Cropping of images for display on variably sized display devices

• US 20060139371A1
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FunMobility, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Funmail Incorporated
• Inventors: Rodgers, Peter, Lavine, Adam, Chen, Yu-Jen Dennis
• Granted Patent: US 9,329,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/620
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations

Abstract

Cropping source images for display on user devices. A source image is cropped and/or resized to correspond to dimensions of a display screen of a device by selecting an area of interest of the source image which will not be lost in the process of resizing the image. Coordinate points are positioned within the image to correspond to dimensions of the display screen on which the image will be displayed and the image is then cropped at the boundaries defined by the coordinate points which include a crop height and a crop width. If needed, the image is then scaled down proportionally to resize the image to a size that corresponds to the dimensions of the display screen of the device.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a source image for display on a display screen of a device, the method comprising:

selecting an area of interest of the source image;

positioning coordinate points within the source image to correspond to dimensions of a display screen of a device on which the image will be displayed, such that the area of interest is included within the coordinate points, the coordinate points defining a crop rectangle;

cropping the source image at the coordinate points to generate a cropped image bounded by the crop rectangle; and

sending the cropped image to a remote device, the cropped image having a size which corresponds with dimensions of the display screen of the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an aspect ratio of the display screen is greater than an aspect ratio of the area of interest, wherein positioning coordinate points within the source image further comprises:

determining a Crop-Height and a Crop-Width that define a crop-rectangle including the coordinate points, comprising one or more of;

setting the crop-height equal to a width of the area of interest divided by an aspect ratio of the display screen of the device, the display screen defined by a device rectangle, wherein;

if the crop-height is greater than a height of a source rectangle defining the source image, setting the crop height to the height of the source rectangle; and

if the crop-height is less than the height of the source rectangle, setting the crop height to a height of the device rectangle; and

setting the crop width equal to the crop height times the aspect ratio of the display screen of the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein an aspect ratio of the display device is less than an aspect ratio of the area of interest, wherein positioning coordinate points within the source image further comprises:

determining a Crop-Height and a Crop-Width that define a crop-rectangle including the coordinate points, comprising gone or more of;

setting the Crop-Width equal to a height of the area of interest divided by an aspect ratio of the display screen, the display screen defined by a device rectangle;

wherein;

if the crop width is greater than a width of a source rectangle defining the source image, setting the crop width equal to the width of the source rectangle; and

if the crop width is less than the width of the device rectangle, setting the crop width equal to the width of the device rectangle; and

setting the crop height equal to the crop width divided by the aspect ratio of the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein cropping the source image at the coordinate points to generate a cropped image further comprises scaling the crop image proportionally such that the crop image fits the display screen of the device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning coordinate points within the source image to correspond to dimensions of a display screen of a device on which the image will be displayed further comprises centering the crop rectangle on the area of interest.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, if the Crop-Rectangle is not enclosed within the source image when the Crop-Rectangle is centered at the center of the area of interest, the position of the Crop-Rectangle is located at a position that can be obtained by:

centering the Crop-Rectangle at the center of the area of interest; and

translating the Crop-Rectangle in at least one of the x and y directions until the Crop-Rectangle is enclosed within the source image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises at least one of:

a computer;

a laptop computer;

a personal digital assistant;

or

a telephone.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

downloading the scaled and cropped source image to a cellular telephone, wherein the display is a display screen of the cellular telephone; and

displaying the image on the display screen of the cellular telephone as wallpaper.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the scaled and cropped source image is downloaded to the mobile telephone over a network, the network comprising at least one of:

the Internet;

a local area network;

a wireless connection;

an 802.11 connection;

a Bluetooth connection;

a wired connection; and

a wireless cellular communication link.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the source image from a plurality of source images using a user interface of the device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a storing the scaled and cropped source image in an image database.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the coordinates are positioned based on information received from the device via a network, the information including at least one of:

information describing a size of the display screen;

information identifying a model of the device;

information identifying a user of the device;

information identifying a manufacturer of the device; and

information including coordinates defining a device rectangle that bounds the display screen.

13. A method for displaying at least a portion of a source image on a display of a display device, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a source image, the source image defined by a source rectangle, the source image having an interest rectangle bounding an area of interest within the source image, the source rectangle and interest rectangle defined by a source aspect ratio and an interest aspect ratio respectively;

receiving information defining a device rectangle for displaying the source image, the device rectangle having a device aspect ratio;

aligning a center of a crop rectangle with the center of the interest rectangle;

cropping the source image to an area defined by the crop rectangle, comprising;

if the interest aspect ratio is wider than the device aspect ratio;

cropping the source image more extensively in the height dimension such that the crop rectangle defining the boundary- of the cropped source image is defined by a cropped aspect ratio that is equal to the device aspect ratio; and

if the interest aspect ratio is narrower than the device aspect ratio;

cropping the source image more extensively in the width dimension such that the crop rectangle is defined by a cropped aspect ratio that is equal to the device aspect ratio; and

resizing the cropped source image such that the cropped source image has the same dimensions as the device rectangle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the information defining the device rectangle includes at least one of:

information describing a size of the display;

information identifying a model of the device;

information identifying a user of the device;

information identifying a manufacturer of the device;

or

information including coordinates defining the device rectangle.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the device comprises at least one of:

a computer;

a laptop computer;

a personal digital assistant;

or

a telephone.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

downloading the resized and cropped source image to a cellular telephone, wherein the display is a display screen of the cellular telephone; and

displaying the image on the display of the cellular telephone.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the resized and cropped source image is downloaded to the cellular telephone over a network, the network comprising at least one of:

the Internet;

a local area network;

a wireless connection;

an 802.11 connection;

a Bluetooth connection;

a wired connection;

or

a wireless cellular communication link.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the user selects the source image using a user interface of the device.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

preparing multiple cropped images from the source image, each of the prepared images corresponding to a different display; and

storing the prepared images in an image database.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

downloading to the device the cropped and resized source image for user acceptance or rejection.

21. A method for displaying a source image on a cellular telephone, the method comprising:

receiving a request for the source image, the request comprising;

information identifying a size and an aspect ratio of a display screen of the cellular telephone;

identifying a center of an area of interest in the source image;

cropping the source image based on a comparison of an aspect ratio of the source image or an aspect ratio of an area of interest of the source image with the aspect ratio of the display screen such that the cropped image has the same aspect ratio as the display screen and the cropped source image is centered about the area of interest; and

resizing the cropped source image to have the same dimensions as the display.

22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising downloading the resized and cropped source image to the cellular telephone via a network;

23. A method according to claim 21, wherein cropping the source image based on a comparison of an aspect ratio of the source image with the aspect ratio of the display screen such that the cropped image has the same aspect ratio as the display screen and the cropped source image is centered about the area of interest further comprises:

determining a crop height and a crop width of the cropped image, wherein;

if an aspect ratio of the display screen is greater than the aspect ratio of the area of interest;

setting the crop-height equal to a width of the area of interest divided by an aspect ratio of the display screen of the device, the display screen defined by a device rectangle, wherein;

if the crop-height is greater than a height of a source rectangle defining the source image, setting the crop height to the height of the source rectangle; and

if the crop-height is less than the height of the source rectangle, setting the crop height to a height of the device rectangle; and

setting the crop width equal to the crop height times the aspect ratio of the display screen of the device; and

if the aspect ratio of the display screen is less than the aspect;

-ratio of the area of interest;

setting the crop-width equal to a height of the area of interest divided by an aspect ratio of the display screen, the display screen defined by a device rectangle;

wherein;

if the crop width is greater than a width of a source rectangle defining the source image, setting the crop width equal to the width of the source rectangle; and

if the crop width is less than the width of the device rectangle, setting the crop width equal to the width of the device rectangle, and

setting the crop height equal to the crop width divided by the aspect ratio of the device.