COLLAGE DISPLAY OF IMAGE PROJECTS

• US 20090148064A1
• Filed: 12/05/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Schulz, Egan
• Granted Patent: US 8,775,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/284
• 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 digital images, comprising the computer-executed steps of:

determining which images belong to each of a plurality of projects; and

concurrently displaying a collage for each project of the plurality of projects;

wherein the collage for each project is composed of a plurality of images that belong to the project, and

wherein borders between images that belong to the same collage are indicated differently than borders between different collages.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein borders between different collages are wider than borders between different images that belong to the same collage.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the plurality of projects include a first project and a second project;

the step of concurrently displaying a collage for each project includes concurrently displaying a first collage for the first project and a second collage for the second project;

the number of images in the first collage is different than the number of images in the second collage; and

the pixel resolution of the first collage is the same as the pixel resolution of the second collage.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the plurality of projects include a first project and a second project;

the step of concurrently displaying a collage for each project includes concurrently displaying a first collage for the first project and a second collage for the second project;

all images of which the first collage is composed are displayed at a first pixel resolution;

all images of which the second collage is composed are displayed at a second pixel resolution; and

the first pixel resolution is different than the second pixel resolution.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting, for a particular project of the plurality of projects, a subset of images that belong to the particular project to include in the collage for the particular project.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

the step of selecting is performed in response to determining that the number of images in the particular project exceeds a maximum desired number of collage components;

the step of selecting includes selecting the first N images of the project where N is the maximum desired number of collage components.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein:

the images that belong to the particular project have a particular order; and

the subset of images that are selected come earlier, in the particular order, than all images that are not selected to be included in the collage for the particular project.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein:

the images that belong to the particular project have a particular order; and

the step of selecting includes selecting images that are evenly distributed throughout the project, relative to the particular order.

9. A method for displaying images, the method comprising the computer-executed steps of:

determining which images belong to a project;

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

displaying the collage for the project based on the selected subset of images.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein

the images that belong to the project have a particular order;

and

the step of selecting includes selecting images that are evenly distributed throughout the project, relative to the particular order

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

displaying a virtual loupe that includes 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 that are selected by the virtual loupe.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

receiving 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 projects that are not in said subset to be displayed as part of said collage.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the subset of images is a first subset of imaged, the method further comprising the steps of:

receiving 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.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

determining which images belong to each of a plurality of projects; and

concurrently displaying a collage for each project of the plurality of projects;

wherein the collage for each project is composed of a plurality of images that belong to the project;

wherein borders between images that belong to the same collage are indicated differently than borders between different collages.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein:

the plurality of projects include a first project and a second project;

the step of concurrently displaying a collage for each project includes concurrently displaying a first collage for the first project and a second collage for the second project;

the number of images in the first collage is different than the number of images in the second collage; and

the pixel resolution of the first collage is the same as the pixel resolution of the second collage.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein:

the plurality of projects include a first project and a second project;

the step of concurrently displaying a collage for each project includes concurrently displaying a first collage for the first project and a second collage for the second project;

all images of which the first collage is composed are displayed at a first pixel resolution;

all images of which the second collage is composed are displayed at a second pixel resolution; and

the first pixel resolution is different than the second pixel resolution.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 further comprising instructions for selecting, for a particular project of the plurality of projects, a subset of images that belong to the particular project to include in the collage for the particular project.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein:

the step of selecting is performed in response to determining that the number of images in the particular project exceeds a maximum desired number of collage components; and

the step of selecting includes selecting the first N images of the project where N is the maximum desired number of collage components.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein:

the images that belong to the particular project have a particular order; and

the subset of images that are selected come earlier, in the particular order, than all images that are not selected to be included in the collage for the particular project.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein:

the images that belong to the particular project have a particular order; and

the step of selecting includes selecting images that are evenly distributed throughout the project, relative to the particular order.

21. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

determining which images belong to a project;

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

displaying the collage for the project based on the selected subset of images.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 wherein

the images that belong to the project have a particular order;

and

the step of selecting includes selecting images that are evenly distributed throughout the project, relative to the particular order

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 further comprising instructions for:

displaying a virtual loupe that includes 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 that are selected by the virtual loupe.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 further comprising instructions for:

receiving 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 projects that are not in said subset to be displayed as part of said collage.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 wherein the subset of images is a first subset of images, the instructions further comprising instructions for:

receiving 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.