Graphical user interface for image editing

• US 6,201,548 B1
• Filed: 02/24/1998
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Cariffe, Alan E., Woodson, Anne-Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Good-Johnson, Motilewa
• Application Number:
  US09/028,700
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 345/434, 345/433, 345/439, 345/428, 345/432
• US Class Current: 345/620
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A region of the original image is selected and the thus-selected region is then subjected to an example image editing operation called “crop” in which the selected region remains, and the area outside of the selected region is removed. After the “crop” or editing operation has been performed, the window containing the original image is also maintained and may be viewed concurrently with the edited image. The window containing the original image is preferably automatically minimized, but may subsequently be restored to full size. If subsequent comparison by the user of both the original and “cropped” images side-by-side show an unwanted result, the “crop” operation may then be repeated on the image in the original image window. This facilitates more complex editing operations such as the selection of several portions of the original image, even overlapping regions, and the production of separate new images (or a new composite image) without changing the original, and any subsequent cropped image may be substituted for the “original”, and may itself be “cropped” or otherwise edited.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface for image editing, comprising:

a first window for displaying a digitally generated original image; and

editing means for automatically opening a second window, for forming an editable digital image from the original image, and for displaying the editable digital image in the second window,

wherein

the original digital image remains in the first window,

the first window is automatically changed from a window in which an image is visible to an iconic representation of a minimized window in which the image is no longer visible, when the editable digital image is formed, and

the minimized first window may be subsequently restored while the editable digital image remains displayed in the second window.

2. The interface of claim 1, wherein

a plurality of said editable images may be sequentially formed from the same original image,

said original image and all of said editable images may be simultaneously displayed each in a respective said window, and

each said respective window is opened as each said editable image is formed.

3. The interface of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting means for establishing a clearly delineated boundary separating the original digital image into a selected region and an unselected region,

wherein

the editable digital image corresponds to the selected region of the original image.

4. The interface of claim 3, wherein

when the minimized first window is subsequently restored, said boundary is clearly delineated.

5. The interface of claim 3, wherein

the editing means performs a crop operation in which the unselected region is outside said boundary and is removed from the original image to thereby form an edited image.

6. The interface of claim 5, wherein

said edited image may be subsequently edited to form a third edited image, and

all of said edited images may be simultaneously displayed each in a respective said window.