System and method for navigating graphical images

• US 6,961,908 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2001
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Terrace Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Phillips, Brent Russel
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US10/004,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20040205504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 715/765, 715/790, 715/788, 715/791, 715/839, 715/835, 715/840, 715/804
• US Class Current: 715/839
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing

Abstract

A system and method for navigating graphical images is presented. A display shows a matrix of thumbnail images currently with a larger master image. A user selects a thumbnail image and a corresponding larger image is displayed in the master image. The user may scroll through thumbnail images left and right, or up and down. The master image viewing is retained during the thumbnail scrolling. The user may change the resolution of the thumbnail images and master image. The user may also change the thumbnail matrix configuration or select an auto configuration mode.

Claims

1. A method of displaying graphical images, said method comprising:

retrieving a thumbtable matrix, the thumbtable matrix including one or more thumbnails organized in a first matrix configuration;

displaying the thumbtable matrix on a display window;

displaying a first larger image corresponding to a first thumbnail on the display window concurrently with the displayed thumbnails;

identifying a vertical scroll configuration;

selecting a back scroll button;

determining whether the thumbtable matrix is displaying a first thumbnail; and

scrolling the thumbtable matrix in response to the determination.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

requesting the thumbtable matrix and the first larger image from a server computer system via a computer network; and

receiving the thumbtable matrix and the first larger image from the server computer system.

3. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a horizontal scroll configuration;

selecting a next scroll button;

determining whether the thumbtable matrix is displaying a last thumbnail; and

scrolling the thumbtable matrix in response to the determination.

4. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a selection corresponding to one of the displayed thumbnails;

retrieving a second larger image corresponding to the selected thumbnail; and

displaying the second larger image on the display window concurrently with the displayed thumbnails.

5. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second matrix configuration selection; and

displaying the thumbtable matrix corresponding to the second matrix configuration selection.

6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein at least one of the thumbnails are selected from the group consisting of a digital picture, a video clip, and a live video feed.

7. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

one or more nonvolatile storage devices accessible by the processors;

a graphical image display tool, the graphical image display tool including;

means for retrieving a thumbtable matrix, the thumbtable matrix including one or more thumbnails organized in a first matrix configuration;

means for displaying the thumbtable matrix on a display window;

means for displaying a first larger image corresponding to a first thumbnail on the display window concurrently with the displayed thumbnails;

means for identifying a vertical scroll configuration;

means for selecting a back scroll button;

means for determining whether the thumbtable matrix is means for displaying a first thumbnail; and

means for scrolling the thumbtable matrix in response to the determination.

8. The information handling system as described in claim 7 further comprising:

means for requesting the thumbtable matrix and the first larger image from a server computer system via a computer network; and

means for receiving the thumbtable matrix and the first larger image from the server computer system.

9. The information handling system as described in claim 7 further comprising:

means for receiving a selection corresponding to one of the displayed thumbnails;

means for retrieving a second larger image corresponding to the selected thumbnail; and

means for displaying the second larger image on the display window concurrently with the displayed thumbnails.

10. The information handling system as described in claim 7 further comprising:

means for receiving a second matrix configuration selection; and

means for displaying the thumbtable matrix corresponding to the second matrix configuration selection.

11. A computer program product stored in a computer operable media for displaying graphical images, said computer program product comprising:

means for retrieving a thumbtable matrix, the thumbtable matrix including one or more thumbnails organized in a first matrix configuration;

means for displaying the thumbtable matrix on a display window;

comprising;

means for retrieving a thumbtable matrix, the thumbtable matrix including one or more thumbnails organized in a first matrix configuration;

means for displaying the thumbtable matrix on a display window;

means for displaying a first larger image corresponding to a first thumbnail on the display window concurrently with the displayed thumbnails;

means for identifying a vertical scroll configuration;

means for selecting a back scroll button;

means for determining whether the thumbtable matrix is displaying a first thumbnail; and

means for scrolling the thumbtable matrix in response to the determination.

12. The computer program product as described in claim 11 further comprising:

means for requesting the thumbtable matrix and the first larger image from a server computer system via a computer network; and

means for receiving the thumbtable matrix and the first larger image from the server computer system.

13. The computer program product as described in claim 11 further comprising:

means for identifying a horizontal scroll configuration;

means for selecting a next scroll button;

means for determining whether the thumbtable matrix is displaying a last thumbnail; and

means for scrolling the thumbtable matrix in response to the determination.

14. The computer program product as described in claim 11 further comprising:

means for receiving a selection corresponding to one of the displayed thumbnails;

means for retrieving a second larger image corresponding to the selected thumbnail; and

means for displaying the second larger image on the display window concurrently with the displayed thumbnails.

15. The computer program product as described in claim 11 further comprising:

means for receiving a second matrix configuration selection; and

means for displaying the thumbtable matrix corresponding to the second matrix configuration selection.

16. The computer program product as described in claim 11 wherein at least one of the thumbnails are selected from the group consisting of a digital picture, a video clip, and a live video feed.

17. A method of displaying graphical images on a display device attached to a client computer, said method comprising:

requesting a thumbtable matrix and a first larger image from a server computer system via a computer network;

receiving, from the server, the thumbtable matrix and the first larger image, wherein the thumbtable matrix includes one or more thumbnails organized in a first matrix configuration, wherein the first larger image corresponds to one of the thumbnails and wherein at least one of the thumbnails is selected from the group consisting of a digital picture, a video clip, and a live video feed;

displaying, on the display device, the thumbtable matrix concurrently with the first larger image in a display window;

identifying a horizontal scroll configuration for the display window;

selecting a next scroll button;

determining whether the thumbtable matrix is displaying a last thumbnail;

scrolling the thumbtable matrix in response to the determination;

identifying a vertical scroll configuration;

selecting a back scroll button;

determining whether the thumbtable matrix is displaying a first thumbnail;

scrolling the thumbtable matrix in response to the determination;

receiving a selection corresponding to one of the displayed thumbnails;

retrieving a second larger image corresponding to the selected thumbnail;

displaying the second larger image on the display window concurrently with the displayed thumbnails;

receiving a second matrix configuration selection from a user;

retrieving the second matrix configuration; and

displaying the thumbtable matrix corresponding to the second matrix configuration selection, wherein the appearance of the displayed thumbtable matrix using the second matrix configuration is different from the appearance of the displayed thumbtable matrix using the first matrix configuration.