Method, apparatus, and computer program product for generating, from first information for a first image, second information for a second image corresponding to a portion of the first image

• US 6,806,888 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2002
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhogal, Kulvir Singh, Ishmael, Nizamudeen Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Po Wei
• Application Number:
  US10/046,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20030132948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 345/660, 345/723, 345/800, 345/823, 348/561, 348/794
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

In one aspect and form of the invention, a converter receives first visual information from a computer system. The first visual information is conventionally used for generating an image for a first display element. The converter receives first selection data from the computer system identifying at least a first portion of the image, and generates second visual information for generating a second image for a second display element. The second image corresponds to the first portion of the first image. The size of the second image relative to the second display element is controllable by a user and may be selected to be different than the size of the selected portion of the first image relative to the entire first image or relative to the first display element. For example, the second image may be of a size corresponding to the size of substantially the entire second display element.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a computer system having a first display element operable for displaying a first image on the display element for viewing by a first user, wherein the computer system provides an interface far receiving from the user selections of one or more portions of the image for displaying to an audience on respective one or more audience display elements, wherein the entire first image is displayed in view of the first user and only the selected portions are displayed in view of an audience;

a converter, wherein the computer system is operable to send to the converter first information for the first display element image and selection data identifying the portions of the image, and the converter is operable to responsively generate second information for one or more audience display element images corresponding to the user-selected one or more portions of the first image, and wherein the computer system is operable to receive user selections of scaling for the respective audience display element images and responsively send scaling information to the converter, the converter being operable to selectively scale the audience display element images so that the audience display element image sizes relative to the audience display elements may be different than the respective sizes of the selected portions of the first image relative to the entire first image or relative to the first display element, wherein the selections of portions of the image include selections identifying a window of the first image and, wherein the computer system is operable to include, in the first display element image information sent to the converter, supplemental information such that, responsive to a portion of such a selected window being obscured in its first user display element image by another window in the first image, the selected window'"'"'s audience display element image includes the obscured portion of the first window.

2. A method comprising the steps of:

displaying a first image on a display element of a computer system for viewing by a first user;

receiving, from the user, selections of one or more portions of the image;

displaying the one or more portions to an audience on respective one or more audience display elements, wherein the entire first image is displayed in view of the first user and only the selected portions are displayed in view of audience;

sending, to a converter from the computer system, first information for the first display element image and selection data identifying the portions of the image;

generating at least second information by the converter for one or more audience display element images corresponding to the user-selected one or more portions of the first image; and

scaling the audience display element images selectively by the converter, so that the audience display element image sizes relative to the audience display elements may be different than the respective sizes of the selected portions of the first image relative to the entire first image or relative to the first display element, wherein the selections of portions of the image include selections identifying a window of the first image and the step of sending first information includes the step of;

sending supplemental information to the converter such that, responsive to a portion of such a selected window being obscured in its first user display element image by another window in the first image, the selected window'"'"'s audience display element image includes the obscured portion of the first window.

3. A computer program product comprising:

instructions for displaying a first image on a first display element for viewing by a first user;

instructions for receiving user inputs including at least one input selecting one or more portions of the first image;

instructions for sending first information to a converter for generating the first display element image; and

instructions for sending first selection data to the converter, responsive to the at least one input, identifying the selected portions of the first image, wherein the converter generates information for one or more audience display element images corresponding to the user-selected one or more portions of the first image and selectively scales the audience display element images, so that the audience display element image sizes relative to the audience display elements may be different than the respective sizes of the selected portions of the first image relative to the entire first image or relative to the first display element, and wherein the entire first image is displayed in view of the first user and only the selected portions are displayed in view of an audience, wherein the selections of portions of the image include selections identifying a window of the first image and the instructions for sending first information include;

instructions for sending supplemental information to the converter such that, responsive to a portion of such a selected window being obscured in its first user display element image by another window in the first image, the selected window'"'"'s audience display element image includes the obscured portion of the first window.