Interactive image thumbnails

• US 8,276,098 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fagans, Joshua, Leifer, Simeon, Ubillos, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): Belousov, Andrey
• Application Number:
  US11/685,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20080155458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,023 Days
• Field of Search: 715/810, 715/811, 715/823, 715/835
• US Class Current: 715/811
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00442 Simultaneous viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. using a mosaic display arrangement of thumbnails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00453 arranged in a two dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00458 Sequential viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. browsing or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00461 marking or otherwise tagging one or more displayed image, e.g. for selective reproduction

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes displaying, within a user interface, a view pane having a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, displaying, within the view pane, a plurality of poster frames, each poster frame representing a corresponding media item, a first poster frame being displayed as positioned in a first row extending across the event view pane in the horizontal direction such that the first poster frame is displayed substantially adjacent to a first vertical edge of the event view pane and subsequent poster frames are displayed substantially adjacent to one another in the first row until a poster frame in the first row is displayed substantially adjacent to a second vertical edge of the event view pane, and displaying a next poster frame in a second row vertically displaced from the first row. Photographs in a poster frame can be previewed by moving a cursor across the poster frame.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

displaying, within a user interface, a view pane;

displaying, within the view pane, a container corresponding to a bounded region, the container comprising a plurality of objects, wherein one or more positions in the bounded region correspond to the plurality of objects in the container;

determining a number of times that each object of the plurality of objects is accessed;

identifying a first object that is accessed the most number of times;

automatically assigning the first object to represent the container;

in response to the automatically assigning, displaying the first object in the bounded region corresponding to the container;

determining a positioning of a cursor on a position of the one or more positions in the bounded region, wherein the position corresponds to a second object of the plurality of objects in the container;

in response to determining the positioning of the cursor on the position, displaying a magnifying window adjacent to the cursor;

displaying the second object in the magnifying window; and

displaying the second object within the bounded region in place of the first object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning the first object to represent the container based on factors including one or more of user input or a quality of the object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user input comprises a user choosing the first object from among the one or more objects in the container.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the quality of each object is represented by a resolution.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first object has a higher resolution than remaining objects in the container.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of objects comprise one or more of photographs in a digital or digitized format and electronic images.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more positions in the bounded region correspond to the plurality of objects in the container, the method further comprising:

determining a positioning of a cursor on a position of the one or more positions in the bounded region, wherein the position corresponds to a second object of the plurality of objects in the container; and

displaying within the bounded region the second object in place of the first object.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a positioning of the cursor to another position of the one or more positions, wherein the other position corresponds to a third object;

displaying the third object within the bounded region in place of the second object.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying a magnifying window adjacent to the cursor; and

displaying the first object in the magnifying window.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the cursor is located away from the bounded region; and

displaying the first object within the bounded region in place of the second object.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein a position of the cursor is altered based on user input.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface can be transmitted over a network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the network is the internet.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the objects displayed in the user interface can be accessed from a remote location connected to the network.

51. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a scroll bar adjacent to the bounded region, wherein the scroll bar includes a pointer within, the scroll bar operatively coupled to the container such that each position of the pointer within the scroll bar corresponds to an object in the container;

detecting a selection of the pointer within the scroll bar;

determining a position of the pointer in response to the selection; and

displaying within the bounded region an object that corresponds to the position of the pointer in response to the selection in place of the first object.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising:

detecting that the pointer has moved to another position within the scroll bar; and

displaying another object that corresponds to the other position in place of the object.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein a position of the pointer is altered based on user input.

57. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first object in the bounded region comprises displaying the first object to fully occupy the bounded region.

58. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first object in the bounded region comprises displaying only the first object in the bounded region.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions executable by data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

displaying, within a user interface, a view pane;

displaying, within the view pane, a container corresponding to a bounded region, the container comprising a plurality of digital content items, wherein one or more positions in the bounded region correspond to the plurality of objects in the container;

determining a resolution of each of the plurality of digital content items;

identifying a first digital content item that has a highest resolution of the plurality of digital content items;

automatically assigning the first digital content item to represent the container;

in response to the automatically assigning, displaying the first digital content item in the bounded region corresponding to the container;

determining a positioning of a cursor on a position of the one or more positions in the bounded region, wherein the position corresponds to a second object of the plurality of objects in the container;

in response to determining the positioning of the cursor on the position, displaying a magnifying window adjacent to the cursor;

displaying the second object in the magnifying window; and

displaying the second object within the bounded region in place of the first object.

16. The medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising assigning the first digital content item to represent the container based on factors including one or more of user input, or a ranking of the plurality of digital content items in the container.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the user input comprises a user choosing the first digital content item from among the plurality of digital content items in the container.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein the first digital content item is a digital content item having a highest rank of the plurality of digital content items.

19. The medium of claim 16, wherein the rank of each digital content item is determined based on a number of times each digital content item is accessed.

20. The medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of digital content items comprise one or more of photographs in a digital or digitized format and electronic images.

21. The medium of claim 15, wherein one or more positions in the bounded region correspond to the plurality of digital content items in the container, the operations further comprising:

determining a positioning of a cursor on a position of the one or more positions in the bounded region, wherein the position corresponds to a second digital content item in the container; and

displaying within the bounded region the second digital content item in place of the first digital content item.

22. The medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

determining a positioning of the cursor to another position of the one or more positions, wherein the other position corresponds to a third digital content item;

displaying the third digital content item within the bounded region in place of the second digital content item.

23. The medium of claim 22, the operations further comprising:

displaying a magnifying window adjacent to the cursor; and

displaying the first digital content item in the magnifying window.

24. The medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

determining that the cursor is located away from the bounded region; and

displaying the first digital content item within the bounded region in place of the second digital content item.

25. The medium of claim 22, wherein a position of the cursor is altered based on user input.

26. The medium of claim 15, wherein the user interface can be transmitted over a network.

27. The medium of claim 26, wherein the network is the internet.

28. The medium of claim 26, wherein the plurality of digital content items displayed in the user interface can be accessed from a remote location connected to the network.

54. The medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

displaying a scroll bar adjacent to the bounded region, wherein the scroll bar includes a pointer within, the scroll bar operatively coupled to the container such that each position of the pointer within the scroll bar corresponds to an digital content item in the container;

detecting a selection of the pointer within the scroll bar;

determining a position of the pointer in response to the selection; and

displaying within the bounded region an digital content item that corresponds to the position of the pointer in response to the selection in place of the first digital content item.

55. The medium of claim 54, the operations further comprising:

detecting that the pointer has moved to another position within the scroll bar; and

displaying another digital content item that corresponds to the other position in place of the digital content item.

56. The medium of claim 54, wherein a position of the pointer is altered based on user input.

59. The medium of claim 15, wherein displaying the first digital content item in the bounded region comprises displaying the first digital content item to fully occupy the bounded region.

60. The medium of claim 15, wherein displaying the first digital content item in the bounded region comprises displaying only the first digital content item in the bounded region.

29. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

displaying, within a user interface, a view pane; and

displaying, within the view pane, a plurality of bounded regions, each bounded region representing a container that includes a plurality of objects, wherein each container is represented by an objected included in the container;

in a first bounded region that represents a first container, displaying a first object included in the first container, wherein the first object is assigned to represent the first container;

detecting a positioning of a position indicator at a position in the first bounded region;

in response to the detecting, displaying another object in the first bounded region, wherein the other object is included in the first container, and wherein the other object corresponds to the position in the first bounded region;

detecting that the position indicator is moved from the position in the first bounded region to another position in a second bounded region that represents a second container, wherein prior to the position indicator being moved to the other position in the second bounded region, a second object included in the second container and that is assigned to represent the second container was displayed in the second bounded region; and

in response to detecting that the position indicator is moved;

displaying a different object in the second bounded region in place of the second object, wherein the different object is included in the second container, and wherein the second object corresponds to a position of the position indicator in the second bounded region, and

displaying the first object in the first bounded region in place of the other object.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the first object is assigned to represent the first container based on factors including one or more of user input, a ranking of the one or more objects in the first container, or a quality of the first object.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the user input comprises a user choosing the first object.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the rank of each object in the first container is based on user input.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the rank of each object is determined based on a number of times each object is accessed.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the quality of each object is represented by a resolution.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the first object has a higher resolution than remaining objects in the first container.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the plurality of objects comprise one or more of photographs in a digital or digitized format and electronic images.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein the user interface can be transmitted over a network.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein the network is the internet.

39. The method of claim 31, wherein the objects displayed in the user interface can be accessed from a remote location connected to the network.

40. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions executable by data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

displaying, within a user interface, a view pane; and

displaying, within the view pane, a plurality of bounded regions, each bounded region representing a container that includes a plurality of objects, wherein each container is represented by an objected included in the container;

in a first bounded region that represents a first container, displaying a first object included in the first container, wherein the first object is assigned to represent the first container;

detecting a positioning of a position indicator at a position in the first bounded region;

in response to the detecting, displaying another object in the first bounded region, wherein the other object is included in the first container, and wherein the other object corresponds to the position in the first bounded region;

detecting that the position indicator is moved from the position in the first bounded region to another position in a second bounded region that represents a second container, wherein prior to the position indicator being moved to the other position in the second bounded region, a second object included in the second container and that is assigned to represent the second container was displayed in the second bounded region; and

in response to detecting that the position indicator is moved;

displaying a different object in the second bounded region in place of the second object, wherein the different object is included in the second container, and wherein the second object corresponds to a position of the position indicator in the second bounded region, and

displaying the first object in the first bounded region in place of the other object.

41. The medium of claim 40, wherein the first object is assigned to represent the first container based on factors including one or more of user input, a ranking of the one or more objects in the first container, or a quality of the first object.

42. The medium of claim 41, wherein the user input comprises a user choosing the first object.

43. The medium of claim 41, wherein the rank of each object in the first container is based on user input.

44. The medium of claim 41, wherein the rank of each object is determined based on a number of times each object is accessed.

45. The medium of claim 41, wherein the quality of each object is represented by a resolution.

46. The medium of claim 45, wherein the first object has a higher resolution than remaining objects in the first container.

47. The medium of claim 40, wherein the plurality of objects comprise one or more of photographs in a digital or digitized format and electronic images.

48. The medium of claim 40, wherein the user interface can be transmitted over a network.

49. The medium of claim 42, wherein the network is the internet.

50. The medium of claim 42, wherein the objects displayed in the user interface can be accessed from a remote location connected to the network.