Representing a graphic image on a web page with a thumbnail-sized image

• US 6,275,829 B1
• Filed: 11/25/1997
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Angiulo, Michael, Peters, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Choules, Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US08/977,774
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/4, 707/102, 707/104, 707/3, 707/10, 707/500, 707/513, 345/329, 345/333, 345/334, 345/335
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

An original (full size) image is automatically represented by a thumbnail (reduced size) image on a Web page. A user selects the original image that will be represented by the thumbnail image. The thumbnail image is produced and placed into a Web page that is being created or edited. While viewing the Web page, selection of the thumbnail image causes a hyperlink to the original image that is automatically associated with the thumbnail image to be traversed, so that the original image is retrieved and displayed. An auto thumbnail tool dialog box enables the user to define the size of the thumbnail image and to optionally select a border and/or a beveled edge for the thumbnail image. The coloring and the pattern of the border may also be optionally selected by the user.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a user to automatically introduce a thumbnail image into a Web page to represent an original image, said thumbnail image having a size that is substantially smaller than the original image, comprising the steps of:

(a) enabling the user to select the original image that is to be represented by the thumbnail image;

(b) producing the thumbnail image from the selected original image;

(c) placing the thumbnail image into the Web page to represent said original image;

(d) automatically providing in the Web page a hyperlink from the thumbnail image to the original image; and

(e) enabling the user to save the Web page, the thumbnail image, and the hyperlink, said Web page including a markup tag associated with the thumbnail image so that the thumbnail image appears in the Web page when the Web page is displayed, said hyperlink enabling the original image to be retrieved and displayed if the thumbnail image is then selected in the displayed Web page and the hyperlink is activated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of producing the thumbnail image is only enabled if the original image is greater than a predetermined size.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(a) determining if the original image is in a desired graphics format; and

(b) if the original image is not in the desired graphics format, converting the original image to the desired graphics format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the thumbnail image in the Web page and activating the hyperlink is enabled with a pointing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein activating said hyperlink causes the original image to be retrieved and displayed in place of the Web page and the thumbnail image.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling the user to select the size of the thumbnail image.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting a size reduction ratio, said size reduction ratio being employed to determine the size of the thumbnail image relative to the original image.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling the user to selectively include a beveled edge around the thumbnail image.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling the user to selectively include a border around the thumbnail image.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of enabling the user to determine a color of the border.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of enabling the user to determine a pattern for the border.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag comprises an HTML tag, further comprising the step of automatically entering the HTML tag for the thumbnail image in an HTML document associated with the Web page.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of disposing another HTML tag associated with the original image in the HTML document, said HTML tag and said other HTML tag being employed to link the thumbnail image to the original image.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the original image selected by the user is already disposed in an existing Web page.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the Web page in which the thumbnail image is placed is the existing Web page.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the thumbnail image replaces the original image selected by the user in the existing Web page.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling the user to determine a position of the thumbnail image in the Web page.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing logical steps that enable a user to automatically introduce a thumbnail image into a Web page to represent an original image, said thumbnail image having a size that is substantially smaller than the original image, said logical steps comprising:

(a) enabling the user to select the original image that is to be represented by the thumbnail image;

(b) producing the thumbnail image from the selected original image;

(c) placing the thumbnail image into the Web page to represent said original image;

(d) automatically providing in the Web page a hyperlink from the thumbnail image to the original image; and

(e) enabling the user to save the Web page, the thumbnail image, and the hyperlink, said Web page including a markup tag associated with the thumbnail image so that the thumbnail image appears in the Web page when the Web page is displayed, said hyperlink enabling the original image to be retrieved and displayed if the thumbnail image is then selected in the displayed Web page and the hyperlink is activated.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the logical step of producing the thumbnail image is only enabled if the original image is greater than a predetermined size.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising the logical steps of:

(a) determining if the original image is in a desired graphics format; and

(b) if the original image is not in the desired graphics format, converting the original image to the desired graphics format.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein selecting the thumbnail image in the Web page and activating the hyperlink is enabled with a pointing device.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein activating said hyperlink causes the original image to be retrieved and displayed in place of the Web page and the thumbnail image.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising the logical step of enabling the user to select the size of the thumbnail image.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising the logical step of selecting a size reduction ratio, said size reduction ratio being employed to determine the size of the thumbnail image relative to the original image.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising the logical step of enabling the user to selectively include a beveled edge around the thumbnail image.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising the logical step of enabling the user to selectively include a border around the thumbnail image.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, further comprising the logical step of enabling the user to determine a color of the border.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, further comprising the logical step of enabling the user to determine a pattern for the border.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the tag comprises an HTML tag, further comprising the logical step of automatically entering the HTML tag for the thumbnail image in an HTML document associated with the Web page.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising the logical step of disposing another HTML tag associated with the original image in the HTML document, said HTML tag and said other HTML tag being employed to link the thumbnail image to the original image.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the original image selected by the user is already disposed in an existing Web page.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the Web page in which the thumbnail image is placed is the existing Web page.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the thumbnail image replaces the original image selected by the user in the existing Web page.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising the step of enabling the user to determine a position of the thumbnail image in the Web page.

35. A system for producing a thumbnail image representing an original image and having a size that is less than the original image, comprising:

(a) a memory for storing a plurality of machine instructions that define a software program;

(b) a display that is coupled to the processor, for displaying text and images;

(c) an operator interface that enables a user to provide input to the processor; and

(d) a processor for executing the plurality of machine instructions, causing functions to be implemented, said functions including;

(i) enabling a user to employ the operator interface to select the original image that is to be represented by the thumbnail image;

(ii) producing the thumbnail image from the selected original image;

(iii) placing the thumbnail image into the Web page to represent said original image;

(iv) automatically providing in the Web page a hyperlink from the thumbnail image to the original image; and

(v) enabling the user to save the Web page, the thumbnail image, and the hyperlink, said Web page including a markup tag associated with the thumbnail image so that the thumbnail image appears in the Web page when the Web page is displayed on the display, said hyperlink enabling the original image to be retrieved and displayed on the display if the thumbnail image is then selected in the displayed Web page and the hyperlink is activated.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the function of producing the thumbnail image is only enabled if the original image is greater than a predetermined size.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to implement the functions of:

(a) determining if the original image is in a desired graphics format; and

(b) if the original image is not in the desired graphics format, converting the original image to the desired graphics format.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein selecting the thumbnail image in the Web page and activating the hyperlink is enabled with the operating interface.

39. The system of claim 35, wherein activating said hyperlink causes the original image to be retrieved and displayed on the display in place of the Web page and the thumbnail image.

40. The system of claim 35, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to implement the function of:

enabling the user to select the size of the thumbnail image.

41. The system of claim 35, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to implement the function of:

selecting a size reduction ratio, said size reduction ratio being employed to determine the size of the thumbnail image relative to the original image.

42. The system of claim 35, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to implement the function of enabling the user to selectively include a beveled edge around the thumbnail image.

43. The system of claim 35, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to implement the function of enabling the user to selectively include a border around the thumbnail image.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to implement the function of enabling the user to determine a color of the border.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to implement the function of enabling the user to determine a pattern for the border.

46. The system of claim 35, wherein the tag comprises an HTML tag, and wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to implement the function of automatically entering the HTML tag for the thumbnail image in an HTML document associated with the Web page.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to implement the function of disposing another HTML tag associated with the original image in the HTML document, said HTML tag and said other HTML tag being employed to link the thumbnail image to the original image.

48. The system of claim 35, wherein the original image selected by the user is already disposed in an existing Web page.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the Web page in which the thumbnail image is placed is the existing Web page.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the thumbnail image replaces the original image selected by the user in the existing Web page.

51. The system of claim 35, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to implement the function of enabling the user to determine a position of the thumbnail image in the Web page.