Method and apparatus for storytelling with digital photographs

• US 7,886,228 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Wolff, Gregory J., Balabanovic, Marko, Chu, Lonny L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MYLINH T
• Application Number:
  US11/215,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20050283741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,989 Days
• Field of Search: 715/719, 715/737, 715/738, 715/780, 715/723, 715/835, 715/730, 715/838, 715/731, 715/732, 715/724, 715/716, 382/305, 358/442
• US Class Current: 715/719
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded

Abstract

A method and system for digital story authoring, viewing and storing is described. A display showing an imported story track, an authored story track, and a story-in-progress track. Each story contains one or more objects. The display also shows a large photo corresponding to a selected object in a story. Furthermore, the display also provides visual forms showing audio clips associated with the large photo displayed. The photo may have more than one associated audio clips. Control buttons are available to navigate among the three tracks and among the objects on each track. Other control buttons allow a user to record audio clips and to author new stories.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

creating, in a display area of a screen of a device, a first set of reduced graphical representations that represent a plurality of digital media objects using one or more other sets of reduced graphical representations accessible using one or more other display areas of the screen, the one or more other display areas comprising a first display area, a second display area, and a third display area;

associating audio with the first set of reduced graphical representations, such that the plurality of digital media objects and audio are capable of being played back subsequently;

displaying in the first area, a first, second, and third track, the first track displaying images that are stored on the device, the second track displaying images of authored stories, each authored story including a sequence of digital media objects selected by an individual and having audio associated with at least one of the digital media objects in the sequence, the third track displaying one or more images associated with a story being authored on the device and having audio associated with at least one of the one or more images;

displaying in the second area, a larger version of an image corresponding to a thumbnail image selected in any of the three tracks in the first area; and

displaying in the third area, a representation of one or more audio clips associated with the image being displayed in the second area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording the audio to be associated with one or more of the first set of the reduced graphical representations.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying a non-numeric graphical representation associated with the recorded audio, the non-numeric graphical representation representing a length of the recorded audio.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a list of a plurality of audio capable of being selected and associated with a digital media object.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing back the plurality of digital media objects, wherein each of the plurality of digital media objects that is associated with audio, when played back, the associated audio is played back.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of digital media objects is played back sequentially, wherein each of the plurality of digital media objects associated with an audio is played in a duration based on a length of the associated audio before advancing to a next digital media object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of digital media objects are arranged in an order specified by a user and independent of a creation time of the digital media objects.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the plurality of digital media objects as a presentation package, which when executed, the plurality of digital media objects is played back sequentially as a slideshow.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, having instructions stored therein, which when executed, cause a computer system to perform a method comprising:

creating, in a display area of a screen of a device, a first set of reduced graphical representations that represent a plurality of digital media objects using one or more other sets of reduced graphical representations accessible using one or more other display areas of the screen, the one or more other display areas comprising a first display area, a second display area, and a third display area;

associating audio with the first set of reduced graphical representations, such that the plurality of digital media objects and audio are capable of being played back subsequently;

displaying in the first area, a first, second, and third track, the first track displaying images that are stored on the device, the second track displaying images of authored stories, each authored story including a sequence of digital media objects selected by an individual and having audio associated with at least one of the digital media objects in the sequence, the third track displaying one or more images associated with a story being authored on the device and having audio associated with at least one of the one or more images;

displaying in the second area, a larger version of an image corresponding to a thumbnail image selected in any of the three tracks in the first area; and

displaying in the third area, a representation of one or more audio clips associated with the image being displayed in the second area.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises recording the audio to be associated with one or more of the first set of the reduced graphical representations.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises displaying a non-numeric graphical representation associated with the recorded audio, the non-numeric graphical representation representing a length of the recorded audio.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises displaying a list of a plurality of audio capable of being selected and associated with a digital media object.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises playing back the plurality of digital media objects, wherein each of the plurality of digital media objects that is associated with audio, when played back, the associated audio is played back.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the plurality of digital media objects is played back sequentially, wherein each of the plurality of digital media objects associated with an audio is played in a duration based on a length of the associated audio before advancing to a next digital media object.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the plurality of digital media objects are arranged in an order specified by a user and independent of a creation time of the digital media objects.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises storing the plurality of digital media objects as a presentation package, which when executed, the plurality of digital media objects is played back sequentially as a slideshow.

17. A data processing system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory for storing instructions, when executed from the memory, cause the processor to perform an operation, the operation including

creating, in a display area of a screen of a device, a first set of reduced graphical representations that represent a plurality of digital media objects using one or more other sets of reduced graphical representations accessible using one or more other display areas of the screen, the one or more other display areas comprising a first display area, a second display area, and a third display area;

associating audio with the first set of reduced graphical representations, such that the plurality of digital media objects and audio are capable of being played back subsequently;

displaying in the first area, a first, second, and third track, the first track displaying images that are stored on the device, the second track displaying images of authored stories, each authored story including a sequence of digital media objects selected by an individual and having audio associated with at least one of the digital media objects in the sequence, the third track displaying one or more images associated with a story being authored on the device and having audio associated with at least one of the one or more images;

displaying in the second area, a larger version of an image corresponding to a thumbnail image selected in any of the three tracks in the first area; and

displaying in the third area, a representation of one or more audio clips associated with the image being displayed in the second area.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

means for creating, in a display area of a screen of a device, a first set of reduced graphical representations that represent a plurality of digital media objects using one or more other sets of reduced graphical representations accessible using one or more other display areas of the screen, the one or more other display areas comprising a first display area, a second display area, and a third display area;

means for associating audio with the first set of reduced graphical representations, such that the plurality of digital media objects and audio are capable of being played back subsequently;

means for displaying in the first area, a first, second, and third track, the first track displaying images that are stored on the device, the second track displaying images of authored stories, each authored story including a sequence of digital media objects selected by an individual and having audio associated with at least one of the digital media objects in the sequence, the third track displaying one or more images associated with a story being authored on the device and having audio associated with at least one of the one or more images;

means for displaying in the second area, a larger version of an image corresponding to a thumbnail image selected in any of the three tracks in the first area; and

means for displaying in the third area, a representation of one or more audio clips associated with the image being displayed in the second area.