Automatic Tick Mark Scaling for GUI Controls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional GUI controls face issues with crowded displays of tick marks when the unit of increment is small or the number of values increases, leading to reduced effectiveness and inefficient code generation due to hard-coded tick marks.
Innovation Solution
A computer-readable storage medium with executable instructions calculates a default number of major tick marks based on the minimum distance and length of the GUI control, iteratively searching for a whole number that evenly divides the range to avoid congestion and allow for automatic scaling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the number of tick marks is increased to improve precision, then measurement precision is improved, but the display becomes crowded and congested
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments tick marks into different hierarchical levels (major tick marks and minor tick marks). Major tick marks provide coarse-grained division of the range, while minor tick marks provide fine-grained division within each major interval. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high measurement precision without overcrowding the display, as not all tick marks are displayed at the same visual level of prominence.
2Device complexity
If tick marks are hard-coded for each GUI control, then the display is simplified, but code generation becomes inefficient and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service through automatic calculation of the number of tick marks. The code automatically determines the appropriate number of major and minor tick marks based on the control's range, increment, and display dimensions, eliminating the need for manual hard-coding. This self-service mechanism improves code generation efficiency while maintaining display simplicity, as the system autonomously configures tick marks without requiring programmer intervention for each control instance.
3Measurement precision
If the unit of increment is made small to improve precision, then measurement precision is improved, but the display of tick marks becomes crowded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of tick mark display based on calculated parameters. The system dynamically determines the number of major and minor tick marks, and dynamically adjusts which tick marks are displayed based on the available space and the calculated optimal configuration. This dynamic approach allows small increment units to be represented with high precision through minor tick marks while maintaining adequate spacing for major tick marks, preventing display congestion.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to calculate a default number of major tick marks as a function of a minimum distance between major tick marks and the length of a GUI control. A whole number of major tick marks that evenly divides a range of values to be mapped along the length of the GUI control is iteratively searched. A whole number of major tick marks is displayed along the length of the GUI control. The default number of major tick marks is the origin from which the search begins.