Auto stacking of time related images

• US 20070035551A1
• Filed: 06/15/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ubillos, Randy
• Granted Patent: US 7,839,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/581
• 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: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/97 Determining parameters from multiple pictures depth or shape recovery from multiple images G06T7/55; stereo camera calibration G06T7/85

Abstract

Digital images may be grouped based on attributes of the images. To represent this grouping, the representations of the digital images are arranged into stacks.

Claims

1. A method for displaying graphical representations of digital images, the method comprising:

displaying representations of a plurality of digital images;

reading attribute values related to an attribute of said digital images;

automatically grouping said digital images into one or more groups based on the attribute values for said attributes; and

in response to said grouping, modifying the display of the representations in a manner that reflects the group to which each image belongs, wherein;

said group is arranged in an order;

said display of the representations comprises visually representing said group with the first representation of the digital image from said order; and

in response to user input, changing said order of said group of images in response to changing the identity of said representative image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said groups comprise one or more stacks, wherein said stack is a set of ordered digital images that may be visually represented, in a first state, using a representative image, referred to as a pick image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said groups comprise one or more formal groups, wherein said formal group is a set of unordered digital images that may be visually represented, in a first state, using a representative image, referred to as a pick image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said groups comprise one or more version sets, wherein said version set is a set of related digital images that may be visually represented, in a first state, using a pick image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said attribute comprises data related to the creation of said image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said attribute comprises data related to the contents of said image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said attribute comprises data related to the orientation of said image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatic grouping is based upon data related to the creation of said images.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatic grouping is based upon data related to the content of said images.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatic grouping is based upon data related to the orientation of said images.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatic grouping is based upon a comparison of said attribute values.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said comparison is based upon user input comprising time, image content, or image orientation.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said comparison is based upon user input from a user interface control comprising a slider, dialog box, or menu command.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said display comprises:

on a display device, visually representing a set of associated digital images using a single digital image, from the set, that has been designated as a pick image; and

in response to user input, switching from using the pick image to represent the set of images, to displaying all images in the set.

16. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 2.

17. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 3.

18. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 4.

19. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 5.

20. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 6.

21. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 7.

22. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 8.

23. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 9.

24. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 10.

25. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 11.

26. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 12.

27. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 13.

28. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 14.

15. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

displaying representations of a plurality of digital images;

reading attribute values related to an attribute of said digital images;

automatically grouping said digital images into one or more groups based on the values of said attributes, wherein said automatic grouping comprises a comparison of said attributes; and

in response to said grouping, modifying the display of the representations in a manner that reflects the group to which each image belongs, wherein;

said group is arranged in an order;

said display of the representations comprises visually representing said group with the first representation of the digital image from said order; and

in response to user input, changing said order of said group of images in response to changing the identity of said representative image.

29. A method for displaying graphical representations of digital images, the method comprising:

displaying representations of a plurality of digital images;

reading attribute values related to an attribute of said digital images, wherein said attribute values comprise a file creation date and time;

automatically grouping said digital images into one or more groups based on the attribute values for said attributes, wherein said automatic grouping comprises a comparison of said attributes; and

in response to said grouping, modifying the display of the representations in a manner that reflects the group to which each image belongs, wherein

said modification comprises organizing said representations into stacks, and wherein;

said group is arranged in an order;

said display of the representations comprises visually representing said group with the first representation of the digital image from said order; and

in response to user input, changing said order of said group of images in response to changing the identity of said representative image.

30. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

displaying representations of a plurality of digital images;

reading attribute values related to an attribute of said digital images;

automatically grouping said digital images into one or more groups based on the attribute values for said attributes, wherein said automatic grouping comprises a comparison of said attributes; and

visually representing a group of associated digital images using a single digital image, from the set, that has been designated as a pick images;

in response to user input, changing an order of said group of images; and

in response to said changing said order, changing said attribute values to reflect said new order.