Detail-in-context lenses for digital image cropping, measurement and online maps

• US 8,120,624 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accessify, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Noregin Assets N.V. LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jetha, Zeenat, Carlisle, Andrew, Skiers, Andrew, Baar, David J. P., Shoemaker, Garth B. D.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, CHANTE E
• Application Number:
  US12/368,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20100026718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 345/660, 345/619, 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/647
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

In one or more implementations, a signal is received selecting a geographic location in an original image of a digital map for display on a display. The original image is distorted to give an appearance of a lens being applied to the digital map for display on the display, the appearance of the lens including a focal region that includes a magnification of the geographic location and a base region that surrounds the focal region.

Claims

1. A tangible computer-readable media device comprising instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a system, causes the system to perform operations comprising:

defining a line segment between geographic locations on an image of a digital map; and

distorting the image to give an appearance of a lens in response to the defining of at least one end of the line segment, the appearance of the lens including;

a focal region having a magnification of at least a portion of the line segment; and

a base region that surrounds the focal region and that includes a magnification that provides a continuous transition from the magnification of the focal region to the image.

2. The tangible computer-readable media device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the geographic locations is a street.

3. The tangible computer-readable media device of claim 1, wherein the distorting causes a street name to be revealed.

4. The tangible computer-readable media device of claim 1, wherein the focal region has a size and a shape and further comprising receiving one or more signals for adjusting at least one of the size, the shape, or a magnification of the focal region.

5. The tangible computer-readable media device of claim 1, wherein one or more signals are received through a GUI to define the line segment.

6. The tangible computer-readable media device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, in response to execution by the system, are configured to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) to adjust at least one of a size, a shape, or a magnification of the appearance of the lens.

7. The tangible computer-readable media device of claim 6, wherein the GUI includes at least one of:

a slide bar icon for adjusting a magnification for the appearance of the lens;

a slide bar icon for adjusting a degree of scooping for the appearance of the lens;

a bounding rectangle icon with at least one handle icon for adjusting a size or a shape for the focal region;

a bounding rectangle icon with at least one handle icon for adjusting a size or a shape for the base region;

a move icon for adjusting a location for the appearance of the lens on the line segment;

a pickup icon for adjusting a location for the base region within the original image;

or

a fold icon for adjusting a location for the focal region relative to the base region.

8. The tangible computer-readable media device of claim 1, wherein the line segment is a straight line.