System and method for scaling images to fit a screen on a mobile device according to a non-linear scale factor

• US 20040075671A1
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vale, Peter Ormand, McLain, Jay Franklin, Dadi, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 7,385,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/005 Adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04

Abstract

A system and method for scaling images to fit a screen on a mobile device. The images are scaled according to a non-linear scale factor to increase usability of the images. The larger images are scaled more aggressively than the smaller images according to the non-linear scale factor such that the images are viewed at a maximum size while fitting the images within the screen width.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for scaling images on a page of data to fit a screen on a mobile device, the method comprising:

determining a non-linear scale factor for the images; and

scaling each image according to the non-linear scale factor such that usability of the images is maximized.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the non-linear scaling factor further comprises determining a maximum image size for the images on the page of data, wherein the maximum image size corresponds to a width associated with the screen.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein scaling each image according to the non-linear scaling factor further comprises scaling each image such that a width associated with a largest image on the page of data substantially corresponds to the maximum image size.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a selected one of the images on the page of data has a width such that scaling the selected one of the images according to the non-linear scale factor is avoided.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a selected one of the images on the page of data has an attribute such that the selected one of the images is scaled according to another non-linear scale factor.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the images are scaled such that each image has a width that is less than or equal to the width of the screen on the mobile device, whereby horizontal scrolling is minimized.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the non-linear scaling factor further comprises determining whether a zoom feature is associated with the mobile device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the non-linear scale factor is adjusted to compensate for a selected zoom setting when a zoom feature is associated with the mobile device.

9. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor;

a display that includes a screen;

a memory into which a plurality of computer-executable instructions are loaded, the computer-executable instructions performing a method comprising;

determining a non-linear scale factor for an image on a page of data arranged to be displayed on the screen, wherein the non-linear scale factor is arranged to scale a larger image more aggressively than a smaller image; and

scaling the image according to the non-linear scale factor such that usability of the image is maximized while minimizing horizontal scrolling.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, the computer-executable instructions further comprising determining a maximum image size for the image, wherein the maximum image size corresponds to a width associated with the screen of the mobile device.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, the computer-executable instructions further comprising scaling the image such that a width associated with the image substantially corresponds to the maximum image size.

12. The mobile device of claim 9, the computer-executable instructions further comprising determining whether a zoom feature is associated with the mobile device.

13. The mobile device of claim 9, the computer-executable instructions further comprising adjusting the non-linear scale factor to compensate for a selected zoom setting when a zoom feature is associated with the mobile device.

14. The mobile device of claim 9, the computer-executable instructions further comprising avoiding scaling the image when an initial width associated with the image is less than a width associated with the screen.

15. The mobile device of claim 9, the computer-executable instructions further comprising scaling the image according to another scaling factor when the image has an associated attribute, wherein the attribute is such that scaling the image according to the non-linear scaling factor reduces the usability of the image.

16. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

determining a maximum image size for images on a page of data arranged to be displayed on a screen of a mobile device, wherein the maximum image size corresponds to a width associated with the screen of the mobile device;

determining a non-linear scale factor that is arranged to scale a larger image more aggressively than a smaller image, whereby usability of the images is maximized; and

scaling the images according to the non-linear scaling factor such that a width associated with a largest image on the page of data substantially corresponds to the maximum image size.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the images are scaled such that each image has a width that is less than or equal to the width of the screen on the mobile device, whereby horizontal scrolling is minimized.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein determining the non-linear scaling factor further comprises determining whether a zoom feature is associated with the mobile device.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the non-linear scale factor is adjusted to compensate for a selected zoom setting when a zoom feature is associated with the mobile device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising avoiding scaling a selected one of the images when an initial width associated with the selected one of the images is less than the width associated with the screen of the mobile device.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein a selected one of the images is scaled according to another scaling factor when the selected one of the images is a type such that scaling the selected one of the images according to the non-linear scaling factor reduces its usability.