User interface color based on background image

• US 8,237,736 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2006
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Flick, Mark S
• Primary Examiner(s): Martello, Edward
• Application Number:
  US11/421,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20070279430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: 345/594, 345/593
• US Class Current: 345/593
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0242 Compensation of deficiencies in the appearance of colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/026 Control of mixing and/or overlay of colours in general G09G5/022 and G09G5/024 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

Various embodiments utilize a set of pixels that that make up an image that is to appear in a user interface. The method divides the applicable color space into pre-defined regions and then analyzes the image by mapping color values associated with pixels of the image into defined regions. After mapping the color values, the method determines which one or more region(s) is associated with the most mapped color values and then selects that region(s) for further analysis. Using the selected region(s), the method then divides the region(s) into further sub-regions and repeats the mapping process, progressively narrowing the regions down until a single color is selected for use in a frame that comprises part of the user interface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

executing instructions by one or more processors in a computing device to perform acts comprising;

defining a color space that is to be used to provide color data for use with a component of a user interface, the color space defined at least by a range of color values for each of multiple colors;

mapping color values retrieved from pixels of a background image into the color space to produce a mapped color space;

progressively narrowing the range of color values for each of the multiple colors of the mapped color space by repeatedly analyzing at least a portion of the mapped color space to identify one or more regions of interest having a highest number of different mapped color values and subdividing the one or more regions of interest associated with a corresponding act of analyzing into one or more additional color spaces until a final region of interest is identified, the final region of interest being associated with at least one additional color space defined by color values corresponding to one or more prominent colors of the background image; and

deriving, from the one or more prominent colors, color data to use as a component of a user interface that includes the background image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the color space corresponds to a range of RGB color values.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said one or more additional color spaces is defined by a smaller range of color values than the range of color values defining the color space.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said mapping comprises associating each of said color values to one of a plurality of channels, wherein each of the plurality of channels corresponds to one of a plurality of regions which together comprise said first-mentioned color space.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing comprises determining which of said regions is associated with the highest number of different mapped color values.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more additional color spaces comprise individual abstracted cubes that geometrically subdivide corresponding of the one or more regions of interest.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said subdividing the one or more regions of interest subdivides corresponding of the one or more regions of interest into four or more individual abstracted cubes, each individual abstracted cube associated with an additional color space which, together, comprise an associated subdivided color space.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

executing instructions by one or more processors in a computing device to perform acts comprising;

defining a multi-dimensional color space that is to be used to provide color data for use with a component of a user interface, the multi-dimensional color space having at least three dimensions, each dimension defined at least by a range of color values for a particular color;

defining a plurality of abstracted cube sub-regions of the multi-dimensional color space, each dimension of each abstracted cube sub-region defined at least by a smaller range of color values than that used to define the range of color values for each dimension of the multi-dimensional color space;

mapping color values retrieved from individual sample pixels of an image to a corresponding one of the plurality of sub-regions;

selecting a current region of interest associated with a most number of mapped color values, the current region of interest being selected from at least one of the plurality of abstracted cube sub-regions;

sub-dividing the current region of interest into a plurality of abstracted cube regions, each dimension of each of the abstracted cube regions defined at least by a smaller range of color values than that used to define the range of color values for each dimension of the current region of interest;

mapping color values associated with individual sample pixels to a corresponding one of the abstracted cube regions;

selecting a new current region of interest associated with a most number of mapped color values, the new current region of interest being selected from at least one of the abstracted cube regions;

repeating said sub-dividing, said second-mentioned mapping and said second-mentioned selecting until the new current region of interest is defined by a color value corresponding to a single color; and

using said single color value as a component in a user interface that includes said image.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the multi-dimensional color space corresponds to a range of RGB color values.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said acts of mapping comprise:

associating each of said color values associated with said individual sample pixels with one of a plurality of channels; and

wherein each of said channels is associated with an abstracted cube sub-region or abstracted cube region.

11. An instant messaging application embodied on a computer-readable media, the application being configured to implement the method of claim 8.

12. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 8.

13. A system comprising:

a processor in communication with one or more computer-readable media;

computer-readable instructions on the one or more computer-readable media which, when executed, perform acts comprising;

presenting a user interface comprising a background image;

defining a color space, the color space comprising one or more dimensions, each dimension defined by a range of color values for a particular color;

mapping at least a subset of color values retrieved from pixels from the background image to the color space;

sub-dividing the color space into sub-regions;

selecting a sub-region of the color space having a most number of mapped color values;

repeatedly selecting and sub-dividing a sub-region of the color space having a greatest number of different mapped color values into sub-regions until a single color remains in at least one sub-region, the single color being a most prominent color in the background image; and

using the single color value in a frame of the user interface.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the color space comprises an RGB color space.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the acts are performed by an instant messaging application.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the mapping maps color values to a channel associated with a particular sub-divided portion of a color space.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein at least some individual color spaces are sub-divided into eight regions.