Computer system with enhanced user interface for images

• US 20030081011A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sheldon, Michael G., Guzak, Chris, Ganesan, Rajesh, Ouzts, Todd, Camara, Franc
• Granted Patent: US 7,549,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/838
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A computer system and method are presented that enhance a user experience when viewing images displayed on the computer. The system includes a user interface for the computer that displays a number of thumbnail images that are representations of image files existing on the computer. The thumbnail images are arranged in alignment with one another, such as at the bottom of a viewing window. An enlarged preview image is positioned adjacent the thumbnail image. The preview image corresponds to a selected one of the thumbnail images. A control is displayed in the window that enables the user to iterate through the thumbnail images in at least one direction. As the user iterates through the thumbnail images, the enlarged preview image changes correspondingly.

Claims

1. A user interface embodied on a computer readable medium and executable on a computer, comprising:

a plurality of thumbnail images, representative of image files, in alignment with one another; and

an enlarged preview image positioned adjacent to the thumbnail images, the preview image corresponding to a selected one of the thumbnail images.

2. A user interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising a control enabling a user to iterate through the thumbnail images in at least one direction.

3. A user interface as recited in claim 2, further comprising a persistently visible menu adjacent to the thumbnail images and the preview image, the menu listing options available for operation on the preview image.

4. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of thumbnail images includes images in both a landscape orientation and a portrait orientation.

5. A user interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising a file name description associated with each of the thumbnail images.

6. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of the thumbnail images is located in a single row immediately below the preview image.

7. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of thumbnail images is located in a single column immediately beside the preview image.

8. A file system embodied on a computer readable medium incorporating the user interface as recited in claim 1.

9. An operating system embodied on a computer readable medium incorporating the user interface as recited in claim 1.

10. A browser embodied on a computer readable medium incorporating the user interface as recited in claim 1.

11. A computer implemented method for execution in a graphical user interface windowing environment, comprising:

presenting a plurality of thumbnail images corresponding to image files in a file space within a graphical window;

presenting an enlarged preview image within the file space adjacent to the thumbnail images, the preview image corresponding to a selected one of the thumbnail images; and

presenting a menu within the file space adjacent the thumbnail images and preview image, the menu containing options for performing operations on the preview image.

12. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

presenting a control enabling a user to selectively iterate through the plurality of thumbnail images, the iteration altering the displayed preview image.

13. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 11, wherein the enlarged preview image is displayed only for a folder containing less than a predetermined number of thumbnail images.

14. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 13, wherein the predetermined number is 24.

15. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 13, wherein the thumbnail images are presented in both a landscape orientation and a portrait orientation.

16. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

presenting a file name associated with each of the thumbnail images.