Defining a border for an image

• US 20090300553A1
• Filed: 05/28/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Candela, Dan, Pettigrew, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,331,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/856
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/20 Drawing from basic elements, e.g. lines or circles
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20096 Interactive definition of curve of interest
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30201 Face
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method that provides a display area for displaying an image that includes several of edges. The method provides a border drawing tool that in response to cursor movement across the image displays a search window about the cursor. The search window specifies a region to be searched to identify edges for use in defining a border for the image. In some embodiments, the size of the search window varies based on the speed of the cursor. The search window is a square box in some embodiments and a circle in other embodiments. The search window is centered at the cursor in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the display area is also for displaying the defined border over the image.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) providing a display area for displaying an image comprising a plurality of edges;

b) providing a border drawing tool that in response to cursor movement across the image displays a search window about the cursor, the search window specifying a region to be searched to identify edges for use in defining a border for the image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a size of the search window varies based on the speed of the cursor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the size is proportional to the speed of the cursor within a range of speeds.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the search window has a minimum size and a maximum size.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the search window is a square box.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the search window is a circle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the display area is also for displaying the defined border over the image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the search window is centered at the cursor.

9. A method of defining a border for an image, the method comprising;

a) receiving a movement of a cursor over the image;

b) searching for edges in the image within a region defined about the cursor, the region having a property that changes based on an attribute of the cursor; and

c) defining the border according to edges within the region about the cursor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the property of the region is the size of the region.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the size of the region changes based on the speed of the cursor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the size of the region increases when the cursor moves faster.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the size of the region decreases when the cursor slows down.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein defining the border comprises:

a) determining whether any edges of the image are in the region about the cursor;

b) if any edges are within the region, defining the border along an edge within the region; and

c) if no edges are within the region, defining the border along the movement of the cursor.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein if multiple edges are within the region, the border is defined along the edge closest to the cursor.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the region is a square region centered about the cursor.

17. A method of defining a border for an image, the method comprising:

a) defining a border as a cursor moves over an image; and

b) in response to backward movement of the cursor, deleting a previously defined first section of the border while leaving a previously defined second section of the border intact.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first section is deleted when the cursor moves over the previously defined border.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein:

a) the defined border has a starting point at which the definition of the border was started;

b) deleting the first section comprises detecting that the cursor has moved over a particular point on the previously defined border; and

b) the second section is the the section of the previously defined border from the starting point to the particular point, and the first section is the remainder of the previously defined border.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first section is deleted when the cursor moves within a threshold distance of the previously defined border.

21. A method comprising:

a) providing a display area for displaying an image; and

b) providing a border drawing tool for

(i) defining a border for the image to display in the display area as a cursor moves across the image; and

(ii) deleting a first section of the previously defined border while leaving a second section intact when the cursor moves over a point on the previously defined border.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the border is displayed as a plurality of segments with reference points in between the segments.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the border has a starting point, wherein when the cursor moves over a particular point on the border in between a first reference point and a second reference point, the first reference point closer to the border than the cursor or the second reference point, the second section left intact by the border drawing tool is a section from the starting point to the first reference point.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the border is displayed in the vicinity of a path of a cursor through the display area.