites, databases, and file systems.
Innovation Solution
A unified navigation system that presents hierarchical relationships recursively, using a wheel-shaped interface with an outer ring, inner ring, and inner core, providing context-sensitive text, graphics, and audio updates to help users navigate through dynamic collections like web sites, databases, and file systems, maintaining consistency across different types of information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional text-based navigation systems are used, then they work well with low-bandwidth networks and limited processing power, but they become bottlenecks in high-bandwidth, high-processing power environments and present different interfaces across various information collections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by creating a unified navigation interface (the wheel) that works across multiple types of information collections including web sites, databases, and file systems. Instead of having separate navigation mechanisms for each collection type, the wheel provides a single universal interface that adapts to different information structures, eliminating the need for users to learn multiple navigation paradigms while fully utilizing modern high-bandwidth and high-processing-power capabilities
2Loss of information
If hierarchical navigation structures are used, then they organize information effectively, but users easily get lost due to lack of context and variation in interface forms across different web pages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by continuously displaying the user's current location and hierarchical context within the information structure through the wheel interface. The wheel shows the user's position in the hierarchy and provides visual feedback about the structure of the collection, preventing disorientation by maintaining constant context awareness regardless of how deep or complex the information hierarchy becomes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies equipotentiality by maintaining a consistent interface form (the wheel) across all levels and types of information collections. Unlike conventional systems where the interface changes depending on the current page or data structure, the wheel provides a uniform navigation paradigm that remains constant, making navigation equally easy whether the user is at the top level or deep within a hierarchical structure
3Adaptability or versatility
If dynamic information collections are navigated using conventional systems, then information can be updated frequently, but the navigation system struggles to present location, direction, and context information consistently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by creating a navigation system that adapts to dynamically changing information collections. The wheel interface can accommodate frequent updates to the underlying data structure while maintaining its navigational functions. As information is added, removed, or reorganized in the collection, the wheel dynamically adjusts to reflect the current hierarchical structure and user position, ensuring context information remains accurate despite continuous changes
Data Source
AI summary
The sprocket shaped menu accepts selections of information from the menu, where selecting an item in the menu causes other parts of the look of the menu to change. In one embodiment, this can cause a break in the menu which shows a preview. In another embodiment, touching an item on the menu can cause an automatic update of the other items unless those other items have been automatically updated within a predetermined time before, such as within 15 minutes.