Techniques for displaying digital images on a display

• US 20060071947A1
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ubillos, Randy, Waylonis, Dan, Perrodin, Laurent
• Granted Patent: US 7,705,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/648
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A method and apparatus for displaying digital images on a display is provided. A pile of images that includes a plurality of images arranged in a first arrangement in which at least one image in the pile overlaps with at least one other image in the pile is displayed. Location data that indicates the location of each image in the first arrangement is stored. In response to first user input while the images of the pile are displayed in the first arrangement, without changing the location data, the images that belong to the pile are displayed in a second arrangement in which no image in the pile overlaps with any other image of the pile. In response to second user input while the images of the pile are displayed in the second arrangement, the pile of images are redisplayed in the first arrangement based on the location data.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method, comprising:

on a portion of a primary display device of a computer system, the computer system generating a display;

if the computer system is in a first mode, then on each secondary display device in a set of one or more secondary display devices of the computer system, the computer system generating, within a portion of the secondary device, the same display that is concurrently being displayed within said portion of the primary display device;

if the computer system is in a second mode, then within the portion of each secondary display device in the set of one or more secondary display devices, the computer system generating a different display than the display that is concurrently being displayed within said portion of the primary display device,

wherein, when the computer system is in said second mode, the display generated on the primary display device displays controls for selecting what is to be shown on the portion of said one or more secondary display devices; and

switching between the first mode and the second mode in response to user input.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the controls are part of a graphical user interface object that is not displayed on the one or more secondary display devices.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said portion of each secondary display device is the entire screen of the secondary display device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said portion of primary display device is the entire screen of the primary display device.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said portion of each secondary display device is the entire screen of the secondary display device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said user input is one member selected from the group consisting of:

one or more sequences of keystrokes, one or more sequences of mouse clicks, input from a light pen, and input from a touch screen.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the graphical user interface object is a toolbar.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary and secondary display devices are CRTs.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the primary and secondary is a projector.

23. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 1.

24. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 2.

25. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 3.

26. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 4.

27. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 5.

28. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 6.

29. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 7.

30. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 8.

31. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 9.

10. A machine-implemented method, comprising:

displaying a displayed set of items from a sequence of items that includes one or more undisplayed items that do not belong to said displayed set of items;

wherein said displayed set of items are displayed, in an arrangement that includes a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, in an order that corresponds to said sequence;

receiving user input that selects a particular item from said set of displayed items;

in response to said user input, performing the steps of

if the number of items, in the displayed set of items, that precede the particular item is less than a first predetermined threshold, then causing a line of undisplayed items that precede the displayed set of items to be displayed, and ceasing to display a line of displayed items that follow said particular item; and

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of, if the number of items, in the displayed set of items, that follow the particular item is less than a second predetermined threshold, then responding to the user input by causing a line of undisplayed items that follow the displayed set of items to be displayed, and ceasing to display a line of displayed items that precede said particular item.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the sequence of items is a sequence of images;

the displayed set of items is a displayed set of images; and

the undisplayed items are undisplayed images.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the sequence of images is a sequence of digital photographs;

the displayed set of images is a displayed set of digital photographs; and

the undisplayed images are undisplayed digital photographs.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein all lines of displayed images, other than the line that ceases to be displayed, are shifted to make room for the newly displayed line.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the particular image is not in the line that is next to the newly added line.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the newly added line is a newly added column of previously undisplayed items.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the newly added line is a newly added row of previously undisplayed items.

32. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 10.

33. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 11.

34. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 12.

35. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 13.

36. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 14.

37. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 15.

38. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 16.

39. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 17.

18. A method for managing items, comprising the steps of:

displaying a pile of items,

wherein the pile of items includes a plurality of items arranged in a first arrangement in which at least one item in the pile overlaps with at least one other item in the pile;

storing location data that indicates the location of each item in the first arrangement;

in response to first user input while the items of the pile are displayed in the first arrangement, without changing the location data, displaying the items that belong to the pile in a second arrangement in which no item in the pile overlaps with any other item of the pile;

in response to second user input while the items of the pile are displayed in the second arrangement, redisplaying the pile of items in the first arrangement based on the location data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the pile of items is a pile of images.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the pile of images is a pile of digital photos.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of displaying the items in a second arrangement includes displaying the items, over time, in a series of locations that moves the items from their locations in the first arrangement to their locations in the second arrangement through a series of intermediate locations.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of redisplaying the items in a first arrangement includes redisplaying the items, over time, in a series of locations that moves the items from their locations in the second arrangement to their locations in the first arrangement through a series of intermediate locations.

40. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 18.

41. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 19.

42. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 20.

43. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 21.

44. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 22.