Visual Layout Tree Positioning Pointers for Efficient Rendering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current technologies face challenges in efficiently rendering complex and sophisticated content on low computational power devices, such as e-readers and smartphones, due to high resource requirements, and struggle to display such content on large displays with tens of millions of pixels even with high-end workstations.

Innovation Solution

A layout engine generates a visual layout tree from a visual description tree representation of a document, allowing for efficient content rendering by creating a hierarchical layout structure that can be fragmented across multiple display areas, utilizing caching, positioning pointers, and animation handling to optimize resource usage and adapt to different display contexts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If complex and sophisticated content is presented using current technologies, then content complexity and sophistication are improved, but computational resource requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent complexityVSAvoidcomputational resource requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the visual layout tree into multiple display area portions, where each portion represents content rendered in a specific display area. This segmentation allows the rendering system to process and render only the visible portion of content for each display area, significantly reducing computational resource requirements while maintaining the ability to present complex content across multiple areas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a new dimension by organizing content into a hierarchical visual layout tree structure that spans multiple display areas. Instead of treating each display area independently, the system creates a unified tree structure where nodes can be positioned across multiple areas, enabling efficient rendering through hierarchical traversal and reducing redundant computations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Area of stationary object

If content is rendered on large displays with tens of millions of pixels, then display size and resolution are improved, but rendering efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay sizeVSAvoidrendering efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the large display into multiple display areas, with each area rendering a portion of the visual layout tree. This segmentation allows the rendering system to process only the relevant subset of content for each display area, significantly improving rendering efficiency on large displays with tens of millions of pixels while maintaining high resolution and display size.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If a hierarchical layout structure is created for efficient rendering, then rendering efficiency is improved, but layout structure complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverendering efficiencyVSAvoidlayout structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal visual layout tree structure that serves multiple functions: it defines content hierarchy, specifies positioning across display areas, and enables efficient rendering traversal. This multi-functional structure reduces the need for separate data structures and simplifies the overall system complexity while maintaining high rendering efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The visual layout tree acts as an intermediary between the content source and the multiple display areas. It provides a standardized hierarchical structure that mediates the complex task of distributing content across multiple areas, simplifying both content management and rendering operations while improving rendering efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10402478B2Linking visual layout nodes of a visual layout tree using positioning pointers

Publication Date: 2019.09.03 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

A layout engine generates a visual layout tree for a visual description tree of a document whose content is to be rendered in one or more display areas. A visual description tree describes the content of a document along with formatting and logical arrangement the content. Visual description nodes of a visual description tree represent the organization of the constituent elements a document hierarchically. A visual layout tree defines the layout of a document within one or more display areas. Visual layout nodes of a visual layout tree represent the layout of the content of a document hierarchically. The layout engine receives as input a visual description tree and generates the corresponding visual layout tree. A rendering engine then inputs the visual layout tree and generates a graphics buffer containing the pixels representing the layout of the document as defined by the visual layout tree.