THEME-BASED SLIDESHOWS

• US 20100042926A1
• Filed: 08/18/2008
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hicks, Kourtny Minh, Bull, William, Hope, Eric James
• Granted Patent: US 8,930,817 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/732
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/434 using image data, e.g. images, photos, pictures taken by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence

Abstract

A system and method for providing photographic slideshows with theme elements is provided. Each photograph and each theme element may be associated with different contextual information. The contextual information may include, for example, locations, time and date, calendar events, user preference or history information, or any other suitable information. In response to receiving a selection of contextual information, the electronic device may identify photographs and theme elements associated with contextual information to generate a photographic slideshow. Alternatively, in response to receiving a selection of at least one photograph or theme element, the electronic device may identify contextual information associated with the selected photograph or theme element to identify other photographs and theme elements associated with the identified contextual information for generating a photographic slideshow.

Claims

1. A method for displaying photographs in a photographic slideshow, comprising:

receiving contextual information;

identifying at least one photograph associated with the received contextual information;

selecting at least one theme element associated with the received contextual information; and

generating a photographic slideshow that includes the identified at least one photograph and the selected at least one theme element.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the generated photographic slideshow.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving further comprises receiving a user selection of contextual information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving further comprises automatically selecting contextual information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving further comprises:

receiving a selection of a photograph; and

extracting contextual information associated with the selected photograph.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving further comprises:

receiving a selection of a plurality of photographs; and

extracting contextual information associated with each of the plurality of photographs.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving further comprises:

receiving a selection of at least one theme element; and

extracting contextual information associated with the selected at least one theme element.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual information comprises at least one of:

a location;

time;

date;

a calendar event;

user preference information; and

user history information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the contextual information of at least one of a photograph and a theme element is stored as metadata associated with the at least one of a photograph and a theme element.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein generating further comprises overlaying at least one of the selected at least one theme elements on the identified at least one photograph.

11. A method for providing a photographic slideshow, comprising:

receiving a user selection of a photograph;

identifying at least one element of contextual information associated with the selected photograph;

selecting a plurality of photographs associated with the identified element of contextual information;

retrieving at least one theme element associated with the identified element of contextual information; and

combining the selected plurality of photographs and the retrieved at least one theme element to generate a photographic slideshow.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein retrieving further comprises retrieving a theme associated with the identified element of contextual information, wherein the theme comprises a plurality of theme elements.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of theme elements share at least one common element of contextual information.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the theme element comprises at least one of:

a stationary element;

a moving element;

an audio element;

a transition element; and

a photograph selection element.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one element of contextual information comprises at least one of:

a location;

time;

date;

a calendar event;

a holiday;

user preference information;

history information;

user purchase information; and

communications information.

16. An electronic device operative to display a photographic slideshow, the electronic device comprising a processor and a display, the processor operative to:

receive a selection of a theme;

detect contextual information associated with the theme;

identify at least one photograph associated with the detected contextual information; and

direct the display to simultaneously display the identified at least one photograph and at least one theme element associated with the selected theme.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the contextual information comprises at least one of:

a location;

time;

date;

a calendar event;

a holiday;

user preference information;

history information;

user purchase information; and

communications information.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the at least one theme element comprises at least one of:

a stationary element;

a moving element;

an audio element;

a transition element; and

a photograph selection element.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operative to direct the display to display at least one theme element associated with the theme on a display that does not include a photograph.

20. A computer-readable media operative to display photographs in a slideshow, the computer readable media comprising computer program logic recorded thereon for:

receiving contextual information;

identifying at least one photograph associated with the received contextual information;

selecting at least one theme element associated with the received contextual information; and

generating a photographic slideshow that includes the identified at least one photograph and the selected at least one theme element.