Adaptive image formatting control

• US 20040073873A1
• Filed: 10/11/2002
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Schechter, Greg David, Croney, Joseph Keith
• Granted Patent: US 7,574,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/526
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4092 Image resolution transcoding, e.g. by using client-server architectures

Abstract

A method for rendering images for display on a client device is provided. A single image may be stored on the server for conversion into an image suitable for display on a particular client device. Image conversion may be performed consistent with the display capabilities of the client device. The display capabilities of the particular device requesting access to a web page may be identified at the time the web page is requested. Converted images may be stored and made available upon request.

Claims

1. A method of generating an image, including:

receiving a request from a browser operating on a mobile client device including a display;

determining the display characteristics of the mobile client device; and

modifying an image file corresponding to the requested image for generating an image suitable for rendering on the display of the mobile client device in accordance with the display characteristics of the mobile client device.

2. The method according to claim 1 further including storing the generated image in memory.

3. The method according to claim 2 further including:

determining if an image file suitable for display on a mobile client device has been generated; and

if a suitable image file has been generated, retrieving from memory the generated image file for transmission to the mobile client device.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein receiving a request includes receiving a web page request.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein receiving a request includes receiving a request for the image file.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein determining the display characteristics of the mobile client device includes receiving information identifying the mobile client device.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein determining the display characteristics of the mobile client device includes receiving information identifying the display characteristics of the mobile client device.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein modifying the image file includes converting the image file into a format compatible with the image format of the mobile client device.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein the image file may be converted into a format compatible with WBMP or PNG formats.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein modifying the image file includes scaling the image to a size appropriate for display on the display of the mobile client device.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein modifying the image file includes converting the image so that the displayed image occupies a specified amount of the display area of the display of the mobile client device.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein modifying the image file includes converting the colors of the image into colors for display on the mobile client device.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein modifying the image file includes converting the colors of the image into a monochromatic image.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein modifying the image file includes converting a color image into a grayscale image.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein modifying the image file includes converting the brightness of the image.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein the mobile client device includes a laptop.

17. The method according to claim 1 wherein the mobile client device includes a display with limited display capabilities.

18. The method according to claim 1 further including transmitting the modified image file to the mobile client device.

19. A computer readable medium incorporating the method as recited in claim 1.

20. A method of generating an image, including:

receiving a request from a browser operating on a mobile client device including a display;

determining if an image file suitable for display on the mobile client device has been generated;

if a suitable image file has been generated, retrieving the image file; and

if a suitable image file has not been generated, modifying an image file corresponding to the requested image for generating an image suitable for rendering on the display of the mobile client device.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein determining if an image file suitable for display on a mobile client device has been generated includes determining the display characteristics of the mobile client device.

22. The method according to claim 20 further including storing the modified image in memory.

23. The method according to claim 20 wherein determining the display characteristics of the mobile client device includes receiving information identifying the mobile client device.

24. The method according to claim 20 wherein determining the display characteristics of the mobile client device includes receiving information identifying the display characteristics of the mobile client device.

25. The method according to claim 20 wherein modifying the image file includes converting the image file into a format compatible with the mobile client device.

26. The method according to claim 20 wherein modifying the image file includes scaling the image.

27. The method according to claim 20 wherein modifying the image file includes performing color image processing.

28. The method according to claim 20 wherein modifying the image file includes converting the image into a grayscale image.

29. The method according to claim 20 wherein the mobile client device includes a laptop.

30. The method according to claim 20 wherein the mobile client device includes a display with limited display capabilities.

31. The method according to claim 20 further including transmitting the modified image file to the mobile client device.

32. A computer readable medium incorporating the method as recited in claim 20.

33. A method of generating an image, including:

receiving a request from a browser operating on a client device including a display;

determining imaging characteristics of the client device;

converting an image file in accordance with the imaging characteristics of the client device to generate a converted image file; and

storing the converted image file in memory.

34. The method according to claim 33 further including retrieving the converted image file in response to a request from a browser operating on a second client device.

35. The method according to claim 33 wherein converting an image file includes selecting an image file, from a plurality of image files, based on the imaging characteristics of the client device for conversion into a form suitable for display at the client device.

36. The method according to claim 33 further including:

determining if an image file suitable for processing on a client device has been stored in memory; and

if an image file suitable for processing on a client device has been stored in memory, retrieving the stored image file for transmission to the client device.

37. The method according to claim 33 wherein determining the imaging characteristics of the client device includes determining the image formats processed by the client device.

38. The method according to claim 33 wherein determining the imaging characteristics of the client device includes determining the display characteristics of the client device.

39. The method according to claim 33 wherein converting an image file includes scaling the image.

40. The method according to claim 33 wherein scaling the image includes converting the image to fit within a designated portion of the image area of the display of the client device.

41. The method according to claim 33 wherein scaling the image includes converting the image to occupy a designated amount of the image area of the display of the client device.

42. The method according to claim 41 wherein the designated amount of the image area of the display of the client device corresponds to a designated percentage of a dimension of the image area of the display of the client device.

43. The method according to claim 33 wherein converting an image file includes performing color processing.

44. The method according to claim 33 wherein converting an image file includes converting a color image into a grayscale image.

45. A computer readable medium incorporating the method as recited in claim 33.

46. A method of controlling the generation of an image including designating conversion characteristics for generating an image suitable for rendering on a display of a client device, in accordance with the display characteristics of the client device.

47. The method according to claim 46 wherein the client device is a mobile unit.

48. The method according to claim 46 wherein the client device is a mobile unit with limited display capabilities.

49. The method according to claim 46 wherein the client device is a desk-top unit.

50. The method according to claim 46 wherein designating conversion characteristics includes specifying a location within the image area of the display of the client device to be occupied by the image.

51. The method according to claim 46 wherein designating conversion characteristics includes scaling the image relative to the size of the display of the client device.

52. The method according to claim 51 wherein scaling the image relative to the size of a display of the client device includes designating a percent of the image area of the display of a client device.

53. The method according to claim 46 wherein designating conversion characteristics includes specifying a color conversion processing.

54. The method according to claim 46 wherein designating conversion characteristics includes specifying conversion of the image data of the image to grayscale image data.

55. The method according to claim 46 wherein designating conversion characteristics includes specifying a brightness factor.

56. The method according to claim 46 wherein designating conversion characteristics includes specifying conversion in accordance with a universally displayable image profile.

57. The method according to claim 46 further including previewing the effects of designated conversion characteristics on the image.

59. A computer readable medium incorporating the method as recited in claim 46.

58. The method according to claim 58 further including modifying a conversion characteristic.