User interface for electronic image viewing apparatus

• US 6,310,648 B1
• Filed: 09/12/1997
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Miller, Michael E., Lourette, Richard W., Fellegara, Peter C., Bussi, Carolyn A., Telek, Michael J., Hunter, Matthew E., Kerr, Duncan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US08/928,146
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5222, 348/207, 348/220, 348/221, 348/222, 348/239, 348/333.01, 348/333.02, 348/333.03, 348/333.04, 348/333.05, 348/333.1, 348/333.11, 348/333.12, 348/333.13, 386/96
• US Class Current: 348/333.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/53 of electronic viewfinders, e.g. rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters

Abstract

An apparatus for viewing and manipulating electronic image data corresponding to one or more images includes a display device for generating a displayed image from the electronic image data and for displaying a first set of graphical elements oriented in a direction substantially orthogonal to a second set of graphical elements. A first user control is arranged so that its direction of user engagement is oriented parallel to the first set of graphical elements for initiating one or more operations represented by the first set of graphical elements, and a second user control is arranged so that its direction of user engagement is oriented parallel to the second set of graphical elements for initiating one or more operations represented by the second set of graphical elements. By thus orienting the directions of user engagement for the first and second user controls substantially orthogonal to each other, user interaction is intuitively integrated with the visual presentation of the first and second sets of graphical elements.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface for selecting and viewing electronic image data corresponding to one or more images, and for controlling the presentation and editing of the images, said interface comprising:

a display device for generating at least one displayed image from the electronic image data;

means for producing on the display device first and second sets of graphical elements arranged orthogonal to each other, said first set including pictorial elements representing low resolution versions of a plurality of electronic images including the displayed image and said second set including graphical symbols identifying a plurality of operations that can be carried out on the displayed image;

a first set of at least two interface controls that are arranged on a first axis parallel to the first set of graphical elements in order to scroll through the low resolution versions of the electronic images; and

a second set of at least two interface controls that are arranged on a second axis parallel to the second set of graphical elements in order to select an operation.

2. An interface as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second set of interface controls are user input elements located separate from but adjacent to the display device.

3. An interface as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first set and the second set of interface controls are respectively dispersed along a width-wise and height-wise dimension of the display device so as to intuitively integrate user interaction with the visual presentation of the first and second sets of graphical elements.

4. A graphical user interface as claimed in claim 1 wherein the display device is a liquid crystal display.

5. A graphical user interface as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pictorial elements of the first set of graphical elements are presented in the form of a filmstrip.

6. A graphical use interface as claimed in claim 1 wherein the interface controls are user engageable buttons.

7. A graphical user interface as claimed in claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface is part of a digital camera.

8. An interface as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second set of interface controls are grouped together on a single user input element having actuable sections that maintain the separate first and second axes so as to intuitively integrate user interaction with the visual presentation of the first and second sets of graphical elements.

9. An imaging apparatus for selecting and viewing electronic image data corresponding to one or more images, and for controlling the presentation and editing of the images, said imaging apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing the electronic image data;

a display device for producing a displayed image;

a processor section for retrieving the electronic image data from the memory and providing the retrieved data to the display device for producing a high resolution displayed image, said processor section also producing data for displaying a first set of graphical elements arranged perpendicular to a second set of graphical elements on the display device, wherein the first set of graphical elements provides a plurality of low resolution images in the form of a filmstrip including one lowresolution image that corresponds to the high resolution displayed image;

a first set of at least two interface controls that are arranged on a first axis parallel to the first set of graphical elements for manipulating the first set of graphical elements; and

a second set of at least two interface controls that are arranged on a second axis parallel to the second set of graphical elements for manipulating the second set of graphical elements, wherein the first and second set of interface controls are arranged perpendicular to each other so as to line up user interaction with the visual presentation of the first and second sets of graphical elements.

10. An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the first and second set of interface controls are combined in one operator input element having separately actuable sections arranged along one side of the display device.

11. An image capture apparatus for capturing electronic image data corresponding to one or more images, and for selecting, viewing, and controlling the presentation and editing of the captured images, said image capture apparatus comprising:

a housing for containing components of the image capture device;

an optical section mounted on the housing for focusing image light upon an image plane;

an image sensor positioned at the image plane for generating electronic image data;

a memory first storing the electronic image data captured by the image sensor,

a display device mounted on the body for producing a displayed image;

a processor section for retrieving the electronic image data from the memory and providing the retrieved data to the display device for producing a high resolution displayed image, said processor section also producing data for displaying a first set of graphical elements arranged perpendicular to a second set of graphical elements on the display device, wherein the fist set of graphical elements provides a plurality of low resolution images in the form of a filmstrip including one low resolution image that corresponds to the high resolution displayed image;

a first set of at least two interface controls that are arranged on the housing adjacent to the display device on a first axis parallel to the first set of graphical elements for manipulating the first set of graphical elements; and

a second set of at least two interface controls that are arranged on the housing adjacent to the display device on a second axis parallel to the second set of graphical elements for manipulating the second set of graphical elements, wherein the first and second set of interface controls are arranged perpendicular to each other so as to line up user interaction with the visual presentation of the first and second sets of graphical elements.

12. An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the first and second set of interface controls are combined in one operator input element having separately actable sections arranged along one side of the display device.

13. An imaging apparatus for selecting and viewing electronic image data corresponding to one or more images, and for controlling the presentation and editing of the images, said imaging apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing the electronic image data;

a display device for producing a displayed image;

a processor section for retrieving the electronic image data from the memory and providing the retrieved data to the display device for producing the displayed image, said processor section also producing data for displaying a first set of graphical elements arranged perpendicular to a second set of graphical elements on the display device, the second set of graphical elements being a plurality of operations presented in the form of a menu bar;

a first set of at least two interface controls tat arranged on a first axis parallel to the first set of graphical elements for manipulating the first set of graphical elements; and

a second set of at least two interface controls that are arranged on a second axis parallel to the second set of graphical elements for manipulating the second set of graphical elements, wherein the first and second set of interface controls are arranged perpendicular to each other so as to line up user interaction with the visual presentation of the first and second sets of graphical elements.

14. An image capture apparatus for capturing electronic image data corresponding to one or more images, and for selecting, viewing, and controlling the presentation and editing of the captured images, said image capture apparatus comprising:

a housing for containing components of the image capture device;

an optical section mounted on the housing for focusing image light upon an image plane;

an image sensor positioned at the image plane for generating electronic image data;

a memory for storing the electronic image data captured by the image sensor;

a display device mounted on the body for producing a displayed image;

a processor section for retrieving the electronic image data from the memory and providing the retrieved data to the display device for producing the displayed image, said processor section also producing data for displaying a first set of graphical elements arranged perpendicular to a second set of graphical elements on the display device, the second set of graphical elements being a plurality of operations presented in the form of a menu bar,

a first set of at least two interface controls that are arranged on the housing adjacent to the display device on a first axis parallel to the first set of graphical elements for manipulating the first set of graphical elements; and

a second set of at least two interface controls that are arranged on the housing adjacent to the display device on a second axis parallel to the second set of graphical elements for manipulating the second set of graphical elements, wherein the first and second set of interface controls arranged perpendicular to each other so as to line up user interaction wit the visual presentation of the first and second sets of graphical elements.