Collage display of image projects

• US 9,672,591 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2014
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• 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:
  US14/289,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20140267436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• 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 images on a computer system, the method comprising the computer-executed steps of:

determining which images from a plurality of images belong to a project;

of the images that belong to the project, selecting a subset of images to be included in a collage for the project;

generating the collage for the project based on the selected subset of images, wherein each individual component image in the collage has a first pixel resolution;

displaying the collage for the project based on a display of the computer system;

receiving a selection input indicating a selection region; and

in response to detecting that the selection region selects a plurality of images within the collage, displaying a magnified depiction of the plurality of images with fewer component images on the display of the computer system, the displayed component images having a greater pixel resolution than the first pixel resolution.

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

receiving a user input; and

in response to the user input, moving the 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, of the project, that are not in said subset to be displayed as part of said collage.

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

receiving a user input; and

in response to the user input, (a) ceasing to display the collage composed of the first subset of images; and

(b) displaying a collage that is composed of a second subset of images of the project, wherein the second subset is different from the first subset.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of images belonging to the project are related by a time, a location, or an event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each image in the plurality of images is a representation of an individual image, the individual image having a greater pixel resolution than the component image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pixel resolution of each component image in each collage is identical, and selected such that all component images in the plurality of component images have the same pixel resolution, regardless of the number of component images in each collage.

7. A method for displaying digital images on a computer system, comprising the computer-executed steps of:

displaying a plurality of collages on a display of the computer system, each collage including a plurality of component images, and each component image in each collage having an identical pixel resolution;

receiving a user input; and

in response to the user input, moving the plurality of collages in a particular direction thereby causing at least some of the component images in at least one of the plurality of collages to cease to be displayed, and at least some component images that are not visible to be displayed as part of another one of the plurality of collages.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each component image in the plurality of component images is a representation of an individual image, the individual image having a greater pixel resolution than the component image.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein each collage in the plurality of collages corresponds to a separate project, each project having a plurality of individual images represented by component images, the plurality of individual images in each project related by a time, a location, or an event.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein identical pixel resolution is selected such that all component images in the plurality of component images have the same size, regardless of the number of component images in each collage.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a selection input that includes a selection of an individual component image of an individual collage in the plurality of collages; and

in response to receiving the selection of the individual component image, displaying the individual collage with fewer component images on the display of the computer system, the displayed component images having a greater pixel resolution than the identical pixel resolution.

12. A method for displaying digital images on a computer system, comprising the computer-executed steps of:

displaying a plurality of collages on a display of the computer system, each collage including a plurality of component images, and each component image in each collage having an identical pixel resolution;

receiving a user input; and

in response to the user input, ceasing to display a first collage composed of a first subset of component images from a project; and

displaying a second collage that is composed of a second subset of images of the project, wherein the second subset is different from the first subset;

wherein each collage in the plurality of collages corresponds to a separate project, each project having a plurality of digital images represented by the plurality of component images, the plurality of digital images in each project related by time, location, or an event.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each component image in the plurality of component images is a representation of an individual image, the individual image having a greater pixel resolution than the component image.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein each collage in the plurality of collages corresponds to a separate project, each project having a plurality of individual images represented by component images, the plurality of individual images in each project related by a time, a location, or an event.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the identical pixel resolution is selected such that all component images in the plurality of component images have the same size, regardless of the number of component images in each collage.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a selection input that includes a selection of an individual component image of the second collage; and

in response to receiving the selection of the individual component image, displaying the second collage with fewer component images on the display of the computer system, the displayed component images having a greater pixel resolution than the identical pixel resolution.