Digital image processing device and associated methodology of performing touch-based image scaling

• US 10,152,222 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2010
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ozawa, Hiroyuki, Saitou, Yuji, Furue, Nobuki, Iriya, Shinichi, Iwase, Ayako
• Primary Examiner(s): Lam, Vinh T
• Application Number:
  US13/002,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20110109581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,141 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-184, 715563
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces

Abstract

A digital image processing device is provided that improves operability when performing a scaling up/scaling down operation. Based on a single trajectory when a touch position on a display screen of a display portion moves, a center point and ratio used to scale up or scale down the image are set. In this way, for example, it is possible to scale up and scale down the image by an easy touch operation of simply tracing the trajectory with a single finger (namely, by a single-touch operation).

Claims

1. A digital image processing device, comprising:

circuitry configured to;

identify a gesture of a user based on data output from a sensor; and

control a display to perform a zoom operation on an image displayed by the display based on a degree of a center angle of a curved path corresponding to the entire gesture, the curved path corresponding to a part of a circle, wherein

a zoom ratio of the zoom operation corresponds to the degree of the center angle of the curved path,

a center of the zoom operation in the image with respect to the display remains constant from before to after the zoom operation,

the gesture includes a continuous touch operation of the user including a plurality of distinct touch positions on the display and along the curved path,

when a center point of the curved path is at a center point of the image, the zoom operation is an optical zoom, and

when the center point of the curved path is displaced from the center point of the image, the zoom operation is a digital zoom.

2. The digital image processing device of claim 1, wherein the digital image processing device is a navigation device.

3. The digital image processing device of claim 1, wherein the gesture is a partial outline of an area of the displayed image.

4. The digital image processing device of claim 3, wherein the partial outline is the curved path.

5. The digital image processing device of claim 4, wherein the curved path is defined by at least three distinct touch positions.

6. The digital image processing device of claim 3, wherein initiation of the partial outline by the user in a first direction defines a zoom-in, zoom operation.

7. The digital image processing device of claim 3, wherein initiation of the partial outline by the user in a second direction defines a zoom-out, zoom operation.

8. The digital image processing device of claim 3, wherein the zoom ratio is based on a length of the partial outline.

9. The digital image processing device of claim 8, wherein the length is defined by predetermined increment portions, and the degree of the zoom operation is varied in accordance with a number of increment portions forming the length of the gesture.

10. The digital image processing device of claim 1, wherein the gesture is a complete outline of an area of the displayed image, and upon the user continuously retracing the complete outline, the zoom ratio is varied upward or downward depending upon a direction of the retrace.

11. The digital image processing device of claim 3, wherein the partial outline is used to delineate areas of the displayed image that are to be excluded from the zoom operation.

12. The digital image processing device of claim 3, wherein the zoom operation provides a zoom overlay of only a designated image area relative to the displayed image.

13. The digital image processing device of claim 1, further comprising:

the display.

14. The digital image processing device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a touch sensor, and the circuitry is configured to identify the continuous touch operation based on an output of the touch sensor.

15. The digital image processing device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to control the display to perform the zoom operation on the image displayed by the display in proportion to the center angle of the curved path corresponding to the gesture.

16. The digital image processing device of claim 1, wherein the zoom operation is a zoom-in operation or a zoom-out operation.

17. The digital image processing device of claim 1, wherein the entire gesture corresponds to a single touch operation from beginning to end.

18. The digital image processing device of claim 1, wherein

the entire gesture includes a plurality of continuous gestures, and

the circuitry is configured to control the display to perform a plurality of zoom operations on an image displayed by the display based on the degree of the center angle of the curved path corresponding to each of the plurality of continuous gestures.

19. The digital image processing device of claim 1, wherein

the entire gesture includes a plurality of continuous gestures, and

the circuitry is configured to control the display to perform a zoom operation on an image displayed by the display based on the degree of the center angle of the curved path corresponding to at least one of the plurality of continuous gestures.

20. The digital image processing device of claim 1, wherein

the zoom ratio is based upon a speed at which the gesture is completed, and

a faster the speed, a greater a change in the zoom ratio.

21. A digital image processing device, comprising:

means for identifying a touch gesture of a user based on data output from a sensor; and

means for controlling a display to perform a zoom operation on an image displayed by the display based on a degree of a center angle of a curved path corresponding to the entire gesture, the curved path corresponding to a part of a circle, wherein

a zoom ratio of the zoom operation corresponds to the degree of the center angle of the curved path,

a center of the zoom operation in the image with respect to the display remains constant from before to after the zoom operation,

the gesture includes a continuous touch operation of the user including a plurality of distinct touch positions on the display and along the curved path,

when a center point of the curved path is at a center point of the image, the zoom operation is an optical zoom, and

when the center point of the curved path is displaced from the center point of the image, the zoom operation is a digital zoom.

22. The digital image processing device of claim 21, wherein the zoom operation is a zoom-in operation or a zoom-out operation.

23. A method of processing a digital image at a digital image processing device, comprising:

identifying a gesture of a user based on data output from a sensor; and

controlling a display to perform a zoom operation on an image displayed by the display based on a degree of a center angle of a curved path corresponding to the entire gesture, the curved path corresponding to a part of a circle, wherein

a zoom ratio of the zoom operation corresponds to the degree of the center angle of the curved path,

a center of the zoom operation in the image with respect to the display remains constant from before to after the zoom operation,

the gesture includes a continuous touch operation of the user including a plurality of distinct touch positions on the display and along the curved path,

when a center point of the curved path is at a center point of the image, the zoom operation is an optical zoom, and

when the center point of the curved path is displaced from the center point of the image, the zoom operation is a digital zoom.

24. The digital image processing method of claim 23, wherein the digital image processing device is a navigation device.

25. The digital image processing method of claim 23, wherein the gesture is a partial outline of an area of the displayed image.

26. The digital image processing method of claim 25, wherein the partial outline is the curved path.

27. The digital image processing method of claim 26, wherein the curved path is defined by at least three distinct touch positions.

28. The digital image processing method of claim 25, wherein initiation of the partial outline by the user in a first direction defines a zoom-in, zoom operation.

29. The digital image processing method of claim 25, wherein initiation of the partial outline by the user in a second direction defines a zoom-out, zoom operation.

30. The digital image processing method of claim 25, wherein the zoom ratio is based on a length of the partial outline.

31. The digital image processing method of claim 30, wherein the length is defined by predetermined increment portions, and the degree of the zoom operation is varied in accordance with a number of increment portions forming the length of the gesture.

32. The digital image processing method of claim 23, wherein the gesture is a complete outline of an area of the displayed image, and upon the user continuously retracing the complete outline, the method further comprising:

varying the zoom ratio upward or downward depending upon a direction of the retrace.

33. The digital image processing method of claim 25, wherein the partial outline is used to delineate areas of the displayed image that are to be excluded from the zoom operation.

34. The digital image processing method of claim 23, wherein the zoom operation provides a zoom overlay of only a designated image area relative to the displayed image.

35. The digital image processing method of claim 23, wherein the zoom operation is a zoom-in operation or a zoom-out operation.

36. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with computer program instructions for causing a digital imaging processing device to implement a method of digital image processing, comprising:

identifying a gesture of a user based on data output from a sensor; and

controlling a display to perform a zoom operation on an image displayed by the display based on a degree of a center angle of a curved path corresponding to the entire gesture, the curved path corresponding to a part of a circle, wherein

a zoom ratio of the zoom operation corresponds to the degree of the center angle of the curved path,

a center of the zoom operation in the image with respect to the display remains constant from before to after the zoom operation,

the gesture includes a continuous touch operation of the user including a plurality of distinct touch positions on the display and along the curved path,

when a center point of the curved path is at a center point of the image, the zoom operation is an optical zoom, and

when the center point of the curved path is displaced from the center point of the image, the zoom operation is a digital zoom.

37. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 36, wherein the zoom operation is a zoom-in operation or a zoom-out operation.