Method and system for accelerating a user interface of an image capture unit during review mode

• US 6,215,523 B1
• Filed: 06/10/1997
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FlashPoint Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: FlashPoint Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Anderson, Eric C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harrington, Alicia M.
• Application Number:
  US08/872,587
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231, 348/333, 348/334, 348/552, 348/333.01, 348/333.02, 348/333.05, 345/353, 345/328
• US Class Current: 348/333.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00384 Key input means, e.g. buttons or keypads electromechanical details of key input means in general H01H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00442 Simultaneous viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. using a mosaic display arrangement of thumbnails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00448 horizontally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00458 Sequential viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. browsing or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00461 marking or otherwise tagging one or more displayed image, e.g. for selective reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2141 in a multi-frame buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6011 with simulation on a subsidiary picture reproducer H04N1/622 takes precedence; matching two or more picture reproducers H04N1/6052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/325 Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3264 of sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33378 Type or format of data, e.g. colour or B/W, halftone or binary, computer image file or facsimile data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for accelerating a user interface of an image capture unit. The method and system comprises providing a plurality of thumbnail images on the display, each of the plurality of thumbnail images being associated with a captured image. The method and system also include selecting one of the plurality of thumbnail images to be displayed as a resized thumbnail image on the display, the resized thumbnail image being a larger version of the selected one of the plurality of thumbnail images. Through the present invention the user interface allows a user to quickly review images in an image capture unit such as a digital camera or the like.

Claims

1. A method for accelerating a user interface of a digital camera having a display, a first mode for capturing images, a second mode for displaying captured images, and a navigation button, comprising the steps of:

in response to the digital camera being placed into the second mode, displaying a set of thumbnail images on the display, such that all the thumbnail images in the set are displayed in alignment, wherein the aligned set of thumbnail images is based on a filmstrip metaphor that allows the user to quickly move forward and backward among the captured images chronologically according to date and time;

scrolling the thumbnail images in response to a user pressing the navigation button, wherein an indication in the display indicates which of the thumbnail images is currently active, and wherein the thumbnail images are scrolled-off the display and replaced by new thumbnail images; and

simultaneously displaying additional information corresponding to the currently active item in the display adjacent to the aligned set of thumbnail images, the additional information including,

a resized thumbnail image that is a larger version of the active thumbnail image, and

image information including date of capture, and what media types are associated with the active image, wherein the media types include at least one of a still image, a time lapse image, a burst image, and sound, wherein as the active thumbnail changes during scrolling, the resized thumbnail is updated accordingly.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of thumbnail images and the resized thumbnail image are displayed using the thumbnail image data.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the resized image is generated by multiplying the thumbnail images data by a multiplication factor.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the display is included on an image capture unit that includes a working memory and input buffers.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the thumbnail images are cached into the working memory.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the input buffers are partitioned into a draw buffer and a display buffer wherein the draw buffer contains information relating to a selected image and provides that information to the display buffer.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the plurality of thumbnail images are cropped.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the resized image is generated by expanding the one of the plurality of cropped thumbnail images.

9. The method of claim 7 which the plurality of thumbnail images are in landscape format.

10. The method of claim 7 which the plurality of thumbnail images are in true orientation and aspect ratio.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the plurality of captured images are stored in enhanced image files.

12. The method of claim 5 wherein each of the enhanced image files comprises a compressed image data, a thumbnail image data associated with the compressed image and image tags associated with the compressed image data and the thumbnail image.

13. A method for accelerating a user interface of a digital camera having a display, a first mode for capturing images, a second mode for displaying captured images, and a navigation button, comprising the steps of:

in response to the digital camera being placed into the second mode, displaying a set of thumbnail images on the display, such that all the thumbnail images in the set are displayed in alignment;

scrolling the thumbnail images in response to a user present the navigation button, wherein an indication in the display indicates which of the thumbnail images is currently active, and wherein the thumbnail images are scrolled-off the display and replaced by new thumbnail images; and

simultaneously displaying additional information corresponding to the currently active item in the display adjacent to the aligned set of thumbnail images, the additional information including,

a resized thumbnail image that is a larger version of the active thumbnail image, and

image information including date of capture, and what media types are associated with the active image, wherein the media types include at least one of a still image, a time lapse image, a burst image, and sound, wherein when the user holds down of the navigation button, the thumbnail images are scrolled-off the display and replaced by new thumbnail images but the resized image is not updated to provide for fast browsing of the digital camera'"'"'s content.

14. A digital camera having a first mode for capturing images and a second mode for displaying captured images, comprising:

an image device for capturing image data;

a memory coupled to the imaging device for storing the image data as captured images, wherein each of the captured images is associated with a representative thumbnail image;

a display;

a set of navigation buttons; and

a processor coupled to the image device, the memory, the display, and to the set of navigation buttons for controlling operation of the digital camera, wherein the processor includes,

means responsive to the digital camera being placed into the second mode for displaying a set of thumbnail images on the display, such that all the thumbnail images in the set are displayed in alignment, wherein the display of the aligned set of thumbnail images is based on a filmstrip metaphor which allows the user to quickly move forward and backward among the captured images chronologically according to date and time;

means for scrolling the thumbnail images in response to a user pressing one of navigation buttons, wherein an indication in the display indicates which of the thumbnail images is currently active, and wherein the thumbnail images are scrolled-off the display and replaced by new thumbnail images; and

means for displaying additional information corresponding to the currently active item in the display adjacent to the aligned set of thumbnail images, the additional information including,

a resized thumbnail image that is a larger version of the active thumbnail image, and

image information including date of capture and what media types are associated with the active image, wherein the media types include at least one of a still image, a time lapse image, a burst image, and sound, wherein as the active thumbnail changes during scrolling, the resized thumbnail is updated accordingly.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the plurality of thumbnail images and the resized image are displayed using the thumbnail image data.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the resized image is generated by multiplying the thumbnail image data by a multiplication factor.

17. The system of claim 14 in which the plurality of thumbnail images are cropped.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the display is included on an image capture unit that includes a working memory and input buffers.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the thumbnail images are cached into the working memory.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the input buffers are partitioned into a draw buffer and a display buffer wherein the draw buffer contains information relating to a selected image and provides that information to the display buffer.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the resized image is generated by expanding the one of the plurality of cropped thumbnail images.

22. The system of claim 17 in which the plurality of thumbnail images are in landscape format.

23. The system of claim 17 in which the plurality of thumbnail images are in true orientation and aspect ratio.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein each of the enhanced image files comprises a compressed image data, a thumbnail image data associated with the compressed image and image tags associated with the compressed image data and the thumbnail image.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein the plurality of captured images are stored in enhanced image files.

26. A digital camera having a first mode for capturing images and a second mode for displaying captured images, comprising:

an image device for capturing image data;

a memory coupled to the imaging device for storing the image data as captured images, wherein each of the captured images is associated with a representative thumbnail image;

a display;

a set of navigation buttons, and

a processor coupled to the image device, the memory, the display, and to the set of navigation buttons for controlling operation of the digital camera, wherein the processor includes,

means responsive to the digital camera being placed into the second mode for displaying a set of thumbnail images on the display, such that all the thumbnail images in the set are displayed in alignment;

means for scrolling the thumbnail images in response to a user pressing one of navigation buttons, wherein an indication in the display indicates which of the thumbnail images is currently active, and wherein the thumbnail images are scrolled-off the display and replaced by new thumbnail images; and

means for displaying additional information corresponding to the currently active item in the display adjacent to the aligned set of thumbnail images, the additional information including,

a resized thumbnail image that is a larger version of the active thumbnail image, and

image information including date of capture and what media types are associated with the active image, wherein the media types include al least one of a still image, a time lapse image, a burst image, and sound, wherein when the user holds down one of the navigation buttons, the thumbnail images are scrolled-off the display and replaced by new thumbnail images, but the resized image is not updated to provide for fast browsing of the digital camera'"'"'s content.