Previewing and manipulating a framed image print

• US 7,190,370 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2000
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shutterfly, LLC
• Original Assignee: Shutterfly Incorporated (Shutterfly, LLC)
• Inventors: Haeberli, Paul, Skidgel, John
• Primary Examiner(s): YANG, RYAN R
• Application Number:
  US09/721,437
• Time in Patent Office: 2,302 Days
• Field of Search: 345/582, 345/440, 345/581, 345/619, 345/629, 382/112, 709/250, 707/517, 707/526
• US Class Current: 345/582
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

An apparatus and method of generating a visual representation of an image based product. Where the image based product is a picture image, the method produces a framed prototype image showing the picture image framed within a frame. The method includes providing a frame image showing the frame in a perspective view. The frame image has a picture portion corresponding to the portion of the frame used to view a picture mounted in the frame. The method includes mapping the picture image to the picture portion of the frame image in order to generate the frame prototype image. The method also includes presenting an enhanced edit set along with the frame prototype image. The enhanced edit set includes user manipulatable tools for editing either the picture or the frame in the perspective view.

Claims

1. A method of generating a frame prototype image showing a picture image framed within a frame, the method comprising:

providing a frame image showing the frame in a perspective view, the frame image having a picture portion corresponding to the portion of the frame used to view a picture mounted in the frame;

mapping the picture image to the picture portion of the frame image using the illumination of the picture portion of the frame image in order to generate the frame prototype image wherein the perspective frame image is not shown in a head-on view; and

providing an enhanced edit set along with the frame image, the enhanced edit set including user manipulatable tools for editing either the picture or the frame in the perspective view.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a picture portion of the frame image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the picture portion of the frame image includes providing a mat identifying the picture portion of the frame image.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mat includes a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a pixel value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the picture portion of the frame image includes setting each pixel in the mat that corresponds to the picture portion of the frame image to a first pixel value.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the picture portion of the frame image includes identifying the outer perimeter of the picture portion of the fame image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the picture portion of the fame image has a quadrilateral shape and the method further includes identifying the picture portion of the frame image including identifying the four corners of the picture portion.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the frame prototype image.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping the picture image to the picture portion of the frame image includes texture mapping the picture image to the picture portion of the frame image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the frame image is captured using a digital camera.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the enhanced image set includes a cropping tool and the method includes

cropping the picture in accordance with user instructions;

and

presenting the cropped picture in the picture portion of the frame image.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced image set includes a border tool and the method includes

adjusting the border of the picture in accordance with user instructions;

and

presenting the picture including new border in the picture portion of the frame image.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced image set includes an effects tool and the method includes

applying an effect to the picture in accordance with user instructions;

and

presenting the picture including selected effect in the picture portion of the frame image.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising selecting the effect from the group consisting of black &

white, soft focus, color tone and saturate.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the effect applied is color tone and the method further comprises

receiving color tone adjustment data and presenting a color tone adjusted picture in the picture portion of the frame.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced image set includes a rotation tool and the method includes

rotating the frame in accordance with user instructions;

and

presenting the rotated famed in the framed image.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced image set includes a rotation tool and the method includes

rotating the picture image in the frame in accordance with user instructions;

and

presenting the rotated picture image in the frame of the framed image.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced image set includes a border tool aid the method includes

receiving a border width selection;

adjusting the border width of the picture image in accordance with the border width selection; and

presenting the picture image including adjusted border in the framed image.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced image set includes a frame adjustment button and the method includes

receiving a frame size selection;

changing a size of the frame in the perspective view in accordance with the frame size selection;

mapping the picture image to a picture portion of the new size frame; and

presenting the picture image in the framed image.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced image set includes a trimming tool and the method includes

trimming the picture image in accordance with user instructions;

and

presenting the trimmed picture image in the frame of the framed image.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced image set includes a delight me tool and the method includes

activating the delight me tool upon user request;

automatically selecting a feature or effect to apply to the framed image;

applying the selected feature to the framed image; and

presenting the framed image.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of automatically selecting a feature includes randomly selecting a feature.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of automatically selecting a feature or effect includes selecting a feature or effect to apply to the picture image.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of automatically selecting a feature or effect includes selecting a feature or effect to apply to the frame.

25. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, for generating a frame prototype image showing a picture image framed within a frame, comprising instructions operable to cause a computer to:

receive the picture image;

store a frame image showing the frame in a perspective view and a mat identifying the picture portion of the frame image;

map the picture image to the picture portion of the frame image using the illumination of the picture portion of the frame image in order to generate the frame prototype image wherein the frame image is not shown in a head-on view; and

provide an enhanced edit set along with the frame prototype image, the enhanced edit set including user manipulatable tools for editing either the picture or the frame in the perspective view.

26. A system for generating a frame prototype image showing a picture image framed within a frame, the system comprising:

a client computer in communication with a computer network;

a server, in communication with a computer network, having server software embodied in a computer-readable medium, the server software comprising instructions operable to cause the server to;

receive the picture image from the client computer;

store a frame image showing the frame in a perspective view and a mat identifying the picture portion of the frame image;

map the picture image to the picture portion of the frame image using the illumination of the picture portion of the frame image in order to generate the frame prototype image wherein the frame image is not shown in a head-on view; and

present an enhanced edit set along with the frame prototype image, the enhanced edit set including user manipulatable tools for editing either the picture or the frame in the perspective view; and

wherein the client computer includes client software embodied in a computer-readable medium, the client software comprising instructions operable to cause the client computer to upload the picture image to the server.