System and method for managing digital images

• US 20050073601A1
• Filed: 10/02/2003
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Thorland, Miles, Battles, Amy E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,545,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.50
• 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 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/218 Deletion of stored data; Preventing such deletion

Abstract

A system and method for managing digital images arranged in a preset order in a digital camera or other imaging device.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user interface to manage a plurality of digital images that are arranged in an order, comprising:

receiving a first user input to scroll through said plurality of digital images;

presenting one of a subsequent image and a prior image of said plurality of digital images in said arranged order in response to said received first user input;

maintaining a data structure that is indicative of a direction of traversal through said plurality of digital images;

receiving a second user input to delete a current one of said plurality of digital images;

deleting said current one of said plurality of digital images; and

presenting one of an image subsequent to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images and an image prior to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images depending on a value of said data structure.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a third user input to delete a second current one of said plurality of digital images;

deleting said second current one;

determining whether said second current one is a last digital image or a first digital image of said plurality of digital images;

presenting a digital image prior to said second current one when said current one is a last digital image; and

presenting a digital image subsequent to said second current one when said current one is a first digital image.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving third user input to delete a second current one of said plurality of digital images after said first user input is received;

deleting said second current one;

maintaining a value of said data structure; and

presenting one of an image subsequent to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images and an image prior to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images depending on a value of said data structure.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said maintaining comprises:

updating said data structure to reflect traversal in a respective direction after a plurality of user inputs are received for traversing in said respective direction.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving first and second user input are performed on a digital camera.

6. A digital imaging device, comprising:

memory for storing a plurality of digital images that are arranged in an order;

a display for displaying a digital image;

a user input element for receiving user input; and

a user interface process for managing said plurality of digital images responsive to said user input element, said user interface process including;

code for processing first user input to scroll through said plurality of digital images;

code for presenting one of a subsequent image and a prior image of said plurality of digital images on said display in response to said first user input;

code for maintaining a data structure that is indicative of a direction of traversal through said plurality of digital images;

code for processing second user input to delete a current one of said plurality of digital images; and

code for presenting one of an image subsequent to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images and an image prior to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images on said display depending on a value of said data structure.

7. The digital imaging device of claim 6, wherein said user interface process further comprises:

code for presenting a digital image prior to said current one when said current one is a last digital image; and

code for presenting a digital image subsequent to second current one when said current one is a first digital image.

8. The digital imaging device of claim 6, wherein said code for maintaining updates said data structure to reflect traversal in a respective direction after a plurality of user inputs are received for traversing in said respective direction.

9. The digital imaging device of claim 6 further comprising:

an array of photodetectors for capturing said plurality of digital images.

10. A method for providing a user interface to manage a plurality of digital images that are arranged in an order, comprising:

presenting one of said digital images;

receiving user input to delete said one of said plurality of digital images;

deleting said one of said plurality of digital images in response to said user input; and

concurrently presenting a portion of an image prior to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images and presenting a portion of an image subsequent to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images in place of presentation of said deleted one of said plurality of digital images.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving second user input to scroll through said plurality of digital images; and

presenting one of (i) all of said image prior to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images and (ii) all of said image subsequent to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images in response to said second user input.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

presenting one of (i) all of said image prior to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images and (ii) all of said image subsequent to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images after a predetermined amount of time.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said concurrently presenting includes:

scrolling said portion of said image prior to said deleted one over a first portion of said deleted one on a display; and

scrolling said portion of said image subsequent to said deleted one over a second portion of said deleted one on said display.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

scaling said deleted one of said plurality of digital images while scrolling said portions of said image prior and said image subsequent over said deleted one.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein said presenting, receiving, deleting, and concurrently presenting are performed by a digital camera.

16. A digital imaging device, comprising:

memory for storing a plurality of digital images that are arranged in an order;

a display for displaying a digital image;

a user input element for receiving user input; and

a user interface process for managing said plurality of digital images responsive to said user input element, said user interface process including;

code for presenting one of said digital images;

code for receiving user input to delete said one of said plurality of digital images; and

code for concurrently presenting, on said display, a portion of an image prior to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images and presenting, on said display, a portion of an image subsequent to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images in place of presentation of said deleted one of said plurality of digital images.

17. The digital imaging device of claim 16 wherein said user interface process further comprises:

code for presenting one of (i) all of said image prior to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images and (ii) all of said image subsequent to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images in response to second user input after user input is received to delete said delete one of said plurality of digital images.

18. The digital imaging device of claim 16 further comprising:

code for presenting one of (i) all of said image prior to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images and (ii) all of said image subsequent to said deleted one of said plurality of digital images after a predetermined amount of time.

19. The digital imaging device of claim 16 wherein said code for concurrently presenting comprises:

code for scrolling said portion of said image prior to said deleted one over a first portion of said deleted one on a display; and

code for scrolling said portion of said image subsequent to said deleted one over a second portion of said deleted one on said display.

20. The digital imaging device of claim 19 further comprising:

code for scaling said deleted one of said plurality of digital images while scrolling said portions of said image prior and said image subsequent over said deleted one.

21. A method of processing a plurality of digital images arranged in a preset order in a digital imaging device in response to user input, comprising:

a) determining a user scrolling direction in response to user scrolling inputs;

b) at least partially deleting a displayed image in response to a user image deletion input;

c) based upon the determined scrolling direction, displaying at least a portion of the next image in the scrolling direction after the deleted image unless the deleted image was the first or last image in the preset order.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

sensing whether the deleted image was the first or last image in the preset order;

if the deleted image was the first or last image in the preset order, reversing the scrolling direction from the sensed scrolling direction to a new scrolling direction; and

displaying at least a portion of the next image in the new scrolling direction after the deleted image.

23. A system for processing a plurality of digital images arranged in a preset order in response to user input, comprising:

means for determining a user scrolling direction in response to user scrolling inputs;

means for deleting a displayed image in response to a user image deletion input;

means for displaying the next image after the deleted image according to the determined scrolling direction unless the deleted image was the first or last image in the preset order;

means for sensing whether the deleted image was the first or last image in the preset order; and

means for reversing the scrolling direction from the sensed scrolling direction to a new scrolling direction and for displaying at least a portion of the next image after the deleted image according to the new scrolling direction, wherein said means for reversing and displaying is operable when said means for sensing senses that the deleted image was the first or last image in the present order.