Methods and apparatus for providing graphical view of digital content

• US 9,454,296 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WeTransfer B.V.
• Original Assignee: FiftyThree, Inc. (WeTransfer B.V.)
• Inventors: Walker, Julian, Allen, Andrew S., Petschnigg, Georg F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, RAYEEZ R
• Application Number:
  US13/795,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20130263047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0291 for reading, e.g. e-books constructional details of portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/14 Electronic books and readers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to be executed by a processor to define a set of indicators encoding a set of content segments from the set of content segments. The processor further defines, for each content segment, a first link between that content segment and an indicator from the set of indicators, such that the first link associates a center component of the content segment to that indicator. The processor also defines, for each content segment, a second link between that content segment and an adjacent content segment within the sequence of content segments, such that the second link associates an edge component of that content segment to an edge component of the adjacent content segment. The processor also defines a presentation of the set of content segments based on the first link and the second link, for each content segment.

Claims

1. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to be executed by a processor, the code comprising code to cause the processor to:

receive data associated with a content divided into an ordered set of content segments including a first content segment, a second content segment immediately subsequent to the first content segment, and a third content segment immediately subsequent to the second content segment, the content configured to be displayed as a virtual accordion-folded sheet with the first content segment, the second content segment, and the third content segment configured to be displayed on a first page, a second page, and a third page, respectively, of the accordion-folded sheet;

define a first link that is associated with a center component of the second page;

define a second link associating an edge component of the first page to a first edge component of the second page;

define a third link between the second page and the third page, the third link associating an edge component of the third page to a second edge component of the second page opposite the first edge component of the second page;

define a virtual spine behind the virtual accordion-folded sheet, the virtual spine including;

a front point that is at least as close to a user viewing the accordion-folded sheet as any other point of the virtual spine from a viewing perspective of the user; and

a pair of branches extending generally backward from the viewing perspective, and generally outwards away from each other as the pair of branches extends generally backward;

define a presentation of the content based, at least in part, on the first link, the second link, the third link, and the virtual spine, wherein the first link associated with the center component of the second page and links associated with center components of the first page and the third page of are displayed as coupled to the virtual spine; and

send a signal to cause the content to be displayed according to the presentation.

2. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the ordered set of content segments includes at least one of an image, a document, or a video frame; and

the presentation includes a display of the image, a display of the document, or a display of the video frame.

3. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first link and the second link collectively define a spacing and a transition of the second content segment relative to the first content segment.

4. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the presentation includes the second content segment folded along the center component.

5. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the presentation defines a difference in depth and a translation between the second content segment and the first content segment.

6. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first link, the second link, and the third link are distributed based on one or more linear functions or one or more non-linear functions such that the presentation is interpolated by the functions based, at least in part, on an automated animation or a gestural input from a user of the content, to compress or expand spacing of the ordered set of content segments.

16. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 1, the code further comprising code to cause the processor to:

delete the second content segment in response to receiving a deletion request;

define a fourth link associating the edge of the first content segment to the edge of the third content segment in response to deleting the second content segment.

17. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 1, wherein the virtual spine comprises a v-shaped virtual spine.

18. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 1, the code further comprising code to cause the processor to:

define a fourth link associated with a center component of the third content segment, the code to cause the processor to define the presentation of the content further includes code to cause the processor to define the presentation of the content such that the first link and the fourth link are presented on the spine.

19. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 18, wherein the first link and the fourth link are spaced apart on the spine.

20. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 1, the code further comprising code to cause the processor to:

define a fourth link associated with a center component of the third content segment;

associate the first link and the fourth link with the spine;

receive a gestural input from a user associated with transitioning from the second content segment to the third content segment; and

send a signal to cause the content to be displayed such that the second content segment simulates folding along the first link and the third content segment to simulates unfolding along the fourth link, while maintaining the third link.

7. A method comprising:

receiving data associated with a content divided into an ordered set of content segments including a first content segment, a second content segment immediately subsequent to the first content segment, and a third content segment immediately subsequent to the second content segment, the content configured to be displayed as an accordion-folded sheet including a first page configured to display the first content segment, a second page configured to display the second content segment, and a third page configured to display the third content segment;

defining a first link that is associated with a center component of the second page;

defining a second link associating an edge component of the first page to a first edge component of the second page;

defining a third link associating an edge component of the third page to a second edge component of the second page opposite the first edge component of the second page;

defining a virtual spine behind the virtual accordion-folded sheet, the virtual spine including;

a front point that is at least as close to a user viewing the accordion-folded sheet as any other point of the virtual spine from a viewing perspective of the user; and

a pair of branches extending generally backward from the viewing perspective, and generally outwards away from each other as the pair of branches extends generally backward; and

defining a presentation of the content based, at least in part, on the first link, the second link, the third link, and the virtual spine, wherein the first link associated with the center component of the second page and links associated with center components of the first page and the third page of are displayed as coupled to the virtual spine; and

sending a signal to cause the content to be displayed according the presentation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the ordered set of content segments includes at least one of an image, a document, or a video frame, and

the presentation includes a display of the image, a display of the document, or a display of the video frame.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first link and the second link collectively define a spacing and a transition of the second content segment relative to the first content segment.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the presentation includes the second content segment folded along the center component.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the presentation defines a difference in depth and a translation between the second content segment the first content segment.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the first link, the second link, and the third link are distributed based on one or more linear functions or one or more non-linear functions such that the presentation is interpolated by the functions based, at least in part, on an automated animation or a gestural input from a user of the content, to compress or expand spacing of the ordered set of content segments.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein defining a virtual spine comprises defining a v-shaped virtual spine.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

defining a fourth link associated with a center component of the third content segment, such that defining the presentation of the content further includes defining the presentation of the content such that the first link and the fourth link are presented in a spaced apart relationship on the spine.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

defining a fourth link associated with a center component of the third content segment;

associating the first link and the fourth link with the spine;

receiving a gestural input from a user associated with transitioning from the second content segment to the third content segment; and

send a signal to cause the content to be displayed such that the second content segment simulates folding along the first link and the third content segment to simulates unfolding along the fourth link, while maintaining the third link.