Multi-source picture viewer for portable electronic device

• US 8,910,083 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Doucet, Heloise Rose, Beauregard, Daniel Edward, Cundill, Andrew Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): NABI, REZA U
• Application Number:
  US12/615,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20110113379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,855 Days
• Field of Search: 715/838
• US Class Current: 715/838
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour

Abstract

A multi-source picture viewer adapted for use within a portable electronic device to view pictures saved on multiple sources, comprising a common graphical user interface for providing picture viewing functionality that is independent of the multiple sources, an optional domain-specific graphical user interface for providing source-related picture viewing functionality that is dependent on the multiple sources, and an image-fetching transport layer for retrieving pictures from the multiple sources and converting the pictures to a common picture model for display on the portable electronic device under control of the common graphical user interface and further manipulation via the domain-specific graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a multi-source picture viewer application executable by a processor of a portable electronic device to view pictures saved on multiple sources, said application comprising:

a common graphical user interface for providing picture viewing functionality; and

an image-fetching transport layer in communication with said common graphical user interface, said image-fetching transport layer including;

a plurality of adapters, each adapter for retrieving said pictures from a different one of said multiple sources;

an image broker for converting said retrieved pictures to common picture model objects having album, image, and thumbnail image classes for display on said portable electronic device under control of said common graphical user interface, said common picture model objects further having one or more subclasses for use by said adapters in communicating with said multiple sources;

said image broker configured to persist said pictures to storage in said portable electronic device; and

a common image adapter interface for connecting said plurality of adapters and said image broker.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the picture viewing functionality of said common graphical user interface includes at least one of generating navigable user screens for browsing thumbnails and full-screen images of pictures on said portable electronic device, setting as wallpaper, setting as caller ID and zooming in.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, said multi-source picture viewer application further comprising a domain-specific graphical user interface for each of said multiple sources in communication with said image-fetching transport layer for providing source-related picture viewing functionality.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the picture viewing functionality of said domain-specific graphical user interface includes at least one of emailing, renaming, tagging and deleting.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of plug-in adapters communicates remotely with a respective one of said multiple sources over a communication network.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of plug-in adapters communicates locally with a respective one of said multiple sources.

7. A portable electronic device comprising:

at least one user input device for initiating commands to view pictures saved on multiple sources;

a display;

a persistent storage device; and

a processor interconnecting said user input device, display and persistent storage device, for implementing a multi-source picture viewer having a common graphical user interface for providing picture viewing functionality in conjunction with said user input device and display; and

an image-fetching transport layer in communication with said common graphical user interface, said image-fetching transport layer including;

a plurality of adapters, each adapter for retrieving said pictures from a different one of said multiple sources; and

an image broker for converting said retrieved pictures to common picture model objects having album, image, and thumbnail image classes for presentation on said display under control of said common graphical user interface, said common picture model objects further having one or more subclasses for use by said adapters in communicating with said multiple sources;

said image broker configured to persist said pictures to said persistent storage device; and

a common image adapter interface for connecting said multiple adapters and said image broker.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the picture viewing functionality of said common graphical user interface includes at least one of generating navigable user screens for browsing thumbnails and full-screen images of pictures on said portable electronic device, setting as wallpaper, setting as caller ID and zooming in.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 7, further including a domain-specific graphical user interface in communication with said image-fetching transport layer, said user input device and said display for providing source-related picture viewing functionality.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 9, wherein the picture viewing functionality of said domain-specific graphical user interface includes at least one of emailing, renaming, tagging and deleting.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein at least one of said plurality of plug-in adapters communicates remotely with a respective one of said multiple sources over a communication network.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein at least one of said plurality of plug-in adapters communicates locally with a respective one of said multiple sources.

13. A method for use within a portable electronic device to view pictures saved on multiple sources, comprising:

providing a common graphical user interface for providing picture viewing functionality; and

retrieving said pictures from said multiple sources using a plurality of adapters, each adapter for retrieving said pictures from a different one of said multiple sources; and

converting said pictures, using an image broker, to common picture model objects having album, image, and thumbnail image classes for display on said portable electronic device under control of said common graphical user interface, said common picture model objects further having one or more subclasses for use by said adapters in communicating with said multiple sources; and

persisting said pictures to storage in said portable electronic device using said image broker.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the picture viewing functionality of said common graphical user interface includes at least one of generating navigable user screens for browsing thumbnails and full-screen images of pictures on said portable electronic device, setting as wallpaper, setting as caller ID and zooming in.

15. The method of claim 13, further including providing a domain-specific graphical user interface for providing source-related picture viewing functionality.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the picture viewing functionality of said domain-specific graphical user interface includes emailing, renaming, tagging and deleting.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising communicating remotely with at least one of said multiple sources over a communication network.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising communicating locally with at least one of said multiple sources.