Albuming images

• US 7,656,543 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Atkins, Clayton Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles; Edward L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Singh; Satwant K
• Application Number:
  US10/987,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20060103891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,908 Days
• Field of Search: 358 115- 118, 715/205, 715/202, 715/247, 715/760, 345/629, 345/716, 345/835, 382/112, 382/284, 382/295, 707/104.1, 707/200
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00196 Creation of a photo-montage, e.g. photoalbum H04N1/0019 takes precedence

Abstract

Methods, machines, systems, and machine-readable media for albuming images are described. In one aspect, a first partition of a page corresponding to a first layout of a first set of images on the page is selected from a first set of candidate page partitions. Each candidate page partition corresponds to a respective layout of the first set of images on the page. In response to a user command to modify the first layout, a second partition of the page is selected. The second partition corresponds to a second layout of a second set of images on the page. In another aspect, a first layout of a first set of images is presented on a page and, in response to a user command to modify the first layout, an area in the presentation of the first layout where an image is insertable is indicated. In another aspect, a first layout of a first set of images is presented on a page and, in response to a user command to modify the first layout, sizes and positions of images in the presentation of the first layout are changed.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method of albuming images, comprising:

automatically selecting a first partition of a page corresponding to a first layout of a first set of images on the page, wherein the first page partition is selected automatically from a first set of candidate page partitions based on scores that respectively are assigned to the candidate page partitions, each of the candidate page partitions corresponds to a different respective layout in accordance with which each of the images in the first set is positioned in a different respective non-overlapping location on the page, and each of the candidate page partitions comprises a respective set of nominal size values defining respective nominal sizes of the images in the first set of images;

on a display displaying a user interface that shows a graphical representation of the first layout of the first set of images and provides user controls enabling a user to modify one or more of the images in the first layout in terms of size, shape, and position on the page;

via the user interface, receiving at least one user command to modify a selected one of the images in the first layout in at least one of size, shape, and position on the page; and

automatically selecting a second partition of the page corresponding to a second layout of a second set of images on the page in response to the user command, wherein the selecting of the second partition comprises modifying the first page partition.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the second set of images in accordance with a user command to modify the number of images in the first set of images.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising setting the second set of images equal to a union of the first set of images and a user-selected image in response to a user command to add the user-selected image to the first layout.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, in response to the user command to add the user-selected image to the first layout, the second partition is selected automatically from a second set of candidate page partitions based on scores that respectively are assigned to the candidate page partitions, and each of the candidate page partitions in the second set of candidate page partitions corresponds to a different respective layout in accordance with which each of the images in the second set of images is positioned in a different respective non-overlapping location on the page.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising setting the selected second partition equal to a modified version of the first partition that includes a division of the page for the user-selected image in response to the user command to add the user-selected image to the first layout.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising setting the second set of images equal to the first set of images minus a user-selected one of the images in the first set in response to a user command to remove the user-selected image from the first layout.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, in response to the user command to remove the user-selected image from the first layout, the second partition is selected from a second set of candidate page partitions each corresponding to a respective layout of the second set of images.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting the selected second partition equal to a modified version of the first partition in which regions of the page respectively assigned to first and second user-selected images are swapped in response to a user command to swap in the first layout locations of the first user-selected image with the second user-selected image.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting the selected second partition equal to a modified version of the first partition in which a region of the page for a user-selected image in the first partition is relocated in accordance with a user-selected location in the layout corresponding to the first partition in response to a user command to move in the first layout a location of the user-selected image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises modifying a respective one of the nominal size values of the first partition corresponding to a user-selected one of the images in the first set of images in response to a user command to resize the user-selected image.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the candidate page partitions comprises a respective set of aspect ratio values defining respective aspect ratios of the images in the first set of images, and the modifying comprises modifying a respective one of the aspect ratio values of the first partition corresponding to a user-selected one of the images in the first set of images in response to a user command to crop the user-selected image.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein each page partition is comprises a respective tree structure having leaf nodes corresponding to respective images in the partition and interior nodes corresponding to respective divisions of the page.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the modifying comprises modifying the number of leaf nodes in the tree structure of the first partition in accordance with a user command to modify the number of images in the first set of images.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the modifying comprises adding to the tree structure of the first partition a leaf node corresponding to a user-selected image in response to the user command to add the user-selected image to the first layout.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the adding comprises adding to the tree structure of the first partition a leaf node corresponding to the user-selected image at a location corresponding to a location in the first layout designated by the user.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising swapping locations of first and second leaf nodes in the tree structure of the first partition in response to a user command to swap in the first layout locations of a first user-selected one of the images in the first set corresponding to the first leaf node with a second user-selected one of the images in the first set corresponding to the second leaf node.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising relocating a given leaf node in the tree structure of the first partition in response to a user command to move in the first layout a location of a user-selected one of the images in the first set corresponding to the given leaf node.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein each leaf node is associated with a respective one of the nominal size values, and the modifying comprises modifying a nominal size value associated with a respective one of the leaf nodes corresponding to a user-selected image in response to a user command to resize the user-selected image.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein each leaf node is associated with a respective aspect ratio value defining a respective aspect ratio off a respective one of the images in the first set, and the modifying comprises modifying an aspect ratio value associated with a respective one of the leaf nodes corresponding to a user-selected image in response to a user command to crop the user-selected image.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the first layout of the first set of images in a pane of the user interface.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the user command specifies a location in the pane in which to insert a user-selected image, the selecting of the second partition comprises selecting the second partition that accommodates the image at the specified location, and further comprising indicating an area in the presentation of the first layout in the pane where the user-selected image is insertable in the first layout.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the indicating comprises highlighting the area in response to a user command dragging the user-selected image near the area.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising changing sizes and positions of images in the presentation of the first layout in response to the user command.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the user command specifies a location in the pane in which to insert a user-selected image, the selecting of the second partition comprises selecting the second partition that accommodates the image at the specified location, and further comprising indicating an area in the graphical representation of the first layout where the user-selected image is insertable in the first layout.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing sizes and positions of images in the first layout to produce the second layout of the second set of images on the page; and

displaying a graphical representation of the second layout of the second set of images in the user interface on the display.

26. A machine for albuming images, comprising at least one data processing module configured to perform operations comprising:

automatically selecting a first partition of a page corresponding to a first layout of a first set of images on the page, wherein the first page partition is selected automatically from a first set of candidate page partitions based on scores that respectively are assigned to the candidate page partitions, each of the candidate page partitions corresponds to a different respective layout in accordance with which each of the images in the first set is positioned in a different respective non-overlapping location on the page, and each of the candidate page partitions comprises a respective set of nominal size values defining respective nominal sizes of the images in the first set of images;

on a display displaying a user interface that shows a graphical representation of the first layout of the first set of images and provides user controls enabling a user to modify one or more of the images in the first layout in terms of size, shape, and position on the page;

via the user interfaces receiving at least one user command to modify a selected one of the images in the first layout in at least one of size, shape, and position on the page; and

automatically selecting a second partition of the page corresponding to a second layout of a second set of images on the page in response to the user command, wherein the selecting of the second partition comprises modifying the first page partition.

27. The machine of claim 26, wherein the at least one data processing module is configured to select the second set of images in accordance with a user command to modify the number of images in the first set of images.

28. The machine of claim 26, wherein the at least one data processing module is configured to set the selected second partition equal to a modified version of the first partition in which regions of the page respectively assigned to first and second user-elected images are swapped in response to a user command to swap in the first layout locations of the first user-selected image with the second user-selected image.

29. The machine of claim 26, wherein the at least one data processing module is configured to set the selected second partition equal to a modified version of the first partition in which a region of the page for a user-selected image in the first partition is relocated in accordance with a user-selected location in the layout corresponding to the first partition in response to a user command to move in the first layout a location of the user-selected image.

30. The machine of claim 26, wherein in the modifying the at least one data processing module is configured to perform operations comprising modifying a respective one of the nominal size values of the first partition corresponding to a user-selected one of the images in the first set of images in response to a user command to resize the user-selected image.

31. The machine of claim 26, wherein each of the candidate page partitions comprises a respective set of aspect ratio values defining respective aspect ratios of the images in the first set of images and in the modifying the at least one data processing module is configured to perform operations comprising modifying a respective one of the aspect ratio values of the first partition corresponding to a user-selected one of the images in the first set of images in response to a user command to crop the user-selected image.

32. The machine of claim 26, wherein each page partition is comprises a respective tree structure having leaf nodes corresponding to respective images in the partition and interior nodes corresponding to respective divisions of the page.

33. The machine of claim 32, wherein in the modifying the at least one data processing module is configured to perform operations comprising modifying the number of leaf nodes in the tree structure of the first partition in accordance with a user command to modify the number of images in the first set of images.

34. The machine of claim 32, wherein in the modifying the at least one data processing module is configured to perform operations comprising swapping locations of first and second leaf nodes in the tree structure of the first partition in response to a user command to swap in the first layout locations of a first user-selected one of the images in the first set corresponding to the first leaf node with a second user-selected one of the images in the first set corresponding to the second leaf node.

35. The machine of claim 32, wherein in the modifying the at least one data processing module is configured to perform operations comprising relocating a given leaf node in the tree structure of the first partition in response to a user command to move in the first layout a location of a user-selected one of the images in the first set corresponding to the given leaf node.

36. The machine of claim 32, wherein each leaf node is associated with a respective one of the nominal size values, and in the modifying the at least one data processing module is configured to perform operations comprising modifying a nominal size value associated with a respective one of the leaf nodes corresponding to a user-selected image in response to a user command to resize the user-selected image.

37. The machine of claim 32, wherein each leaf node is associated with a respective aspect ratio value defining a respective aspect ratio of a respective one of the images in the first set, and in the modifying the at least one data processing module is configured to perform operations comprising modifying an aspect ratio value associated with a respective one of the leaf nodes corresponding to a user-selected image in response to a user command to crop the user-selected image.

38. The machine of claim 26, wherein the at least one data processing module is configured to present the first layout of the first set of images in a pane of the user interface.

39. The machine of claim 38, wherein the user command specifies a location in the pane in which to insert a user-selected image and the at least one data processing module is configured to select the second partition that accommodates the image at the specified location and to indicate an area in the presentation of the first layout in the pane where the user-selected image is insertable in the first layout.

40. The machine of claim 38, wherein the at least one data processing module is configured to change sizes and positions of images in the presentation of the first layout in response to the user command.

41. A system for albuming images, comprising:

a computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions; and

a data processing unit coupled to the memory, operable to execute the instructions, and based at least in part on the execution of the instructions operable to perform operations comprising

automatically selecting a first partition of a page corresponding to a first layout of a first set of images on the page, wherein the first page partition is selected automatically from a first set of candidate page partitions based on scores that respectively are assigned to the candidate page partitions, each of the candidate page partitions corresponds to a different respective layout in accordance with which each of the images in the first set is positioned in a different respective non-overlapping location on the page, and each of the candidate pane partitions comprises a respective set of nominal size values defining respective nominal sizes of the images in the first set of images,

on a display displaying a user interface that shows a graphical representation of the first layout of the first set of images and provides user controls enabling a user to modifying one or more of the images in the first layout in terms of size, shape, and position on the page,

via the user interface, receiving at least one user command to modify a selected one of the images in the first layout in at least one of size, shape, and position on the page, and

automatically selecting a second partition of the page corresponding to a second layout of a second set of images on the page in response to the user command, wherein the selecting of the second partition comprises modifying the first page partition.

42. At least one machine-readable medium storing machine-readable instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

automatically selecting a first partition of a page corresponding to a first layout of a first set of images on the page, wherein the first page partition is selected automatically from a first set of candidate page partitions based on scores that respectively are assigned to the candidate page partitions, each of the candidate page partitions corresponds to a different respective layout in accordance with which each of the images in the first set is positioned in a different respective non-overlapping location on the page, and each of the candidate page partitions comprises a respective set of nominal size values defining respective nominal sizes of the images in the first set of images;

on a display displaying a user interface that shows a graphical representation of the first layout of the first set of images and provides user controls enabling a user to modify one or more of the images in the first layout in terms of size, shape, and position on the page;

via the user interfaces receiving at least one user command to modify a selected one of the images in the first layout in at least one of size, shape, and position on the page; and

automatically selecting a second partition of the page corresponding to a second layout of a second set of images on the page in response to the user command, wherein the selecting of the second partition comprises modifying the first pane partition.