Web page hot spots

• US 8,261,179 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2009
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Benevoltek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Benevoltek, Inc.
• Inventors: Hinson, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vaughn, Gregory J
• Application Number:
  US12/504,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20110016376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 715/200, 715/205, 715/206, 715/207, 715/208, 715/243, 715/246, 715/247
• US Class Current: 715/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

An image map designer creates an image map for use with an image. The image map contains one or more hotspots, each of which specifies a set of pixels which may be non-contiguous and non-polygonal. The image map designer may create the image map using image processing software that facilitates creation of non-contiguous and non-polygonal image maps. Multiple versions of the image map may be created, each for use with a different magnification of the image. The image maps are stored in a compact format, which may be transmitted efficiently from a server to a client. Data contained within the image map facilitates the process of determining whether the client user'"'"'s mouse pointer is within any of the hotspots, and the process of applying the image map to the image when rendered at different magnifications.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

(A) receiving a first instruction from a first user to select a first portion of a first digital image, the first digital image comprising a plurality of pixels;

(B) in response to the first instruction, selecting a first subset of the plurality of pixels in the first digital image;

(C) storing a record of the first subset in an image map collection data structure, wherein the record contains;

(1) data representing the first subset as at least one of a list of pixels and an array of pixels, (2) data representing pixels in the plurality of pixels other than the first subset, and (3) data representing a bounding area containing the first subset and the pixels other than the first subset;

(D) transmitting the image map collection data structure and the first digital image to a client;

(E) identifying a current location of a user cursor within a rendering of the first digital image at the client;

(F) determining whether the current location is within the first subset based on the data representing the bounding area; and

(G) if the current location is within the first subset, taking a first predetermined action associated with the first subset.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein (A) comprises receiving a first instruction from a first user to select an object, wherein the first instruction does not specify the shape of the object, and wherein (B) comprises selecting the first subset by applying a predetermined function to the first instruction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset consists of a single pixel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset comprises non-contiguous sets of pixels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined action comprises following a hyperlink to a resource associated with the first subset.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(H) receiving a second instruction from the first user to select a second portion of the first digital image;

(I) in response to the second instruction, selecting a second subset of the plurality of pixels in the first digital image;

(J) storing a record of the second subset in the image map collection data structure;

(K) determining whether the current location is within the second subset; and

(L) if the current location is within the second subset, taking a second predetermined action associated with the second subset.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein (F) comprises:

(F)(1) transmitting the current location to a server;

(F)(2) at the server, determining whether the current location is within the first subset; and

(F)(3) at the server, transmitting to the client a message indicating whether the current location is within the first subset.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein (C) comprises:

(C)(1) storing the record of the first subset in a first image map in the image map collection data structure;

(C)(2) storing a record of a scaled version of the first subset in a second image map in the image map collection data structure.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

(H) before (E), scaling the first digital image to produce a scaled digital image;

wherein (E) comprises identifying a current location of a user cursor within a rendering of the scaled digital image at the client; and

wherein (F) comprises determining whether the current location is within the first subset by reference to the scaled version of the first subset.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein (E) comprises identifying a current relative location of the user cursor within the rendering, and where (F) comprises:

(F)(1) identifying a current display magnification of the first digital image at the client; and

(F)(2) determining whether the user cursor is within the rendering based on the current relative location and the current display magnification.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(H) resizing the first digital image at a particular magnification to produce a resized digital image; and

(I) automatically generating, from the image map collection data structure, a scaled image map collection data structure for use with the resized digital image.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein (F) comprises:

(F)(1) determining whether the current location is within the bounding area; and

(F)(2) determining that the current location is not within the first subset if the current location is not within the bounding area.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein (F) further comprises:

(F)(3) if the current location is determined to be within the bounding area, then;

(F)(3)(a) identifying a pixel at the current location; and

(F)(3)(b) determining that the current location is within the first subset only if the pixel at the current location is within the at least one of the list of pixels and the array of pixels.

14. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a first instruction from a first user to select a first portion of a first digital image, the first digital image comprising a plurality of pixels;

means, responsive to the first instruction, for selecting a first subset of the plurality of pixels in the first digital image;

means for storing a record of the first subset in an image map collection data structure, wherein the record contains;

(1) data representing the first subset as at least one of a list of pixels and an array of pixels, (2) data representing pixels in the plurality of pixels other than the first subset, and (3) data representing a bounding area containing the first subset and the pixels other than the first subset;

means for transmitting the image map collection data structure and the first digital image to a client;

means for identifying a current location of a user cursor within a rendering of the first digital image at the client;

means for determining whether the current location is within the first subset based on the data representing the bounding area; and

means for taking a first predetermined action associated with the first subset if the current location is within the first subset.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

means for resizing the first digital image at a particular magnification to produce a resized digital image; and

means for automatically generating, from the image map collection data structure, a scaled image map collection data structure for use with the resized digital image.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for determining whether the current location is within the first subset comprises:

means for determining whether the current location is within the bounding area; and

means for determining that the current location is not within the first subset if the current location is not within the bounding area.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for determining whether the current location is within the first subset further comprises:

means for identifying a pixel at the current location if the current location is determined to be within the bounding area; and

means for determining that the current location is within the first subset only if the pixel at the current location is within the at least one of the list of pixels and the array of pixels.

18. A computer-implemented method performed by a client device, the method comprising:

(A) receiving an image map collection data structure and a first digital image;

(B) identifying a current location of a user cursor within a rendering of the first digital image at the client;

(C) reading, from the image map collection data structure, a record containing;

(1) data representing a first subset of the first digital image as at least one of a list of pixels and an array of pixels;

(2) data representing pixels in the plurality of pixels other than the first subset; and

(3) data representing a bounding area containing the first subset and the pixels other than the first subset;

(D) determining whether the current location is within the first subset based on the data representing the bounding area; and

(E) if the current location is within the first subset, taking a first predetermined action associated with the first subset.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

(F) resizing the first digital image at a particular magnification to produce a resized digital image;

(G) automatically generating, from the image map collection data structure, a scaled image map collection data structure for use with the resized digital image.

20. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an image map collection data structure and a first digital image;

means for identifying a current location of a user cursor within a rendering of the first digital image at a client device;

means for reading, from the image map collection data structure, a record containing;

(1) data representing a first subset of the first digital image as at least one of a list of pixels and an array of pixels;

(2) data representing pixels in the plurality of pixels other than the first subset; and

(3) data representing a bounding area containing the first subset and the pixels other than the first subset;

means for determining whether the current location is within the first subset based on the data representing the bounding area; and

means for taking a first predetermined action associated with the first subset if the current location is within the first subset.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for resizing the first digital image at a particular magnification to produce a resized digital image; and

means for automatically generating, from the image map collection data structure, a scaled image map collection data structure for use with the resized digital image.

22. A computer-implemented method performed by a client device, the method comprising:

(A) receiving an image map collection data structure and a first digital image, wherein the image map collection data structure contains;

(1) data representing a first subset of the first digital image as at least one of a list of pixels and an array of pixels;

(2) data representing pixels in the plurality of pixels other than the first subset; and

(3) data representing a bounding area containing the first subset and the pixels other than the first subset;

(B) scaling the first digital image to produce a scaled digital image;

(C) identifying a current location of a user cursor within a rendering of the scaled digital image;

(D) identifying a first subset of the scaled digital image;

(E) determining whether the current location is within the first subset based on the data representing the bounding area; and

(F) if the current location is within the first subset, taking a first predetermined action associated with the first subset.

23. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an image map collection data structure and a first digital image, wherein the image map collection data structure contains;

(1) data representing a first subset of the first digital image as at least one of a list of pixels and an array of pixels;

(2) data representing pixels in the plurality of pixels other than the first subset; and

(3) data representing a bounding area containing the first subset and the pixels other than the first subset;

means for scaling the first digital image to produce a scaled digital image;

means for identifying a current location of a user cursor within a rendering of the scaled digital image;

means for identifying a first subset of the scaled digital image;

means for determining whether the current location is within the first subset based on the data representing the bounding area; and

means for taking a first predetermined action associated with the first subset if the current location is within the first subset.