System and method for sequencing media objects

• US 7,593,015 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2003
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Wireless Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Rao, Sumita
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung; Kee M
• Assistant Examiner(s): PRENDERGAST, ROBERTA D
• Application Number:
  US10/713,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20050104886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,139 Days
• Field of Search: 345/473, 345/474, 345/475, 345/501
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

A method of displaying a long animation is provided. The animation is defined in an animation file, which identifies a set of images that form the animation when sequentially displayed. A batch processor segments the set of images into sequential subsets, with each subset sized smaller than a maximum size. In this way, all of the images identified in a particular subset may be loaded into memory. Each subset of images is associated with a respective segment identifier, and an instruction is provided along with the images to order the subsets. In this way, a first subset of images provides for the loading of a second subset of images, thereby enabling the display of long animations.

Claims

1. A method for displaying an animation on a mobile phone having a processor, a memory and a display screen, comprising:

enabling the processor to perform as a batch processor and as an animation engine;

receiving an instruction to display an animation file on the mobile phone, the animation file comprising,

a plurality of images ordered for sequential display,

a file identifier that indicates a file name for each image,

a file format descriptor that indicates the stored format for each image,

a file size indicator that provides a file size for each image;

retrieving the animation file responsive to the instruction with the batch processor, wherein the batch processor extracts the file identifier for each image, the file format descriptor for each image, and the file size indicator for each image;

predetermining a maximum memory size based on the memory corresponding to the mobile phone, the maximum memory size corresponding to a maximum amount of memory usable to load each set of images;

generating a first set of images with the batch processor, in which the file size of each image aggregates to a size up to the predetermined maximum memory size, the first set of images having a file identifier and a final image;

generating a second set of the images with the batch processor, in which the file size of each image aggregates to a size up to the predetermined maximum memory size, the images in the second set being in sequence behind the final image;

associating a callback identifier with the second set of images;

providing the callback identifier along with the first set of images;

loading the first set of images into the memory readable by the animation engine;

displaying sequentially, using the image order in the animation file, each image in the first set of images;

retrieving the callback identifier provided with the first set of images;

using the callback identifier to load the second set of images into the memory; and

displaying sequentially, using the image order in the animation file, each image in the second set of images.

2. The method for displaying an animation according to claim 1, wherein each of the images are stored as individual graphics files.

3. The method for displaying an animation according to claim 1, wherein the maximum size is set to further correspond to a number of images.

4. The method for displaying an animation according to claim 1, wherein the maximum size is set at a predetermined memory size for an embedded system.

5. The method for displaying an animation according to claim 1, wherein the maximum size is generated responsive to an inquiry regarding available memory.

6. The method for displaying an animation according to claim 1 wherein the associating step includes using the callback identifier as a name for the second set of images.

7. The method for displaying an animation according to claim 1 wherein the associating step includes placing the callback identifier as data in the second set of images.

8. The method for displaying an animation according to claim 1 wherein providing the callback identifier includes using the callback identifier as part of a name for the first set of images.

9. The method for displaying an animation according to claim 1 wherein providing the callback identifier includes placing the callback identifier as data in the first set of images.

10. The method for displaying an animation according to claim 1 wherein the second set of images are being loaded into the animation processor while the images in the first set are being displayed.

11. A method of generating animation segment files on a mobile phone having a processor, a memory and display screen, comprising:

enabling the processor to perform as a batch processor and as an animation engine;

receiving an animation file for the mobile phone, wherein the animation file comprises

a plurality of images ordered for sequential display,

a file identifier that indicates a file name for each image,

a file format descriptor that indicates the stored format for each image,

a file size indicator that provides a file size for each image;

retrieving the animation file responsive to an instruction with the batch processor, wherein the batch processor extracts the file identifier for each image, the file format descriptor for each image, and the file size indicator for each image

predetermining a maximum memory size based on the memory corresponding to the mobile phone, the maximum memory size corresponding to a maximum amount of memory usable to load each set of images;

dividing the set of images into sequential subsets of images with the batch processor, in which the file size of each image aggregates to size up to the maximum memory size, wherein each subset of images includes the file identifier for each image and each image is ordered consistent with the animation file;

associating a subset identifier with each respective subset of images;

associating an action instruction with each respective subset of images;

wherein the action instruction associated with one subset identifies another one of the subsets; and

displaying sequentially each image in the subset of images consistent with the animation file.

12. The method of generating animation segment files according to claim 11, wherein the maximum size further corresponds to a number of images of known size.

13. The method of generating animation segment files according to claim 11, wherein the maximum size is set to a memory size derived from an amount currently usable for loading images.

14. The method of generating animation segment files according to claim 11, wherein an action instruction is used to identify the last subset.

15. A method of displaying an animation on a mobile phone having a processor, a memory and a display screen, comprising:

causing the processor to perform as a batch processor and as an animation engine;

receiving an instruction to display the animation file on the mobile phone, the animation file comprising

a set of sequential images,

a file identifier that indicates a file name for each image,

a file format descriptor that indicates the stored format for each image,

a file size indicator that provides a file size for each image;

retrieving the animation file responsive to the instruction with the batch processor, wherein the batch processor extracts the file identifier for each image, the file format descriptor for each image, and the file size indicator for each image;

predetermining a maximum memory size for each segment file based on the memory corresponding to the mobile phone, the maximum memory size corresponding to a maximum amount of memory usable to load images for each segment file;

generating a first segment file with the batch processor, the first segment file configured to aggregate to a size up to the predetermined maximum memory size based on the file size of each image, the first segment file having a final image;

generating a second segment file with the batch processor, the second segment file configured to aggregate up to the predetermined maximum memory size based on the file size of each image, the second segment file being in sequence behind the final image;

retrieving the first segment file with the animation engine, the first segment file identifying a first subset of the images;

loading the first subset of images into the memory and sequentially displaying the images in the first subset of images;

extracting a callback instruction associated with the first segment file with the animation engine, the callback instruction identifying the second segment file;

releasing the memory holding at least one of the images in the first subset of images;

retrieving the second segment file with the animation engine, the second segment file identifying a second subset of the images; and

loading the second subset of images into the memory and sequentially displaying the images in the second subset of images.

16. The method of displaying an animation according to claim 15, wherein loading the second subset is initiated before all the images in the first subset have been displayed.