Display of multiple images based on a temporal relationship among them with various operations available to a user as a function of the image size

• US 6,069,606 A
• Filed: 05/15/1997
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Doan, Nghi Dong, Sciammarella, Eduardo, Servan-Schreiber, Franklin, Herndon, Kenneth, Nehme, Jad
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US08/857,183
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: 345/127, 345/129, 345/130, 345/439, 345/343, 345/344, 345/345, 345/346
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

Multiple images are displayed on a screen of a computer system to reflect a temporal relationship among them. Based on date and time when an image is obtained in relation to other displayed images, its size is set accordingly. Namely, the more recent the image, the larger its size on the screen. In addition, the larger the size of the image, the more processing operations, including graphical or text processing functions, are available to a user to be performed on that image.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a plurality of images in a computer system, comprising the steps of:

determining a temporal order of said images representing a chronological order in which said images are obtained by said computer system;

designating one of said images as a first image;

displaying said images sequentially in said temporal order such that said images are displayed in different sizes in accordance with said temporal order, wherein said first image is displayed in the largest size among the displayed images;

arraying the displayed images along a line such that the sizes of the displayed images progressively increase/decrease along said line in accordance with said temporal order whereby a temporal relationship among the displayed images is readily discernible, wherein said line forms two spiral chains which are temporally connected to each other such that said first image is located at a temporal connecting point of said two spiral chains, wherein said images which are older in said temporal order than said first image are arrayed according to said temporal order in one of said two spiral chains and wherein said images which are newer in said temporal order than said first image are arrayed according to said temporal order in the other of said two spiral chains; and

wherein said steps of displaying and arraying are reiterated when another image is designated as said first image such that each successive image in said temporal order is displayed in a smaller size and arrayed such that said temporal order is maintained.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said temporal order indicates an order in which said images have been retrieved by said computer system.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the sizes of those images which are older in said temporal order than said first image successively change in accordance with said temporal order such that the size of an older one of said images is smaller than the size of a newer one of said images.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the sizes of those images which are newer in said temporal order than said first image successively change in accordance with said temporal order such that the size of an older one of said images is larger than the size of a newer one of said images.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein those images which are newer in said temporal order than said first image are not displayed.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the displayed images are subject to a number of processing operations by a user;

further comprising the step of selecting processing operations, including either a graphical or text processing operation, available to said user to be performed on each of said images in dependence on the size of each of said images.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a fewer number of said processing operations are available to said user on a smaller one of said images than on a larger one of said images.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said step of selecting selects for larger-sized images processing operations which affect a content of said images.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of storing in memory only that data representing said processing operations selected thereby reducing memory capacity and management requirements.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said temporal order is in accordance with an editing operation that has been performed by a user.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the sizes of those images which are older in said temporal order than said first image successively change in accordance with said temporal order such that the size of an older one of said images is smaller than the size of a newer one of said images.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the sizes of those images which are newer in said temporal order than said first image progressively change in accordance with said temporal order such that the size of an older one of said images is larger than the size of a newer one of said images.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said line is curved and the displayed images overlap each other.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein said line is a curved line;

wherein said step of displaying displays said images along said curved line such that said images are not overlapping.

15. A method for displaying images on a screen in a computer system based on a temporal relationship representing a chronological order among said images which are stored in said computer system, comprising the steps of:

determining as a first date and time when a first image in a first plurality of images has been obtained by said computer system;

determining as a second date and time when a second image in said first plurality of images has been obtained by said computer system;

comparing the date and time of said first and second images to determine the temporal relationship;

reducing said first image if said second image is more recent in time than said first image; and

displaying said first image on said screen and said second image in a predetermined display area of said screen which is larger than said first image size if said first image is reduced, and otherwise reducing said second image such that said second image is smaller than said first image and displaying said second image on said screen, wherein said first and second images are located on said screen along a curved line, wherein said line forms two spiral chains which are temporally connected to each other such that said first image is located at a temporal connecting point of said two spiral chains, wherein said images which are older in said temporal order than said first image are arrayed according to said temporal order in one of said two spiral chains and wherein said images which are newer in said temporal order than said first image are arrayed according to said temporal order in the other of said two spiral chains, said first and second images being located on said spiral chains such that a temporal relationship between said first and second images is readily discernible.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein:

said two spiral chains form a first web spiral chain and a second web spiral chain;

each image on said first and second web spiral chains is of different display size such that the least current image has the largest display size on said screen; and

said second web spiral chain is connected to said first web spiral chain.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said second web spiral chain is connected via its least current image to said first web spiral chain such that the least current image on said second web spiral chain is shared by said first and second pluralities of images such that the least current image in said second plurality of images represents the most current image in said first plurality of images.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein said images are subject to a number of processing operations by a user;

further comprising the step of selecting processing operations including, a graphical or text processing operation, available to said user to be performed on one of said first and second images in dependence on the display size thereof.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said first image has a fewer number of processing operations available to said user to be performed on said first image than said second image if said first image is smaller than said second image.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein said step of selecting selects for larger-sized images processing operations which affect a content of said images.

21. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of storing in memory only that data representing said processing operations selected thereby reducing memory capacity and management requirements.

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein said step of displaying displays said images along said curved line such that said images are not overlapping.

23. A system for displaying a plurality of images, comprising:

a display screen for displaying said plurality of images; and

a controllable processor programmed to determine a temporal order representing a chronological order of said images, to designate one of said images as a first image, to display said images sequentially in said temporal order such that said first image has the largest size among the displayed images, and to array the displayed images along a line such that the sizes of the displayed images progressively increase/decrease along said line in accordance with said temporal order whereby a temporal relationship among the displayed images is readily discernible, wherein said line forms two spiral chains which are temporally connected to each other such that said first image is located at a temporal connecting point of said two spiral chains wherein said controllable processor is programmed to array said images which are older in said temporal order than said first image are arrayed according to said temporal order in one of said two spiral chains and wherein said images which are newer in said temporal order than said first image are arrayed according to said temporal order in the other of said two spiral chains.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein said line is curved and the displayed images overlap each other.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the displayed images are subject to a number of processing operations by a user;

wherein said controllable processor is programmed to process operations, including graphical and text processing operations, available to said user to be performed on each of said images in dependence on the size of each of said images.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said controllable processor is programmed to select for larger-sized images processing operations which affect a content of said images.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said controllable processor is programmed to store in memory only that data representing said processing operations selected thereby reducing memory capacity and management requirements.

28. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said line is a curved line;

wherein said display screen displays said images along said curved line such that said images are not overlapping.