IMAGE VIEWER, IMAGE DISPLAYING METHOD AND INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20090179892A1
• Filed: 04/06/2007
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Koichi, Tsuda, Munetaka
• Application Number:
  US12/278,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20090179892A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

To provide an image viewer, an image display method, and an information storage medium for displaying a plurality of images while distinctively presenting the groups to which the images belong. Based on the number of images belonging to the respective groups, one or more motion data associated with the respective groups are selectively read from the motion data storage means. Then, for every group, an image belonging to that group is mapped as a texture onto a photo object (50) of which motion is described by the one or more motion data associated with that group, and the photo object (50) having the texture mapped thereon is dropped, according to the one or more motion data, from a position defined for that group, the positions being defined for each of the groups so as to be apart from one another, and an image of that situation is shown on the monitor.

Claims

1. An image viewer, comprising:

image obtaining means for obtaining a plurality of images which are display targets;

grouping means for grouping the plurality of images into one or more groups;

grouped image number obtaining means for obtaining the number of images belonging to each of the groups into which the images are grouped by the grouping means;

motion data storage means for storing a plurality of motion data in association with respective different numbers of images, in which each motion data item describes motion of one or more three dimensional models in the virtual three dimensional model, onto which an image associated with the number of images associated with that motion data item is able to be mapped as a texture;

motion data reading means for selectively reading, based on the number of images belonging to each of the groups into which the images are grouped by the grouping means, one or more motion data associated with that group from the motion data storage means;

and

three dimensional image displaying means for mapping, as a texture, for every group into which the images are grouped by the grouping means, an image belonging to that group onto the three dimensional model of which motion is described by the one or more motion data associated with that group, then moving the three dimensional model having the texture mapped thereon to a position defined for that group in the virtual three dimensional space, the positions being defined for each of the respective groups so as to be apart from one another, and displaying an image of the three dimensional model.

2. The image viewer according to claim 1, wherein a total of the number of images associated with the one or more respective motion data associated with each of the groups is equal to the number of images belonging to that group.

3. The image viewer according to claim 1, wherein the grouping means groups the plurality of images into the one or more groups according to date information of the respective images.

4. The image viewer according to claim 3, wherein the three dimensional image displaying means further displays an image indicative of a date concerning an image belonging to each of the groups.

5. The image viewer according to claim 1, wherein the three dimensional model onto which an image is mapped as a texture is determined according to a priority order of an image belonging to each of the groups.

6. The image viewer according to claim 1, wherein

the motion data storage means stores a plurality kinds of motion data in association with the respective numbers of images, and

the motion data reading means selectively reads the one or more motion data associated with each of the groups from among the plurality kinds of motion data stored in the motion data storage means.

7. The image viewer according to claim 6, wherein the motion data reading means selects motion data according to a random number.

8. An image display method, comprising:

an image obtaining step of obtaining a plurality of images which are display targets;

a grouping step of grouping the plurality of images into one or more groups;

a grouped image number obtaining step of obtaining the number of images belonging to each of the groups into which the images are grouped at the grouping step;

a motion data reading step of selectively reading, based on the number of images belonging to each of the groups into which the images are grouped at the grouping step, one or more motion data associated with that group from motion data storage means for storing a plurality of motion data in association with respective different numbers of images, in which each motion data item describes motion of one or more three dimensional models in the virtual three dimensional model, onto which an image associated with the number of images associated with that motion data item is able to be mapped as a texture;

and

a three dimensional image displaying step of mapping, as a texture, for every group into which the images are grouped at the grouping step, an image belonging to that group onto the three dimensional model of which motion is described by the one or more motion data associated with that group, then moving the three dimensional model having the texture mapped thereon to a position defined for that group in the virtual three dimensional space, the positions being defined for each of the respective groups so as to be apart from one another, and displaying an image of the three dimensional model.

9. An information storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as:

image obtaining means for obtaining a plurality of images which are display targets;

grouping means for grouping the plurality of images into one or more groups;

grouped image number obtaining means for obtaining the number of images belonging to each of the groups into which the images are grouped by the grouping means;

motion data storage means for storing a plurality of motion data in association with respective different numbers of images, in which each motion data item describes motion of one or more three dimensional models in the virtual three dimensional model, onto which an image associated with the number of images associated with that motion data item is able to be mapped as a texture;

motion data reading means for selectively reading, based on the number of images belonging to each of the groups into which the images are grouped by the grouping means, one or more motion data associated with that group from the motion data storage means;

and

three dimensional image displaying means for mapping, as a texture, for every group into which the images are grouped by the grouping means, an image belonging to that group onto the three dimensional model of which motion is described by the one or more motion data associated with that group, then moving the three dimensional model having the texture mapped thereon to a position defined for that group in the virtual three dimensional space, the positions being defined for each of the respective groups so as to be apart from one another, and displaying an image of the three dimensional model.