Method and apparatus for creating and displaying navigators for guiding to related image information
First Claim
1. A method for creating and displaying navigators to related image information units by use of image information units related with one another in the order of their magnitudes defined for each property of each image and stored and managed in image information storage and management means, said image information units stored and managed in said image information storage and management means being divided into a plurality of groups by an arbitrary criterion, and said image information units in each of said groups being related with one another for each of a plurality of preselected properties of predetermined priority for each said property, said method comprising the steps of:
- displaying a first image information unit as a main image on a display;
reading out of said image information storage and management means all second image information units adjoining said first image information unit in said directions and related therewith;
processing said read-out second image information units and producing, as said navigators, the processed image information units representing said second image information units; and
displaying said navigators on said display, together with said first image information unit as said main image;
whereby said navigators of said second image information units related to said first image information unit are displayed to indicate that said second image information units are selectable as a next main image.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Image information units, related with one another in the order of their magnitudes defined for each of a plurality of properties of each image, are prestored in an image information storage and management device. All image information units adjoiningly related by their properties with a main image being displayed on a display are read out of the image information storage and management device, and contracted images of the read-out image information units are displayed as navigators on the display screen, together with the main image.
75 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for creating and displaying navigators to related image information units by use of image information units related with one another in the order of their magnitudes defined for each property of each image and stored and managed in image information storage and management means, said image information units stored and managed in said image information storage and management means being divided into a plurality of groups by an arbitrary criterion, and said image information units in each of said groups being related with one another for each of a plurality of preselected properties of predetermined priority for each said property, said method comprising the steps of:
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displaying a first image information unit as a main image on a display; reading out of said image information storage and management means all second image information units adjoining said first image information unit in said directions and related therewith; processing said read-out second image information units and producing, as said navigators, the processed image information units representing said second image information units; and displaying said navigators on said display, together with said first image information unit as said main image; whereby said navigators of said second image information units related to said first image information unit are displayed to indicate that said second image information units are selectable as a next main image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A navigator creating and display apparatus comprising:
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image information storage and management means for storing and managing image information units related with one another in the order of their magnitudes defined for each property of each image; a display for displaying a first image information unit as a main image; and a navigator generator for reading out of said image information storage and management means all second image information units adjoining said first image information unit in said directions and related therewith, processing said read-out second image information units to generate navigators indicating said second image information units, and supplying said navigators to said display; said display being operative to display said navigators together with said main image for subsequent selection of one of said navigators. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification