Method for Displaying Images on Display Screen

• US 20080259097A1
• Filed: 09/18/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hara, Chikashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,990,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

Method, apparatus and program product for efficient display of an image at a targeted position in an image on a display screen by displaying, on the display screen, an image on which the targeted position is not displayed; setting a first position specified on the image displayed on the display screen, and a second position having a point symmetry with respect to a center of the displayed image; displaying the image while reducing a display magnification of the displayed image to a certain magnification to a degree with which the targeted position can be identified in the image, employing the second position as a center; and displaying the image while enlarging the displayed image to a certain magnification, employing the targeted position or a designated neighboring point as a center on the image obtained after the magnification change.

Claims

1. A method for displaying an image at a targeted position on an image displayed on a display screen, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying, on the display screen, an image on which the targeted position is not displayed;

setting a first position specified on the image displayed on the display screen, and a second position being a point symmetry of the first position with respect to a center of the displayed image;

displaying the image while reducing a display magnification of the displayed image to a certain magnification to a degree with which the targeted position can be identified in the image, employing the second position as a center; and

displaying the image while enlarging the displayed image to another certain magnification, employing the targeted position or a designated neighboring point as a center on the image obtained after the magnification change.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first position is located in a direction leading away from the center of the displayed image to the targeted position.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the image includes either map data or CAD data.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the display screen is displayed by one apparatus selected from the group including a computer, a CAD system, a car navigation system, a portable terminal and a microscope, and wherein the first position, the targeted position, the designated neighboring point and the certain magnifications are provided on the basis of operation on the apparatus by an operator.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first position, the targeted position and the designated neighboring point are determined in accordance with a position of a pointer displayed on the display screen.

6. An apparatus comprising a display screen on which an image is displayed at a targeted position on the display screen, the apparatus comprising:

display means for displaying, on the display screen, an image on which the targeted position is not displayed;

means for setting a first position specified on the image displayed on the display screen, and a second position being a point symmetry of the first position with respect to a center of the displayed image;

display means for displaying the image while reducing a display magnification of the displayed image to a certain magnification to a degree with which the targeted position can be identified in the image, employing the second position as a center; and

display means for displaying the image while enlarging the displayed image to another certain magnification, employing the targeted position or a designated neighboring point as a center on the image obtained after the magnification change.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

one of a computer, a CAD system, a car navigation system, a portable terminal and a microscope.

8. A method of searching for an image at a targeted position on an image displayed on a display screen, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying, on the display screen, an image on which the targeted position is not displayed;

setting a first position specified on the image displayed on the display screen, and a second position being a point symmetry of the first position with respect to a center of the displayed image;

displaying the image while reducing a display magnification of the displayed image to a certain magnification to a degree with which the targeted position can be identified in the image, employing the second position as a center; and

displaying the image while enlarging the displayed image to another certain magnification, employing a third position as a center on the image obtained after the magnification change, the third position being located in a direction leading away from the first position to the second position, and at least near the targeted position.

9. A computer program product for displaying an image including a targeted position on a display screen of a computer system, the computer program product comprising computer readable medium having computer usable code, wherein said computer usable code when loaded onto the computer system cases the computer system to perform the steps of:

displaying, on the display screen, an image on which the targeted position is not displayed;

setting a first position specified on the image displayed on the display screen, and a second position being a point symmetry of the first position with respect to a center of the displayed image;

displaying the image while reducing a display magnification of the displayed image to a certain magnification to a degree with which the targeted position can be identified in the image, employing the second position as a center; and

displaying the image while enlarging the displayed image to another certain magnification, employing the targeted position or a designated neighboring point as a center on the image obtained after the magnification change.