Systems and methods for networked, in-context, high resolution image viewing

• US 7,991,837 B1
• Filed: 11/24/2010
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Opus Medical, Inc. (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: CME Advantage, Inc.
• Inventors: Tahan, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH CHAU
• Application Number:
  US12/954,269
• Time in Patent Office: 251 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/219, 345/660, 345/641, 348/231, 348/240.3
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for viewing portions of an image in high resolution and in context with a full image, which is displayed at a base resolution that is lower resolution than the resolution of the high-resolution image. A user can select an area of interest from the base-resolution image for viewing at a higher resolution on the client device. The server, or in some implementations the client device, can generate a high-resolution image representing the area of interest and the client device can display a portion of the high-resolution image in a virtual lens overlaid on the base-resolution image.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for displaying a portion of a high-resolution image in the context of a base-resolution image, wherein one or more processors are programmed to perform the steps comprising:

receiving a request to view an image at a client device;

sending a request to a server over a network for a base-resolution image that corresponds to the requested image;

receiving the base-resolution image from the server over the network;

displaying the base-resolution image on a display of the client device;

receiving a request to display an area of interest of the base-resolution image in high resolution;

sending a request to the server over the network for a high-resolution image that corresponds to the base-resolution image;

receiving the high-resolution image from the server over the network; and

displaying a portion of the high-resolution image corresponding to the area of interest as an overlay of the base-resolution image at a location that corresponds to the area of interest, wherein the overlay comprises a virtual lens, wherein displaying the portion of the high-resolution image corresponding to the area of interest further comprises

determining whether at least a portion of the virtual lens would be outside a border of the base-resolution image if the virtual lens were rendered centered over the area of interest; and

if at least a portion of the virtual lens would be outside a border of the base-resolution image, determining an offset location for the virtual lens where the virtual lens would not be outside of the border of the base-resolution image; and

rendering the virtual lens such that the virtual lens and the portion of the high-resolution image displayed within the virtual lens is centered over the offset location;

tracking movements of a cursor controlled by a pointing device over the base-resolution image at the client device;

moving the virtual lens with respect to the base-resolution image based on the location of the cursor relative to the base resolution image, the position of the virtual lens being commandable in response to a user action; and

updating the portion of the high-resolution image displayed by the virtual lens as the virtual lens moves across the base-resolution image based on the location of the cursor relative to the base-resolution image, wherein updating the portion of the high-resolution image further comprises

determining whether an additional portion of the high-resolution image is required for display by the virtual lens; and

sending a request to the server for the additional portion of the high-resolution image if an additional portion is required.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the base-resolution image on a display of the client device further comprises:

determining whether the base-resolution image exceeds the size of a display region in which the base-resolution image is to be displayed; and

displaying a portion of the base-resolution image within the display region; and

wherein moving the virtual lens with respect to the base-resolution image based on the location of the cursor relative to the base resolution image further comprises;

determining whether the virtual lens has reached an edge of the display region; and

if the virtual lens has reached the edge of the display region, stopping the movement of the virtual lens and scrolling the base-resolution image in the opposite direction as the movement indicated by the pointing device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein scrolling the base-resolution image in the opposite direction as the movement indicated by the pointing device further comprises:

scrolling the base-resolution image in the opposite direction as the movement indicated by the pointing device until the movement indication by the pointing device stops or an edge of the base-resolution image aligns with the edge of the display region.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

freezing the position of the virtual lens with respect to the base-resolution image in response to a user command.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

unfreezing the position of the previously frozen virtual lens with respect to the base-resolution image in response to a user command.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the resolution of the base-resolution image is less than the resolution of a maximum-resolution image generated on, input to, or stored on the server.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the resolution of the high-resolution image is less than or equal to the resolution of the maximum-resolution image, and wherein the resolution of the high-resolution image is greater than the resolution of the base-resolution image.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request at the client device to resize the virtual lens;

resizing the virtual lens;

determining, at the client device, whether a larger portion of the high-resolution image is required;

sending a request to the server for a larger portion of the high-resolution image if a larger portion of the high-resolution image is required;

receiving the larger portion of the high-resolution image from the server; and

displaying the larger portion of the high-resolution image in the virtual lens.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request at the client device to change resolution of the high-resolution image displayed by the virtual lens;

sending a request to the server for an image at the requested high resolution corresponding to the base-resolution image;

receiving the high-resolution image from the server; and

displaying a portion corresponding to the area of interest of the high-resolution image received from the server as an overlay of the base-resolution image at a location that corresponds to the area of interest.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the portion of the high-resolution image received from the server in the virtual lens further comprises:

rendering a border around the virtual lens to demarcate the virtual lens from the base-resolution image.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the portion of the high-resolution image received from the server in the virtual lens further comprises:

rendering the virtual lens such that the virtual lens is centered over the area of interest.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the size, shape, or position of the virtual lens to improve the function of an application in which the virtual lens is being used.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

hiding the virtual lens in response to a user command.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

showing the previously hidden virtual lens in response to a user command.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rendering an opaque plane between the virtual lens and the underlying base image, wherein the opaque plane can be rendered as visible while waiting to receive the high-resolution image from the server after the request for the high-resolution image has been sent to the server.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a resolution level that a user of the client device is likely to request;

sending a request to the server for a high-resolution image at the resolution level that the user of the client device is likely to request.