Overlaid graphical user interface and method for image processing

• US 7,602,968 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nik Software, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kokemohr, Nils
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi; Amir
• Application Number:
  US11/279,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20060170707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 345/629, 345/581, 345/582, 345/619, 345/620, 345/630, 345/639, 345/650, 345/671, 348/333.02, 382/162, 382/165, 382/214, 382/219, 382/220, 382/221, 382/254, 382/260, 382/263, 382/284, 358/1.9, 358/296, 358/401, 358/443, 358/448, 358/450, 715/777, 715/808, 715/839, 715/856, 715/814
• US Class Current: 382/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/12 Classification; Matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/18 Image warping, e.g. rearranging pixels individually
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/00 Image enhancement or restoration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/90 Dynamic range modification of images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/622 with simulation on a subsidiary picture reproducer

Abstract

A graphical user interface for execution on a computer for image processing of a digital image, and method, in which an input interface is overlaid on the digital image and visually connected to the coordinates of one or more pixels to be processed. A graphical icon, such as a circle, may be overlaid on the neighborhood of the pixels to be processed. The input interface may comprise one or more sliders, to receive user input of values, such as weights, to be used for image processing of the one or more pixels.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface embodied on a computer-readable medium for execution on a computer for image processing of a digital image, the digital image comprising individual pixels each having coordinates within the digital image and each pixel having image characteristics, the graphical user interface comprising:

a graphical icon overlaid on the digital image at the coordinates of one or more pixels, where the image characteristics of the one or more pixels are used as inputs for image processing of the digital image; and

a menu overlaid on the digital image and graphically linked to the graphical icon, to receive user input for image processing of the digital image.

2. The user interface of claim 1, where the menu is contained in a floating dialog box.

3. The user interface of claim 1, where the coordinates of the one or more pixels are the coordinates of a defined image reference point.

4. The user interface of claim 1, where the menu comprises one or more sliders.

5. The user interface of claim 1, where the menu comprises one or more buttons.

6. The user interface of claim 1, where the menu inputs are weights to be used in image processing of the digital image.

7. The user interface of claim 1, where the digital image comprises data acquired by a digital camera.

8. A graphical user interface embodied on a computer-readable medium for execution on a computer for image processing of a digital image, the digital image comprising individual pixels each having coordinates within the digital image and each pixel having image characteristics, the graphical user interface comprising:

a graphical icon overlaid on the digital image at the coordinates of one or more pixels, where the image characteristics of the one or more pixels are used as inputs for image processing of the digital image; and

a set of one or more objects overlaid on the digital image and visually connected to the graphical icon, the set comprising one or more sliders, to receive user input of weights to be used for image processing of the digital image.

9. The user interface of claim 8, where the coordinates of the one or more pixels are the coordinates of a defined image reference point.

10. The user interface of claim 8, where the set is contained in an opaque dialog box.

11. The user interface of claim 8, where the graphical icon is a circle.

12. The user interface of claim 8, where the digital image comprises data acquired by a digital camera.

13. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display, a selection device, and an input interface comprising one or more input objects for receiving user input, a method for receiving user input for image processing of a digital image comprising individual pixels each having coordinates within the digital image and each pixel having image characteristics, the method comprising:

retrieving one or more input entries from the input interface, each of the one or more input entries representing an input value to be used for image processing of the digital image;

displaying the input interface overlaid on the digital image;

displaying a visual link overlaid on the digital image, from the input interface to the neighborhood of one or more pixels of the digital image, where the image characteristics of the one or more pixels are used as inputs for image processing of the digital image;

receiving an input signal indicative of the selection of an input value; and

in response to the input signal, processing the one or more pixels of the digital image as a function of the received input value.

14. The method of claim 13, where one or more of the input objects are sliders.

15. The method of claim 13, where the input interface is displayed in an opaque graphic window.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying a graphical icon overlaid on the digital image, in the neighborhood of the one or more pixels of the digital image to be processed.

17. The method of claim 13, where the graphical icon is a circle.

18. The method of claim 13, where the neighborhood contains a defined image reference point.

19. The method of claim 13, where the input value is a weighting value.

20. The method of claim 13, where the digital image comprises data acquired by a digital camera.