Variable Resolution Images

• US 20090317020A1
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gerhard, Lutz, Gedye, David M., Jones, Paul D., Dunn, Abraham, Nickolov, Radoslav P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,064,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/299
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4092 Image resolution transcoding, e.g. by using client-server architectures

Abstract

In accordance with one or more aspects, a variable resolution image is displayed at an initial resolution. The variable resolution image has multiple portions, at least two of which have different resolutions. A request to display one of the multiple portions of the variable resolution image at a higher resolution is received, and a check is made as to whether a higher resolution version of the one portion is available. The higher resolution version of the one portion is displayed if available, otherwise the one portion at the initial resolution is displayed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a variable resolution image at an initial resolution, the variable resolution image having multiple portions, at least two portions of the multiple portions having different resolutions;

receiving a request to display one of the multiple portions of the variable resolution image at a higher resolution;

checking whether a higher resolution version of the one portion is available; and

displaying the higher resolution version of the one portion if available, otherwise displaying the one portion at the initial resolution.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to display a first portion of the higher resolution version at a higher resolution;

checking whether a higher resolution version of the first portion is available; and

displaying the higher resolution version of the first portion if available.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the variable resolution image is stored as multiple image pyramids, the at least two portions are included in a level of one of the multiple image pyramids, and the checking whether a higher resolution version of the one portion is available comprises checking whether one of the multiple image pyramids corresponds to the one portion.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the initial resolution is a resolution of the variable resolution image that is closest to a display resolution being used by a device displaying the image.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the variable resolution image is stored as multiple image pyramids, the at least two portions are included in a level of one of the multiple image pyramids, and one of the at least two portions corresponds to another of the multiple image pyramids, but a second portion of the at least two portions does not correspond to another of the multiple image pyramids.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the variable resolution image is stored as multiple image pyramids, one or more portions of the multiple portions are included in a level of one of the multiple image pyramids, and each of the one or more portions corresponds to one other image pyramids of the multiple image pyramids.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the level comprises a bottom level of the one of the multiple image pyramids.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein each of the other image pyramids includes a bottom level having a portion that corresponds to an additional image pyramid.

9. One or more computer storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

obtain, from a source, at least a portion of a variable resolution image that includes multiple image pyramids each having multiple levels, a first image pyramid of the multiple image pyramids corresponding to a first portion of a level of a second image pyramid of the multiple image pyramids; and

display a level of one of the multiple image pyramids of the variable resolution image.

10. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 9, wherein the source comprises a remote server accessed via a network.

11. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are part of a digital camera, and the source is a local storage device of the digital camera.

12. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 9, wherein the level of the second image pyramid comprises a bottom level of the second image pyramid.

13. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 9, wherein one or more portions of the second image pyramid have corresponding image pyramids in the multiple image pyramids, and one or more other portions of the second image pyramid have no corresponding image pyramids in the multiple image pyramids.

14. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive a request to display the first portion at a higher resolution;

obtain at least a portion of a level of the first image pyramid; and

display the at least a portion of the level of the first image pyramid.

15. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 9, wherein a third image pyramid of the multiple image pyramids corresponds to a second portion of the level of the second image pyramid, the second portion being a different portion than the first portion.

16. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 9, wherein a third image pyramid of the multiple image pyramids corresponds to a portion of a level of the first image pyramid.

17. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive a request to display a second portion of the level at a higher resolution;

check whether a higher resolution version of the second portion is available; and

display the higher resolution version of the second portion if available.

18. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to determine that the higher resolution version of the second portion is available if the second portion is a same portion as the first portion.

19. One or more computer storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

obtain a first image pyramid for an image, the first image pyramid including multiple levels having different resolutions, a bottom level of the multiple levels of the first image pyramid having multiple tiles;

obtain a second image pyramid for the image, the second image pyramid including multiple levels having different resolutions, a bottom level of the multiple levels of the second image pyramid having multiple tiles, a top level of the second image pyramid corresponding to a first tile of the multiple tiles of the bottom level of the first image pyramid;

obtain a third image pyramid for the image, the third image pyramid including multiple levels having different resolutions, a top level of the third image pyramid corresponding to a tile of the multiple tiles of the bottom level of the second image pyramid; and

store the first image pyramid, the second image pyramid, and the third image pyramid as a variable resolution image for the image.

20. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 19, the instructions further causing the one or more processors to:

obtain a fourth image pyramid for the image, the fourth image pyramid including multiple levels having different resolutions, a top level of the fourth image pyramid corresponding to a second tile of the multiple tiles of the bottom level of the first image pyramid, the second tile being a different tile than the first tile; and

store the fourth image pyramid as part of the variable resolution image for the image.