System for delivering and enabling interactivity with images
First Claim
10. A system for rendering a plurality of sets of images interactive from the point of view of a user, the system comprising:
- a processor having a storage capability;
a plurality of sets of images wherein each set of images comprises at least one image and wherein one of the plurality of sets of images is a primary set of images and the remainder of the sets of images are secondary sets of images;
a display on which the images in the plurality of sets of images rendered interactive can be viewed and interacted with by a user;
software executable by the processor for enabling at least one interactive function with respect to each of the sets of images in the plurality of sets of images;
software executable by the processor for displaying to the user the choices the user has for selecting either the primary set of images or a secondary set of images as the chosen set of images with which to carry out the at least one interactive function;
software executable by the processor for accepting and processing input from the user representing the user'"'"'s choice as to which of the plurality of sets of images the user desires to interact with on the user'"'"'s display;
software executable by the processor for creating an image layer for each of the images in the chosen set of images;
software executable by the processor for displaying one of the image layers as a currently viewable image layer;
software executable by the processor for displaying to the user the choices the user has for selecting the at least one interactive function to be carried out with respect to the chosen set of images;
software executable by the processor for accepting and processing input from a user representing the user'"'"'s selection of the at least one interactive function to be carried out with respect to the chosen set of images; and
software executable by the processor for carrying out the selected at least one interactive function with respect to the chosen set of images.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system, including apparatuses, software and methods, is disclosed for capturing and delivering images as to which various interactive functions are enabled for a user. The images introduced to the system can come from any one of a variety of sources, including from a digital camera. A graphical user interface permits a user to customize a set of interactive functions to be enabled for a given set of images. The interactively enabled images can be delivered via a webpage to a user, for example, via email, the Internet or downloaded from a disk or from disk drive on a computer on which the webpage is stored. Each image is delivered to a user in its own layer of software, which permits complex sets of images of relatively high resolution to be delivered to users without any appreciable delay associated with the delivery or the need for the user to have additional software, such as a plug-in to receive images and enable interactive functions with respect to the images. Whenever an interactive function is being carried out, a viewer perceives only one image layer at a given time, but the currently viewable image layer can be changed rapidly, so that the user can perceive the illusion of motion, including virtual rotation of an object depicted in a set of images.
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Citations
56 Claims
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10. A system for rendering a plurality of sets of images interactive from the point of view of a user, the system comprising:
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a processor having a storage capability;
a plurality of sets of images wherein each set of images comprises at least one image and wherein one of the plurality of sets of images is a primary set of images and the remainder of the sets of images are secondary sets of images;
a display on which the images in the plurality of sets of images rendered interactive can be viewed and interacted with by a user;
software executable by the processor for enabling at least one interactive function with respect to each of the sets of images in the plurality of sets of images;
software executable by the processor for displaying to the user the choices the user has for selecting either the primary set of images or a secondary set of images as the chosen set of images with which to carry out the at least one interactive function;
software executable by the processor for accepting and processing input from the user representing the user'"'"'s choice as to which of the plurality of sets of images the user desires to interact with on the user'"'"'s display;
software executable by the processor for creating an image layer for each of the images in the chosen set of images;
software executable by the processor for displaying one of the image layers as a currently viewable image layer;
software executable by the processor for displaying to the user the choices the user has for selecting the at least one interactive function to be carried out with respect to the chosen set of images;
software executable by the processor for accepting and processing input from a user representing the user'"'"'s selection of the at least one interactive function to be carried out with respect to the chosen set of images; and
software executable by the processor for carrying out the selected at least one interactive function with respect to the chosen set of images. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system for rendering a set of images interactive from the point of view of a user, the system comprising:
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a processor having a storage capability;
a set of images comprising at least one image;
a display on which the images in the set of images rendered interactive can be viewed and interacted with by a user;
software executable by the processor for enabling at least one interactive function with respect to the set of images;
software executable by the processor for displaying to the user the choices the user has for selecting the at least one interactive function to be carried out with respect to the set of images;
software executable by the processor for accepting and processing input from a user representing the user'"'"'s selection of the at least one interactive function to be carried out with respect to the set of images; and
software executable by the processor for carrying out the selected at least one interactive function with respect to the set of images. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A system for gathering information from a user regarding at least one image that can be associated with software that will enable at least one interactive function to be carried out with respect to the at least one image by a user, the system comprising:
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a set of images comprising at least one image;
a processor with a storage capability including a memory;
a display;
a graphical user interface comprising;
software executable by the processor for prompting the user to input the set of images to be enabled for interactivity into the memory of the processor;
software executable by the processor for prompting the user to select the set of images to be enabled for interactivity;
software executable by the processor for prompting the user to enter a set of parameters concerning the set of images, the set of parameters having at least one parameter and the set of parameters being required or necessary for enabling and carrying out at least one interactive function with respect to the set of images;
software executable by the processor for accepting, processing, and storing in memory the set of parameters entered by the user;
software for associating the set of parameters with the set of images and storing in memory the associated set of parameters and the set of images;
software for outputting the associated set of parameters and the set of images to a file. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A system for gathering information from a user regarding at least one image that can be associated with software that will enable at least one interactive function to be carried out with respect to the at least one image by a user, the system comprising:
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a set of images comprising at least one image;
a processor with a storage capability including a memory;
a display;
a graphical user interface comprising;
software executable by the processor for prompting the user to input the set of images to be enabled for interactivity into the memory of the processor;
software executable by the processor for prompting the user to select the set of images to be enabled for interactivity;
software executable by the processor for analyzing each image in the selected set of images to ascertain a first set of parameters for the set of images, the first set of parameters including at least one parameter, and the first set of parameters being required or useful for enabling and carrying out at least one interactive function with respect to the set of images;
software executable by the processor for prompting the user to enter a second set of parameters concerning the set of images, the second set of parameters having at least one parameter and the second set of parameters being required or useful for enabling and carrying out at least one interactive function with respect to the set of images;
software executable by the processor for accepting, processing, and storing in memory the first set of parameters and the second set of parameters;
software for associating the first set of parameters and the second set of parameters with the set of images and storing in memory the associated set of parameters and the set of images;
software for outputting the associated first and second set of parameters and the set of images to a file. - View Dependent Claims (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 36, 37, 38, 55, 56)
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37-1. The system of claim 35, wherein the file to which the associated set of parameters and the set of images is output is a temporary file.
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38-2. The system of claim 35, wherein the file to which the associated set of parameters and the set of images is output is a file in a database format.
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39. A system for rendering a set of images interactive from the point of view of a user, the system comprising:
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a processor having a storage capability;
a set of images comprising at least one image;
a display on which the images in the set of images rendered interactive can be viewed and interacted with by a user;
software executable by the processor for enabling at least one interactive function with respect to the set of images;
software executable by the processor for displaying to the user a tool bar having buttons indicating the choices the user has for selecting the at least one interactive function to be carried out with respect to the set of images;
software executable by the processor for accepting and processing input from a user representing the user'"'"'s selection of the at least one interactive function to be carried out with respect to the set of images; and
software executable by the processor for carrying out the selected at least one interactive function with respect to the set of images. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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43. A system for rendering a set of images interactive from the point of view of a user, the system comprising:
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a processor having a storage capability;
a set of images wherein the set of images comprises at least one image;
a display on which the images the set of images rendered interactive can be viewed and interacted with by a user;
software executable by the processor for enabling at least one interactive function with respect to the set of images;
software executable by the processor for creating an image layer for each of the images in the set of images;
software executable by the processor for displaying one of the image layers as a currently viewable image layer; and
software executable by the processor for delivering the set of images enabled for at least one interactive function to a user via email.
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44. A system for rendering a set of images interactive from the point of view of a user, the system comprising:
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a processor having a storage capability;
a set of images wherein the set of images comprises at least one image;
a display on which the images the set of images rendered interactive can be viewed and interacted with by a user;
software executable by the processor for enabling at least one interactive function with respect to the set of images;
software executable by the processor for creating an image layer for each of the images in the set of images;
software executable by the processor for displaying one of the image layers as a currently viewable image layer;
software executable by the processor for displaying to the user the choices the user has for selecting the at least one interactive function to be carried out with respect to the set of images;
software executable by the processor for accepting and processing input from a user representing the user'"'"'s selection of the at least one interactive function to be carried out with respect to the set of images;
software executable by the processor for carrying out the selected at least one interactive function with respect to the set of images; and
software executable by the processor for delivering the set of images enabled for at least one interactive function to a user via email.
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45. A method for transporting a user from a webpage on which the user has the capability of carrying out at least one interactive function with respect to an image, the method comprising:
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displaying a symbol corresponding to a transport option;
accepting input from the user to invoke the transport option;
transporting the user to a location other than the webpage on which the user has the capability of carrying out the at least one interactive function with respect to the image.
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46. A method for facilitating a transaction with respect to an object depicted in an image on a webpage on which a user has the capability of carrying out at least one interactive function with respect to an image, the method comprising:
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displaying a symbol corresponding to a transact option;
accepting input from the user to invoke the transact option;
displaying information concerning a transaction.
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47. A method for manipulating digitized images provided on a webpage on which a user has the capability of carrying out at least one interactive function with respect to the digitized images to give a person perceiving the digitized images the perception that the appearance of an object depicted in the digitized images is changing, the method comprising:
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displaying a first digitized image;
accepting input from a user corresponding to a request to modify the appearance of the first digitized image;
displaying a second digitized image corresponding to the request to modify the appearance of the first digitized image.
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48. A method for providing supplemental information that is associated with digitized images provided on a webpage on which a user has the capability of carrying out at least one interactive function with respect to the digitized images, the method comprising:
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displaying a digitized image to a user;
displaying at least one highlighted area to a user, the at least one highlighted area associated with information that is supplemental to the digitized image;
accepting input from the user to select the at least one highlighted area;
displaying the supplemental information. - View Dependent Claims (49)
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50. A method for providing at least one option on a menu associated with menu information on a webpage on which a user has the capability of carrying out at least one interactive function with respect to the digitized images, the method comprising:
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displaying a digitized image to user;
displaying a menu to the user;
accepting input from the user to display the at least one option associated with the menu;
displaying the at least one option associated with the menu;
accepting input from the user to invoke the at least one option associated with the menu to display the menu information;
displaying the menu information. - View Dependent Claims (51)
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52. A method for positioning a digitized image on a user'"'"'s display before during or after a zoom interactive function is carried out with respect to the digitized image, the digitized image corresponding to a default image, a pre-zoom image, and a zoomed-in-on image, the method comprising:
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positioning the center of the pre-zoom image to line up with the center of the default image layer;
enlarging the pre-zoom image by a zoom factor;
positioning the zoomed-in-on image so that the center of the zoomed-in-on image is aligned with the center of the pre-zoom image;
repositioning the zoomed-in-on image by a factor derived from either the ratio of the height of the pre-zoom image and the height of the zoomed-in-on image and or the ratio of the width of the pre-zoom image and the width of the zoomed-in-on image multiplied by the distance the pre-zoom image is moved when the center of the pre-zoom image is positioned to line up with the center of the default image.
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53. A method for zooming in on and positioning a digitized image on a user'"'"'s display before, during or after the zooming in on operation is carried out with respect to the digitized image, the digitized image corresponding to an actual image having an actual width and an actual height, a default image having a default width and a default height, a pre-zoom image having an pre-zoom width and a pre-zoom height, and a zoomed-in-on image having a zoomed-in-on width and a zoomed-in-on height, x- and y-coordinates for the upper left-hand corner of each of the actual image, the default image, the pre-zoom image and the zoomed-in-on image, x-coordinates for the midpoint of the width of the actual image, the default image, the pre-zoom image and the zoomed-in-on image, and y-coordinates for the midpoint of the height of the actual image, the default image, the pre-zoom image and the zoomed-in-on image, the method comprising:
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accepting input from the user corresponding to the x- and y-coordinates of a first point on the pre-zoom image;
accepting input from the user corresponding to the x- and y-coordinates of a second point on the pre-zoom image;
displaying a line between the first point and the second point;
displaying a first polygon having a center about the midpoint of the line and having a first polygon width and a first polygon height;
positioning the upper left-hand corner of the pre-zoom image so that the upper left-hand corner of the pre-zoom image lines up with the upper left-hand corner of the default image;
enlarging the pre-zoom image by a zoom factor derived from the ratio of the first polygon width to the first polygon height and at least one of the height of the pre-zoom image or the width of the pre-zoom image;
positioning a point on the zoomed-in-on image that corresponds to the center of the first polygon to a point that corresponds to any desired point on the user'"'"'s display. - View Dependent Claims (54)
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Specification