Collage display of image projects

• US 8,775,953 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2007
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Schulz, Egan
• Primary Examiner(s): HAILU, TADESSE
• Application Number:
  US11/951,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20090148064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,407 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18.01, 382/284, 382/306, 707/104.3, 715/764, 715/765, 715/769, 345/629
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images

Abstract

Techniques are described for displaying projects of images as “collages”. Collages differ from conventional thumbnail displays of projects in that collages display an entire project as if the project were a single image. Consequently, collages better convey the characteristics of projects as a whole, while de-emphasizing the distinctiveness of individual images within the projects. When displayed as collages, side-by-side comparisons may be readily performed between projects as a whole. For example, a single display may include collages for multiple projects, thereby allowing viewers to quickly tell how the projects differ in a variety of ways, including but not limited to size of shoot or density of shoot, dominant color, mood, time of day, bracketed shots or bursts, location and subject matter. The content of the collage for a project is based on the individual images that belong to the project. However, details of the individual images on which the project image is based may not be readily discernible from the collage. In addition, not all individual images that belong to a project may be used in a collage. Techniques for selecting which individual images of a project to include in the project are also described.

Claims

1. A method for displaying digital images, comprising the computer-executed steps of:

determining a first plurality of images;

determining, based on the number of images in the first plurality of images, a pixel resolution of each image of the first plurality of images;

causing a first collage to be displayed at a first resolution, wherein the first collage is composed of the first plurality of images;

determining a second plurality of images;

determining, based on the number of images in the second plurality of images, a pixel resolution of each image of the second plurality of images;

causing a second collage to be displayed at a second resolution concurrently with the first collage, wherein the second collage is composed of a second plurality of images;

wherein the steps of determining the pixel resolution for the first and second plurality of images are performed such that the first resolution and the second resolution are the same regardless of the number of images in the first and second plurality of images;

wherein the number of images in the first collage is different than the number of images in the second collage;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein borders between the first collage and the second collage are wider than borders between each image in the first collage and each image in the second collage.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting a subset of images to include in the first collage or the second collage.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the step of selecting is performed in response to determining that the number of images in the particular project exceeds a maximum desired number of collage components;

the step of selecting includes selecting the first N images from a plurality of images where N is the maximum desired number of collage components.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the plurality of images have a particular order; and

the subset of images that are selected come earlier, in the particular order, than all images that are not selected to be included in the collage.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the plurality of images have a particular order; and

the step of selecting includes selecting images that are evenly distributed throughout the plurality of imam, relative to the particular order.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a virtual loupe that includes a selection region; and

in response to detecting that the selection region selects a plurality of images within the first or second collage, displaying a magnified depiction of the plurality of images that are selected by the virtual loupe.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving user input; and

in response to the user input, moving the first or second collage in a particular direction thereby causing (a) at least some of said images in said subset of images to cease to be displayed as part of said collage, and (b) at least some of the images that are not in said subset to be displayed as part of said first or second collage.

9. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine a first plurality of images;

determine, based on the number of images in the first plurality of images, a pixel resolution of each image of the first plurality of images;

cause a first collage to be displayed at a first resolution, wherein the first collage is composed of the first plurality of images;

determine a second plurality of images;

determine, based on the number of images in the second plurality of images, a pixel resolution of each image of the second plurality of images;

cause a second collage for the second project to be displayed at a second resolution concurrently with the first collage, wherein the second collage is composed of a second plurality of images;

wherein the determination of the pixel resolution for the first and second plurality of images are performed such that the first resolution and the second resolution are the same regardless of the number of images in the first and second plurality of images;

wherein the number of images in the first collage is different than the number of images in the second collage.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the instructions include instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, further cause selecting, for a particular project of the plurality of projects, a subset of images that belong to the particular project to include in the collage for the particular project.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein:

the step of selecting is performed in response to determining that the number of images in the particular project exceeds a maximum desired number of collage components; and

the step of selecting includes selecting the first N images from a plurality of images where N is the maximum desired number of collage components.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein:

the plurality of images have a particular order; and

the subset of images that are selected come earlier, in the particular order, than all images that are not selected to be included in the collage.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein:

the plurality of images have a particular order; and

the step of selecting includes selecting images that are evenly distributed throughout the plurality of images, relative to the particular order.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the instructions include instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, further cause:

displaying a virtual loupe that includes a selection region; and

in response to detecting that the selection region selects a plurality of images within the first or second collage, displaying a magnified depiction of the plurality of images that are selected by the virtual loupe.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the instructions include instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, further cause:

receiving user input; and

in response to the user input, moving the first or second collage in a particular direction thereby causing (a) at least some of said images in said subset of images to cease to be displayed as part of said collage, and (b) at least some of the images that are not in said subset to be displayed as part of said first or second collage.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein borders between the first collage and the second collage are wider than borders between each image in the first collage and each image in the second collage.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a display;

a processor coupled to the display, the processor configured to;

determine a first plurality of images;

determine, based on the number of images in the first plurality of images, a pixel resolution of each image of the first plurality of images;

cause a first collage to be displayed on the display at a first resolution, wherein the first collage is composed of the first plurality of images;

determine a second plurality of images;

determine, based on the number of images in the second plurality of images, a pixel resolution of each image of the second plurality of images; and

cause a second collage for the second project to be displayed on the display at a second resolution concurrently with the first collage, wherein the second collage is composed of a second plurality of images;

wherein the determination of the pixel resolution for the first and second plurality of images are performed such that the first resolution and the second resolution are the same regardless of the number of images in the first and second plurality of images;

wherein the number of images in the first collage is different than the number of images in the second collage.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein borders between the first collage and the second collage are wider than borders between each image in the first collage and each image in the second collage.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to:

display a virtual loupe that includes a selection region on the display; and

in response to detecting that the selection region selects a plurality of images within the first or second collage, displaying a magnified depiction of the plurality of images that are selected by the virtual loupe.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

an input device coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to receive a user input from the input device; and

in response to the user input, move the first or second collage in a particular direction on the display thereby causing (a) at least some of said images in said subset of images to cease to be displayed as part of said collage, and (b) at least some of the images, of the project, that are not in said subset displayed as part of said first or second collage.