Method and apparatus for displaying images on mobile devices

• US 6,684,087 B1
• Filed: 05/07/1999
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Openwave Systems Incorporated (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Yu, Francis H., Cormia, Neil J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): LELE, TANMAY S
• Application Number:
  US09/306,750
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412, 455/414, 455/418, 455/419, 455/566, 455/556, 455/557, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 455/414.2, 455/414.4, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 345/660, 345/667, 345/668, 701/200, 701/208, 701/218, 701/211
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4092 Image resolution transcoding, e.g. by using client-server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33328 Resolution

Abstract

According to the principles disclosed herein, an image requested by a mobile device is first processed in a server device. In accordance with a set of parameters about the screen of the mobile device, the requested image is transformed to a reduced version that fits well into the screen. In addition, the reduced version is inherently divided into a number of subareas, each embedded a link to a detailed version thereof and associated with one of the keys in the mobile device. When the reduced version is, displayed on the mobile device, a user decides to view an area that falls into one of the subareas, a corresponding key is activated. A new request including the link is send to the server device that consequently sends out the detailed version. Similary, the detailed version is inherently divided into the same number of subareas. As a result, all parts in the original image can be recursively viewed.

Claims

1. A method for recursively displaying on a screen of a mobile device an image having dimensions much larger than the dimension of the screen;

the method comprises;

displaying on the screen of the mobile device a reduced image forwarded from a server device, the reduced image transformed from the image with respect to a set of parameters associated with the screen;

generating a new request when a key in the mobile device corresponding to a subarea in the reduced image is activated; and

receiving a detailed image of the subarea from the server device when the server device renders the new request.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

generating a request to fetch the image from a data network;

the request comprising a device identifier identifying the mobile device; and

sending the request to the server device through a wireless network.

3. The method as recited in claim 2;

wherein the image is originated from a web site coupled to the data network; and

wherein the server device is coupled between the wireless network and the data network.

4. The method as recited in claim 1;

further comprising;

displaying on the screen the detailed image, wherein the detailed image is inherently divided into a number of subareas, each of the subareas associated with a hyperlink to another detailed image thereof.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the mobile device has a plurality of keys, each corresponding to one of the subareas, an activation of one of the keys invoking the hyperlink to request the another detailed image.

6. The method as recited in claim 5;

wherein the mobile device is a cellular telephone.

7. The method as recited in claim 1;

wherein the set of parameters include dimensions and resolution information about the screen of the mobile device.

8. The method as recited in claim 7;

wherein the reduced image is transformed to fit in the screen of the mobile device.

9. The method as recited in claim 8;

wherein the mobile device has a plurality of keys; and

wherein the reduced image is inherently and equally divided into a number of subareas, each associated with a hyperlink to a detailed version thereof and corresponding to one of the keys, an activation of one of the keys invoking the hyperlink to receive the detailed version.

10. A method for recursively displaying on a screen of a mobile device an image having dimensions much larger than the dimension of the screen;

the method comprises;

displaying on the screen of the mobile device a reduced image forwarded from a server device, the reduced image being inherently and equally divided into a number of subareas, each of the subareas embedded with a hyperlink to a detailed version thereof and associated with one of keys of the mobile device;

generating a new request in response to an activation of one of the keys for the detailed version;

the new request comprising a device identifier identifying the mobile device; and

receiving the detailed version from the server device after the server device renders the new request.

11. The method as recited in claim 10;

wherein the reduced is transformed from the image by the server device according to a set of parameters about the screen of the mobile device.

12. The method as recited in claim 11;

wherein the mobile device is a cellular telephone and a keypad thereof comprises the keys.

13. The method as recited in claim 11;

wherein the mobile device is a palm-sized computer and the keys are displayed on the screen for a user to activate.

14. A method for recursively displaying on a screen of a mobile device an image having dimensions much larger than the dimension of the screen;

the mobile device having a keypad including a number of keys;

the method comprises;

displaying on the screen of the mobile device a reduced image forwarded from a server device, the reduced image being inherently and equally divided into a number of subareas, each of the subareas embedded with a hyperlink to a detailed version thereof;

moving a cursor in response to an activation of one of the keys to one of the subareas;

generating a new request;

the new request comprising the hyperlink to the detailed version of the one of the subareas; and

sending the new request to the server device to receive the detailed version therefrom after the server device renders the new request.

15. The method as recited in claim 14;

wherein the keypad comprises 10 numeric keys, of which four are designated to move the cursor, respectively, upward, downward, leftward and rightward.

16. The method as recited in claim 15;

wherein the mobile device is cellular telephone communicating with the server device through a wireless network and the server device receives the image from the Internet.

17. A method for recursively displaying on a screen of a mobile device an image having dimensions much larger than the dimension of the screen, the mobile device having a keypad including a number of keys;

the method comprises;

fetching the image from a resource on a landnet according to a request from the mobile device;

the request comprising an address identifier identifying the resource;

generating from the image an image hierarchy starting with a reduced image equally divided into a number of subareas, each of the subareas pointing to a detailed version thereof; and

forwarding the reduced image to the mobile device for display.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

receiving the request from the mobile device through a wireless network;

the request further comprising a device identifier identifying the mobile device; and

consulting an account manager to determine if the mobile device is authenticated by examining the device identifier.

19. The method as recited in claim 18;

wherein the generating from the image an image hierarchy comprises;

reducing dimensions of the image to the reduced image in accordance to a set of parameters about the mobile device provided by the account manager;

wherein one of the parameters indicates the number of keys that can respectively activate the subareas; and

generating from the image with respect to the reduced image the detailed version of each of the subareas.

20. The method as recited in claim 19;

the method further comprising;

forwarding the detailed version of one of the subareas when a new request is received from the mobile device;

wherein the new request is generated when one of the keys corresponding to the one of the subareas in the reduced image being displayed is activated.

21. The method as recited in claim 20;

wherein the new request comprises a hyperlink to the detailed version.

22. The method as recited in claim 17;

wherein each of the subareas is further inherently and equally divided into a number of areas, each pointing to a detailed version thereof.

23. A method for recursively displaying on a screen of a mobile device an image having dimensions much larger than the dimension of the screen, the mobile device having a keypad including a number of keys;

the method comprises;

fetching the image from a resource on a landnet according to a request from the mobile device;

the request comprising an address identifier identifying the resource;

generating from the image a reduced image equally divided into a number of subareas, each of the subareas being provided a hyperlink; and

forwarding the reduced image to the mobile device for display.

24. The method as recited in claim 23;

further comprising;

generating from the image with respect to the reduced image a detailed version of one of the subareas when a new request is received;

wherein the new request is generated when one of the keys corresponding to the one of the subareas in the reduced image being displayed is activated.

25. The method as recited in claim 24;

further comprising;

forwarding the detailed version to the mobile device for display thereon.

26. The method as recited in claim 23;

wherein the mobile device is coupled to a wireless data network; and

said method further comprising;

receiving the request from the wireless data network; and

forward the request to the resource on the landnet.

27. An apparatus for recursively displaying on a screen thereof an image having dimensions much larger than the dimension of the screen, the apparatus comprises:

an input means;

a memory for storing code for a client module; and

a processor coupled to the memory executing the code in the memory to cause the client module to;

display on the screen a reduced image forwarded from a server device, the reduced image transformed from the image with respect to a set of parameters associated with the screen;

generate a new request when a key in the input means corresponding to a subarea in the reduced image is activated; and

receive a detailed image of the subarea from the server device when the server device renders the new request.

28. The apparatus as recited in claim 27;

wherein the set of parameters include dimensions and resolution information about the screen; and

wherein the reduced image is transformed to just fit in the screen.

29.The apparatus as recited in claim 28;

wherein the input means is a phone keypad.

29. The apparatus as recited in claim 28;

wherein the input means is soft keys displayed in the screen.

30. An apparatus for recursively displaying on a screen of a mobile device an image having dimensions much larger than the dimension of the screen;

the mobile device having a keypad including a number of keys;

the apparatus comprises;

a memory for storing code for a server module; and

a processor coupled to the memory executing the code in the memory to cause the server module to;

fetch the image from a resource on a landnet according to a request from the mobile device;

the request comprising an address identifier identifying the resource;

generate from the image an image hierarchy starting with a reduced image equally divided into a number of subareas, each of the subareas pointing to a detailed version thereof; and

forward the reduced image top the mobile device for display.

31. The apparatus as recited in claim 31;

wherein each of the subareas is further inherently and equally divided into a number of areas, each pointing to a detailed version thereof.

32. The apparatus as recited in claim 31;

the request further comprising a device identifier identifying the mobile device; and

wherein the processor further causes the server module to;

consult an account manager to determine if the mobile device is authenticated by examining the device identifier;

reduce dimensions of the image to the reduced image in accordance to a set of parameters about the mobile device provided by the account manager;

wherein one of the parameters indicates the number of keys that can respectively activate the subareas; and

generate from the image with respect to the reduced image the detailed version of each of the subareas.

33. An apparatus for recursively displaying on a screen of a mobile device an image having dimensions much larger than the dimension of the screen;

the mobile device having a keypad including a number of keys;

the apparatus comprises;

a memory for storing code for a server module; and

a processor coupled to the memory executing the code in the memory to cause the server module to;

fetch the image from a resource on a landnet according to a request from the mobile device;

the request comprising an address identifier identifying the resource;

generate from the image a reduced image equally divided into a number of subareas, each of the subareas being provided a hyperlink; and

forward the reduced image to the mobile device for display.

34. The apparatus as recited in claim 34;

wherein the processor further causes the server module to;

generate from the image with respect to the reduced image a detailed version of one of the subareas when a new request is received;

wherein the new request is generated when one of the keys corresponding to the one of the subareas in the reduced image being displayed is activated;

forward the detailed version to the mobile device for display thereon.

35. The apparatus as recited in claim 35;

wherein the mobile device is coupled to a wireless data network; and

wherein the request is received from the wireless data network.