Viewport Navigation via Content Region Hierarchy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional viewport scrolling and panning techniques in fixed-layout documents are inefficient, requiring significant zooming and panning to navigate through content, especially on devices with varying screen sizes, making it difficult to view and read content smoothly.
Innovation Solution
A content region hierarchy is defined to facilitate navigation by establishing a logical flow of content regions, allowing users to navigate through content regions with adjusted zoom levels, enabling easier viewing of content without excessive scrolling and panning, and providing authored indications of relative text size for improved readability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional viewport scrolling and panning techniques are used to navigate fixed-layout documents, then users can view content on devices with varying screen sizes, but users require significant zooming and panning operations making navigation inefficient and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fixed-layout document into multiple content regions (e.g., columns, sections, articles) and establishes a logical flow hierarchy among them. Instead of requiring users to manually scroll and zoom through the entire document, the system divides the navigation task into discrete navigable units that can be accessed sequentially or jumped to directly, significantly reducing the number of zooming and panning operations needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a logical flow dimension beyond the traditional two-dimensional spatial navigation of fixed-layout documents. By creating a hierarchical structure with parent-child relationships between content regions and defining a logical reading order, the system adds a third dimension of navigation that allows users to move through content logically rather than spatially, eliminating the need for excessive zooming and panning.
2Stability of the object's composition
If fixed-layout document formats are used to maintain author-designed layouts, then content presentation consistency is preserved across different devices, but content does not adapt to viewport size changes requiring excessive manual adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic behavior to fixed-layout documents by enabling the viewport to automatically adjust its zoom level and position based on the logical flow hierarchy. Instead of requiring manual user adjustment, the system dynamically adapts the viewport settings as users navigate through content regions, maintaining layout consistency while reducing navigation effort through automated viewport management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a logical flow hierarchy as an intermediary layer between the fixed-layout document structure and the viewport display. This intermediary layer acts as a mediator that translates the static document layout into a navigable structure, allowing the viewport to automatically position and zoom to appropriate content regions without requiring manual user adjustment, thus maintaining layout fidelity while improving ease of operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If users manually adjust zoom level and pan to view different content regions, then content can be viewed in detail, but navigation becomes tedious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-establishing the logical flow hierarchy and identifying key content regions before user interaction. The system pre-calculates the optimal viewport settings for each content region and prepares the navigation path in advance. When users navigate, the viewport automatically jumps to the pre-determined position and zoom level, eliminating the need for users to manually adjust settings and significantly reducing navigation time while maintaining viewing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual adjustment system (user manually zooming and panning) with an automated navigation system based on logical flow hierarchy. Instead of users physically manipulating zoom sliders and pan controls, the system automatically adjusts viewport parameters programmatically, substituting manual mechanical operations with automated computational control, thereby reducing navigation time while preserving content viewing precision.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure discloses ways of navigating content. For example, techniques herein can include defining a logical flow of multiple content regions in a display page, initiating display of a first content region of the multiple content regions, the first content region of the display page displayed on a display screen according to a first zoom level, and in response to receiving navigation input in the display page to view a next content region following the first content region in the logical flow, identifying a second content region that follows the first content region in the logical flow. Additionally, embodiments herein can include analyzing parameters of the second content region to determine a second zoom level for viewing the second content region and initiating display of the second content region according to the second zoom level, the second zoom level being different than the first zoom level.