Method and system for generating pyramid fisheye lens detail-in-context presentations

• US 20070083819A1
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accessify, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: IDELIX Software Inc. (Lat49 Media Inc.)
• Inventors: Shoemaker, Garth
• Granted Patent: US 8,031,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/767
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/047 Fisheye or wide-angle transformations
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting

Abstract

A method for generating a presentation of a region-of-interest in an original image for display on a display screen, comprising: establishing a focal region for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region; creating a focal region image for the focal region by scaling the original image within the focal region by a focal region magnification; creating a shoulder region image for the shoulder region by scaling the original image within the shoulder region by a shoulder region magnification, the shoulder region magnification being less than the focal region magnification; and, overlaying the focal region image and the shoulder region image on the original image to thereby generate the presentation.

Claims

1. A method for generating a presentation of a region-of-interest in an original image for display on a display screen, comprising:

establishing a focal region for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region;

creating a focal region image for the focal region by scaling the original image within the focal region by a focal region magnification;

creating a shoulder region image for the shoulder region by scaling the original image within the shoulder region by a shoulder region magnification, the shoulder region magnification being less than the focal region magnification; and

,

overlaying the focal region image and the shoulder region image on the original image to thereby generate the presentation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the creating of the focal region image further comprises masking regions of the original image outside the focal region, wherein the creating of the shoulder region image further comprises masking regions of the original image outside the shoulder region, and wherein the overlaying further comprises masking regions of the original image within the focal and shoulder regions.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the shoulder region image comprises a sequence of shoulder region images to smoothly join the focal region image to the original image.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein each of the sequence of shoulder region images has a respective shoulder region magnification that increases from a shoulder region image adjacent to the original image to a shoulder region image adjacent to the focal region image.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein each of the sequence of shoulder regions images has a respective size that decreases from a shoulder region image adjacent to the original image to a shoulder region image adjacent to the focal region image.

6. The method of claim 1 and further comprising receiving one or more signals to adjust the focal region through a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) having means for adjusting at least one of a size of the focal region, a shape of the focal region, and the focal region magnification.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the means for adjusting the size and shape is at least one handle icon positioned on a perimeter of the focal region and wherein the means for adjusting the focal region magnification is at least one of a slide bar icon, an increase magnification button, and a decrease magnification button.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the shoulder region magnification is a function of the focal region magnification.

9. The method of claim 8 and further comprising receiving one or more signals to adjust the shoulder region through a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) having means for adjusting at least one of a size of the shoulder region, a shape of the shoulder region, and a shape of the function.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the means for adjusting the size and shape is at least one handle icon positioned on a perimeter of the shoulder region and wherein the means for adjusting the shape of the function is a slide bar icon.

11. The method of claim 1 and further comprising receiving one or more signals to adjust at least one of the focal region, the shoulder region, and the original image outside the shoulder region through a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) having means for at least one of;

increasing the focal region magnification such that the focal region fills the display screen;

increasing the focal and shoulder region magnifications such that the focal and shoulder regions fill the display screen; and

, applying the focal region magnification uniformly to the focal region, the shoulder region, and the original image outside the shoulder region.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the means is a respective selectable zoom icon for each of the focal region, the shoulder region, and the original image outside the shoulder region.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the means is a respective selectable zoom area in each of the focal region, the shoulder region, and the original image outside the shoulder region.

14. A system for generating a presentation of a region-of-interest in an original image for display on a display screen, comprising:

a processor coupled to memory and the display screen; and

,

modules within the memory and executed by the processor, the modules including;

a module for establishing a focal region for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region;

a module for creating a focal region image for the focal region by scaling the original image within the focal region by a focal region magnification;

a module for creating a shoulder region image for the shoulder region by scaling the original image within the shoulder region by a shoulder region magnification, the shoulder region magnification being less than the focal region magnification; and

,

a module for overlaying the focal region image and the shoulder region image on the original image to thereby generate the presentation.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the module for creating the focal region image further comprises a module for masking regions of the original image outside the focal region, wherein the module for creating the shoulder region image further comprises a module for masking regions of the original image outside the shoulder region, and wherein the module for overlaying further comprises a module for masking regions of the original image within the focal and shoulder regions.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the shoulder region image comprises a sequence of shoulder region images to smoothly join the focal region image to the original image.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein each of the sequence of shoulder region images has a respective shoulder region magnification that increases from a shoulder region image adjacent to the original image to a shoulder region image adjacent to the focal region image.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein each of the sequence of shoulder regions images has a respective size that decreases from a shoulder region image adjacent to the original image to a shoulder region image adjacent to the focal region image.

19. The system of claim 14 and further comprising a module for receiving one or more signals to adjust the focal region through a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) having means for adjusting at least one of a size of the focal region, a shape of the focal region, and the focal region magnification.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the means for adjusting the size and shape is at least one handle icon positioned on a perimeter of the focal region and wherein the means for adjusting the focal region magnification is at least one of a slide bar icon, an increase magnification button, and a decrease magnification button.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the shoulder region magnification is a function of the focal region magnification.

22. The system of claim 21 and further comprising a module for receiving one or more signals to adjust the shoulder region through a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) having means for adjusting at least one of a size of the shoulder region, a shape of the shoulder region, and a shape of the function.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the means for adjusting the size and shape is at least one handle icon positioned on a perimeter of the shoulder region and wherein the means for adjusting the shape of the function is a slide bar icon.

24. The system of claim 14 and further comprising a module for receiving one or more signals to adjust at least one of the focal region, the shoulder region, and the original image outside the shoulder region through a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) having means for at least one of;

increasing the focal region magnification such that the focal region fills the display screen;

increasing the focal and shoulder region magnifications such that the focal and shoulder regions fill the display screen; and

, applying the focal region magnification uniformly to the focal region, the shoulder region, and the original image outside the shoulder region.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the means is a respective selectable zoom icon for each of the focal region, the shoulder region, and the original image outside the shoulder region.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the means is a respective selectable zoom area in each of the focal region, the shoulder region, and the original image outside the shoulder region.