Tile Configuration System for Overlap Resolution

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Solution Overview

Problem

User interfaces with tightly packed display objects become cumbersome and complex to reorganize, often resulting in overlapping tiles that reduce usability and visibility, making the interface less user-friendly.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that rearrange tiles in a graphical user interface by deriving secondary states from an initial state, calculating scores based on heuristics such as area of overlap, tile displacement, and embedding, to determine a selected state with minimal overlap and optimal visibility, using a state generator module, score calculator module, and database to sort and display the most useful configuration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If tiles are tightly packed in the user interface, then the display space is efficiently utilized, but the complexity of reorganizing tiles increases and overlapping occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay space utilizationVSAvoidreorganization complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-calculates and stores multiple possible tile configurations (secondary states) along with their scores before user interaction. When reorganization is needed, the system simply retrieves and selects from these pre-computed states rather than calculating from scratch, significantly reducing the complexity of the reorganization operation while maintaining optimal tile packing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts tile configurations by transitioning between pre-calculated states based on user actions or system requirements. The state generator module can derive new secondary states from current configurations, allowing the interface to adaptively reorganize tiles while maintaining efficient space utilization and avoiding overlaps

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If tiles are rearranged to eliminate overlap, then visibility and usability improve, but the time and effort required for reorganization increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveusabilityVSAvoidreorganization time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple non-overlapping tile configurations are pre-calculated and stored with their quality scores before any user interaction occurs. When reorganization is triggered, the system immediately selects from these ready-made states based on simple criteria, eliminating the need for time-consuming real-time calculations and rapidly improving usability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses score-based feedback to automatically select the most appropriate pre-calculated configuration state. Each state has an associated score that reflects its quality in terms of visibility and usability, allowing the system to automatically choose optimal arrangements without requiring users to manually evaluate multiple options, thus reducing reorganization time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If automated reconfiguration is performed to optimize tile arrangement, then the quality of display configuration improves, but the computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconfiguration qualityVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The configuration space is segmented into discrete states, each representing a specific tile arrangement. The state generator module divides the problem of finding optimal configurations into generating individual secondary states from parent states through systematic tile shifts. This segmentation allows the complex optimization problem to be broken down into manageable, pre-computable units that can be stored and quickly retrieved

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs comprehensive automated reconfiguration calculations in advance, generating and storing multiple secondary states with their quality scores before user interaction. This preliminary computational action eliminates the need for complex real-time calculations during user operations, maintaining high configuration quality while reducing actual runtime computational complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2897042B1Systems and methods for configuring tiles in a user interface
Publication Date: 2018.05.02 ACCENTURE GLOBAL SERVICES LTD
  • EP2897042B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1D
  • EP2897042B1 patent drawingFigure 1E~1F
  • EP2897042B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2C

AI summary

Methods and systems are disclosed for configuring a plurality of tiles displayed in a graphical user interface. The method comprises receiving an initial state of the tiles, wherein the initial state includes two overlapping tiles; deriving, via the one or more computer processors, one or more secondary states from the initial state by rearranging the tiles in the initial state; calculating one or more scores for the initial state and the secondary states; and determining, based on the scores, a selected state from among the initial state and the one or more secondary states as a display state to be displayed on the user interface.