Viewing digital images using a floating controller

• US 7,719,548 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ubillos, Randy, Perrodin, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): Amini; Javid A
• Application Number:
  US12/415,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20090187858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 345/684
• US Class Current: 345/684
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A method and apparatus for viewing one or more images using a floating controller is provided. A collection of digital images may be managed using a digital image system that displays images using a floating controller. While a pointer is over the floating controller, the floating controller is continuously displayed, but when the pointer is moved off the floating controller, a period of time during which no user input of any type is tracked. If, while the pointer is off the toolbar, an idle period exceeds a predetermined threshold duration, then the floating controller is hidden. A set of images of a bounded sequence of images may be displayed on the floating controller. A visual indication that indicates whether a particular image in the set of images is either the first or last image in the bounded sequence may be displayed on each image of the set of images.

Claims

1. A method for viewing, on a portion of a display, a sequence of items, the method comprising:

displaying on the portion of the display, in a scrollable sequence, one or more items from the sequence of items;

receiving user input to perform a scroll operation to scroll through the sequence of items;

in response to receiving the user input;

determining that the scroll operation will cause a particular item, which was not displayed on the portion of the display prior to receiving the user input, to be displayed on the portion of the display;

determining whether the particular item is an end item, wherein an end item is an item that is at either end of the sequence of items;

if the particular item is an end item, then displaying the particular item without a visual indicator; and

if the particular item is not an end item, then displaying the particular item with the visual indicator;

wherein the steps of receiving, determining, and displaying are performed by a computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the portion of the display is a toolbar.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the particular item with the visual indicator includes at least one of:

shading a particular portion of the particular item;

displaying shading adjacent to the particular item;

changing a color of the particular item;

labeling the particular item;

or

displaying an icon on top of the particular item.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to receiving the user input to perform the scroll operation to scroll through the sequence of items, ceasing to display one item on the portion of the display.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence of items is displayed between two endpoints of the portion of the display, and the particular item is displayed at a location on an endpoint of the portion of the display.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein an association indicator is displayed on the display to indicate that two displayed items of the sequence of items are part of a same group, a same stack, or a same version set.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, on a first screen, a first enlarged image that corresponds to a first item of the sequence of items;

displaying, on a second screen or the first screen, a second enlarged image that corresponds to a second item of the sequence of items;

receiving selective user input to select a third item of the sequence of items; and

in response to receiving the selective user input, ceasing to display the second enlarged image, and displaying, in place of the second enlarged image, a third enlarged image that corresponds to the third item.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first item is a pick image of a group, stack, or version set, and the third item belongs to a same group, stack, or version set as the first item.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a control on the portion of the display allows for receiving additional user entry to indicate a rating value for an indicated item displayed on the portion of the display.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving additional user input, through a control on the portion of the display, that specifies a threshold rating value; and

in response to receiving the additional user input;

displaying, on the portion of the display, only items from the sequence of items that have a rating value above the threshold rating value.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving additional user input, through a control on the portion of the display, that specifies a specific rating value; and

in response to receiving the additional user input;

displaying, on the portion of the display, only items from the sequence of items that have a rating value equal to the specific rating value.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving additional user input that specifies one or more search terms; and

for each particular search term of the one or more search terms;

if the particular search term is associated with an associated item, of the sequence of items, then displaying, on a screen, the associated item that is associated with the particular search term.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving second additional user input that selects the item associated with the particular search term; and

in response to receiving the second additional user input, displaying all items, of the sequence of items, that are associated with the particular search term.

14. A volatile or non-volatile medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 1.

15. A volatile or non-volatile medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 7.

16. A volatile or non-volatile medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 9.

17. A volatile or non-volatile medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 10.

18. A volatile or non-volatile medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 12.

19. A volatile or non-volatile medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 13.

20. A computer-implemented method for viewing a bounded sequence of items, comprising:

a computing device displaying, on a screen, a toolbar with two ends;

the computing device displaying on the toolbar one or more items from the bounded sequence of items,

wherein the one or more items are arranged in a sequentially ordered display;

the computing device receiving user input to scroll through the bounded sequence of items,

wherein the user input either indicates to scroll towards a beginning item of the bounded sequence of items or indicates to scroll towards an end item of the bounded sequence of items; and

in response to receiving the user input to scroll through the bounded sequence of items, the computing device performing;

displaying a visual indicator on a displayed item of the bounded sequence of items if and only if (a) the displayed item is not the beginning item, (b) the displayed item is not the end item, and (c) the displayed item is displayed at one of the two ends of the toolbar.

21. A volatile or non-volatile medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 20.