Method and system for accelerating a user interface of an image capture unit during play mode

• US 20010033303A1
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Published: 10/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eric C. Anderson
• Original Assignee: Eric C. Anderson
• Inventors: Anderson, Eric C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,847,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/047 Fisheye or wide-angle transformations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/004 Rocker or tumbler switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00442 Simultaneous viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. using a mosaic display arrangement of thumbnails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00448 horizontally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00458 Sequential viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. browsing or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00461 marking or otherwise tagging one or more displayed image, e.g. for selective reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/41 Bandwidth or redundancy reduction by scanning H04N1/17 ; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/325 Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply

Abstract

A method and system for accelerating a user interface on a display of an image capture unit is disclosed. The image capture unit includes a plurality of image files for providing a plurality of images, the image capture unit further includes controls for allowing an image to be viewed on the display and for allowing navigation between the plurality of images. In a first aspect a method and system in accordance with the present invention comprises providing a low resolution image, medium resolution image and high resolution image within each image file and allowing the medium resolution image to be viewed on the display.

In a second aspect a method for accelerating a user interface on a display of an image capture unit in accordance with the present invention includes a plurality of image files for providing a plurality of images, each image file includes a high resolution image therein. The image capture unit includes controls for allowing an image to be viewed on the display and for allowing navigation between the plurality of images. The method and system in accordance with the present invention comprises providing a low resolution image within each image file, the low resolution image being associated with the high resolution image within a particular image file, allowing the low resolution image to be viewed on the display and causing the high resolution image related to low resolution image to be displayed on top of the low resolution image dependent upon the quality of the low resolution image. The method and system also includes allowing for navigation between low resolution images based upon user interaction.

Through the present invention the user interface allows a user to quickly review images in an image capture unit such as a digital camera or the like.

Claims

1. A method for accelerating a user interface on a display of an image capture unit, the image capture unit including a plurality of image files for providing a plurality of images, the image capture unit including controls for allowing an image to be viewed on the display and for allowing navigation between the plurality of images, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a low resolution image, medium resolution image and high resolution image within each image file; and

(b) allowing the medium resolution image to be viewed on the display.

2. The method of

claim 1

further includes the steps of

(c) causing the high resolution image within the same image file to be displayed on top of the medium resolution image dependent upon the quality of the medium resolution image;

and

(d) allowing for navigation between medium resolution images based upon user interaction.

3. The method of

claim 1

in which each of the high resolution images comprises a high resolution JPEG image, each of the medium resolution images comprises a screennail image, and each of the low resolution images comprises a thumbnail image.

4. The method of

claim 2

in which causing the high resolution image to be displayed is dependent upon the resolution of the medium resolution image and the resolution of the display.

5. The method of

claim 1

in which step (b) further comprises the steps of:

(b1) fetching the screennail image from the image file;

(b2) decompressing the screennail image; and

(b3) displaying the decompressed screennail image.

6. The method of

claim 2

in which the causing step (c) further comprises the steps of:

(c1) fetching the JPEG image from the image file;

(c2) decompressing the JPEG image; and

(c3) replacing the decompressed screennail image with the decompressed JPEG image.

7. A method for accelerating a user interface on a display of an image capture unit, the image capture unit including a plurality of image files for providing a plurality of images, each image file including a high resolution image therein, the image capture unit including controls for allowing an image to be viewed on the display and for allowing navigation between the plurality of images, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a lower resolution image within each image file, the lower resolution image being associated with the high resolution image within a particular image file;

(b) allowing the lower resolution image to be viewed on the display;

(c) causing the high resolution image related to lower resolution image to be displayed on top of the lower resolution image dependent upon the quality of the lower resolution image; and

(d) allowing for navigation between lower resolution images based upon user interaction.

8. The method of

claim 7

in which each of the high resolution images comprises a JPEG image and each of the lower resolution images comprises a screennail image.

9. The method of

claim 8

in which causing the high resolution image to be displayed is dependent upon the resolution of the lower resolution image and the resolution of the display.

10. The method of

claim 7

in which the allowing step (b) further comprises the steps of:

(b1) fetching the screennail image from the image file;

(b2) decompressing the screennail image; and

(b3) displaying the decompressed screennail image.

11. The method of

claim 7

in which the causing step (c) further comprises the steps of:

(c1) fetching the JPEG image from the image file;

(c2) decompressing the JPEG image; and

(c3) replacing the decompressed screennail image with the decompressed JPEG image.

12. A method for accelerating a user interface on a display of an image capture unit, the image capture unit including a plurality of image files for providing a plurality of images, each image file including a high resolution image therein, the image capture unit including controls for allowing an image to be viewed on the display and for allowing navigation between the plurality of images, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a lower resolution image within each image file, the lower resolution image being associated with the high resolution image within a particular image file;

(b) allowing a lower resolution image to be viewed on the display;

(c) determining if a next lower resolution image is to be viewed on the display;

(d) providing a next lower resolution image on the display; and

(e) causing the high resolution image related to low resolution image to be displayed on top of the low resolution image dependent upon the quality of the lower resolution image if the user has not scrolled to the next image.

13. The method of

claim 12

in which each of the high resolution images comprises a JPEG image and each of the lower resolution images comprises a screennail image.

14. The method of

claim 13

in which causing the high resolution image to be displayed is dependent upon the resolution of the lower resolution image and the resolution of the display.

15. The method of

claim 12

in which allowing step (b) further comprises the steps of:

(b1) fetching the screennail image from the image file;

(b2) decompressing the screennail image; and

(b3) displaying the decompressed screennail image.

16. The method of

claim 12

in which causing step (e) further comprises the steps of:

(e1) fetching the JPEG image from the image file;

(e2) decompressing the JPEG image; and

(e3) replacing the decompressed screennail image with the decompressed JPEG image.

18. The system of

claim 16

further includes the steps of

means for causing the high resolution image within the same image file to be displayed on top of the medium resolution image dependent upon the quality of the medium resolution image;

and

means for allowing for navigation between medium resolution images based upon user interaction.

20. The system of

claim 18

in which the causing the high resolution image to be displayed is dependent upon the resolution of the medium resolution image and the resolution of the display.

22. The system of

claim 18

in which causing means further comprises:

means for fetching the JPEG image from the image file;

means for decompressing the JPEG image; and

means for replacing the decompressed screennail image with the decompressed JPEG image.

17. A system for accelerating a user interface on a display of an image capture unit, the image capture unit including a plurality of image files for providing a plurality of images, the image capture unit including controls for allowing an image to be viewed on the display and for allowing navigation between the plurality of images, the method comprising:

means for providing a low resolution image, medium resolution image and high resolution image within each image file; and

means for allowing the medium resolution image to be viewed on the display.

19. The system of

claim 17

in which the each of the high resolution images comprises a high resolution JPEG image, each of the medium resolution images comprises a screennail image, and each of the low resolution images comprises a thumbnail image.

21. The system of

claim 17

in which medium resolution image allowing means further comprises:

means for fetching the screennail image from the image file;

means for decompressing the screennail image; and

means for displaying the decompressed screennail image.

23. A system for accelerating a user interface on a display of an image capture unit, the image capture unit including a plurality of image files for providing a plurality of images, each image file including a high resolution image therein, the image capture unit including controls for allowing an image to be viewed on the display and for allowing navigation between the plurality of images, the method comprising:

means for providing a lower resolution image within each image file, the lower resolution image being associated with the high resolution image within a particular image file;

means for allowing the lower resolution image to be viewed on the display;

means for causing the high resolution image related to lower resolution image to be displayed on top of the lower resolution image dependent upon the quality of the lower resolution image; and

means for allowing for navigation between lower resolution images based upon user interaction.

24. The system of

claim 23

in which each of the high resolution images comprises a JPEG image and each of the lower resolution images comprises a screennail image.

25. The system of

claim 24

in which causing the high resolution image to be displayed is dependent upon the resolution of the lower resolution image and the resolution of the display.

26. The system of

claim 23

in which the allowing means further comprises:

means for fetching the screennail image from the image file;

means for decompressing the screennail image; and

means for displaying the decompressed screennail image.

27. The system of

claim 23

in which the causing means further comprises:

means for fetching the JPEG image from the image file;

means for decompressing the JPEG image; and

means for replacing the decompressed screennail image with the decompressed JPEG image.

28. A system for accelerating a user interface on a display of an image capture unit, the image capture unit including a plurality of image files for providing a plurality of images, each image file including a high resolution image therein, the image capture unit including controls for allowing an image to be viewed on the display and for allowing navigation between the plurality of images, the system comprising:

means for providing a lower resolution image within each image file, the lower resolution image being associated with the high resolution image within a particular image file;

means for allowing a lower resolution image to be viewed on the display;

means for determining if a next lower resolution image is to be viewed on the display;

means for providing a next lower resolution image on the display; and

means for causing the high resolution image related to low resolution image to be displayed on top of the lower resolution image dependent upon the quality of the lower resolution image if the user has not scrolled to the next image.

29. The system of

claim 28

in which each of the high resolution images comprises a JPEG image and each of the lower resolution images comprises a screennail image.

30. The system of

claim 29

in which causing the high resolution image to be displayed is dependent upon the resolution of the lower resolution image and the resolution of the display.

31. The system of

claim 28

in which allowing means further comprises:

means for fetching the screennail image from the image file;

means for decompressing the screennail image; and

means for displaying the decompressed screennail image.

32. The system of

claim 28

in which causing means further comprises:

means for fetching the JPEG image from the image file;

means for decompressing the JPEG image; and

means for replacing the decompressed screennail image with the decompressed JPEG image.

33. A method for accelerating a user interface on a display of an image capture unit, the image capture unit including a plurality of image files for providing a plurality of images, the image capture unit including controls for allowing an image to be viewed on the display and for allowing navigation between the plurality of images, the image capture unit operating in a plurality of modes, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a low resolution image, medium resolution image and high resolution image within each image file;

(b) allowing the medium resolution image to be viewed on the display in a first mode;

(c) providing a plurality of low resolution images on the display in a second mode; and

(d) selecting one of the plurality of low resolution images to be displayed as a resized low resolution image on the display, the resized low resolution image being a larger version of the selected one of the plurality of low resolution images.

34. The method of

claim 33

further includes the steps of

(b1) causing the high resolution image within the same image file to be displayed on top of the medium resolution image dependent upon the quality of the medium resolution image;

and

(b2) allowing for navigation between medium resolution images based upon user interaction.

35. The method of

claim 33

in which each of the high resolution images comprises a high resolution JPBG image, each of the medium resolution images comprises a screennail image, and each of the low resolution images comprises a thumbnail image.

36. The method of

claim 34

in which causing the high resolution image to be displayed is dependent upon the resolution of the medium resolution image and the resolution of the display.

37. The method of

claim 33

in which step (b) further comprises the steps of:

(b1) fetching the screennail image from the image file;

(b2) decompressing the screennail image; and

(b3) displaying the decompressed screennail image.

38. The method of

claim 34

in which causing step (b1) further comprises the steps of:

(b1i) fetching the JPEG image from the image file;

(b1ii) decompressing the JPEG image; and

(b1iii) replacing the decompressed screennail image with the decompressed JPEG image.

39. The method of

claim 38

wherein the low resolution images comprises a plurality of thumbnail images.

40. The method of

claim 35

wherein the plurality of thumbnail images and the resized images are displayed using the thumbnail image data.

41. The method of

claim 40

wherein the resized image is generated by multiplying the one of the plurality of thumbnail image data by a multiplication factor.

42. The method of

claim 35

in which the plurality of thumbnail images are cropped.

43. The method of

claim 42

wherein the resized image is generated by expanding the one of the plurality of cropped thumbnail images.

44. The method of

claim 40

in which the plurality of thumbnail images are in landscape format.

45. The method of

claim 40

in which the plurality of thumbnail images are in true orientation and aspect ratio.

46. The method of

claim 40

wherein an enhanced image file comprises a compressed image data, a thumbnail image data associated with the compressed image and image tags associated with the compressed image data and the thumbnail image.

47. The method of

claim 45

wherein the image capture unit includes a working memory and input buffers.

48. The method of

claim 46

wherein the thumbnail images are cached into the working memory.

49. The method of

claim 47

wherein the input buffers are partitioned into a draw buffer and a display buffer wherein the draw buffer contains information relating to a selected image and provides that information to the display buffer.