Starburst Target Expansion for Clustered UI Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing target expansion techniques, such as the bubble cursor method, are ineffective in handling target clusters, leading to long targeting times and high error rates, especially on devices with imprecise input like touch-screen kiosks, as they fail to provide sufficient screen space for targets within clusters.
Innovation Solution
The starburst target expansion technique identifies available screen space and expands targets into it by creating a skeleton of lines that grow into selectable surfaces, organizing targets into cliques and nested rings, and routing claim lines to allocate screen space effectively, resulting in larger, easier-to-acquire tiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If bubble cursor target expansion technique is used, then targeting time is reduced for uniformly distributed targets, but targets in clusters remain hard to acquire with small tiles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different expansion strategies to different spatial regions: uniform expansion for isolated targets and starburst expansion for clustered targets. The system locally adapts the expansion pattern based on target density, providing large tiles in sparse regions while handling clusters with radial expansion into available space.
Solution Approach 2:
The starburst expansion technique transitions from 2D uniform expansion to radial expansion along multiple directions (dimensions) from the target center. By growing skeletons in multiple angular directions and filling between them, the method effectively utilizes available screen space in all directions around clustered targets.
2Reliability
If bubble cursor technique is applied to target clusters, then little empty screen space is available for expansion, but acquisition becomes error prone on imprecise input devices
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary identification of target clusters and available screen space before expansion. By pre-determining which regions have sufficient space and organizing targets into cliques with designated space donors and recipients, the system prepares expansion patterns in advance to ensure adequate tile sizes for accurate acquisition.
Solution Approach 2:
The starburst skeleton acts as an intermediary structure that mediates between the target and available screen space. The skeleton lines grow radially from the target center and serve as guides for allocating space, effectively bridging the gap between clustered targets and empty screen regions.
3Reliability
If traditional target expansion techniques are used on clusters, then targets may escape from user selection, but starburst technique maintains reliable selection
Solution Approach 1:
The starburst expansion employs a nested structure with multiple concentric rings of targets. Inner ring targets are expanded first using available space from outer ring targets, creating a hierarchical expansion process that prevents escape while maintaining systematic organization and control.
Data Source
AI summary
The present starburst target expansion technique connects targets to peripheral screen space to produce reasonably sized tiles for all targets including those that are located inside of a cluster. The resulting layout is characterized by lines escaping from the cluster center. By providing targets located inside a cluster with access to empty screen space, the present starburst target expansion technique is able to assign screen space to targets that remain small if expanded using the traditional Voronoi approach. If used on a device with limited input accuracy, such as a pen-based tablet or a touch screen-based kiosk system, target expansion via the starburst target expansion technique can lead to substantial performance improvements.