Systems and methods for resizing an icon

• US 8,223,165 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Jitkoff, John Nicholas, Ainslie, Alex Neely
• Primary Examiner(s): Sajous, Wesner
• Application Number:
  US13/245,627
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 345/581, 345/589, 345/592, 345/606, 345/619, 345/660, 345670-671, 382/254, 382/256, 382/260, 382/266, 382/276, 382/282, 382298-300, 715/200, 715/246, 715/247, 715/252, 715/700, 715/764, 715/768, 715/788, 715/800, 715/815
• US Class Current: 345/592
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/04 Context-preserving transformations, e.g. by using an importance map panospheric to cylindrical image transformations G06T3/12

Abstract

Systems and methods for resizing an icon are disclosed according to various aspects of the subject technology. In one aspect, a computer-implemented method for resizing an icon is disclosed. The method comprises computing an area of the icon, comparing the computed area of the icon with a predetermined area, and resizing the icon based on the comparison such that an area of the resized icon is approximately equal to the predetermined area.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for resizing an icon, the method comprising:

computing an area of the icon using a processor;

comparing the computed area of the icon with a predetermined area;

resizing the icon based on the comparison such that an area of the resized icon is approximately equal to the predetermined area; and

generating an image comprising the resized icon and transparent pixels or white pixels surrounding the resized icon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein resizing the icon comprises increasing the icon in size when the computed area of the icon is less than the predetermined area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein resizing the icon comprises decreasing the icon in size when the computed area of the icon is greater than the predetermined area.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein computing the area of the icon comprises:

blurring the icon; and

computing an area of the blurred icon.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein blurring the icon comprises applying a mean filter to the icon.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein computing the area of the blurred icon comprises subtracting, from a total number of pixels in an available space for the icon, transparent pixels or white pixels surrounding the blurred icon.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein computing the area of the blurred icon comprises:

determining an outer boundary of the blurred icon; and

determining an area enclosed by the outer boundary of the blurred icon.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein computing the area of the icon comprises:

determining an outer boundary of the icon; and

determining an area enclosed by the outer boundary of the icon.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the outer boundary of the icon comprises applying a convex hull algorithm to an image comprising the icon.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the image comprises transparent pixels or white pixels surrounding the icon.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the icon represents an application or a website, and the method further comprises displaying the resized icon to a user to represent the application or the website.

12. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

computing a number of pixels in an icon;

comparing the computed number of pixels in the icon with a predetermined number of pixels;

resizing the icon based on the comparison such that a number of pixels in the resized icon is approximately equal to the predetermined number of pixels; and

generating an image comprising the resized icon and transparent pixels or white pixels surrounding the resized icon.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12 wherein computing the number of pixels in the icon comprises:

blurring the icon; and

computing the number of pixels in the blurred icon.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the icon represents an application or a website, and the operations further comprise displaying the resized icon to a user to represent the application or the website.

15. A computer-implemented method for analyzing an icon, comprising:

determining an outer boundary of the icon using a processor;

computing an area enclosed by the outer boundary of the icon;

comparing the computed area of the icon with a predetermined area;

determining whether the icon is to be resized based on the comparison; and

transmitting a message indicating the determination.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining whether the icon is to be resized comprises determining that the icon is to be increased in size when the computed area of the icon is less than the predetermined area, and the message indicates that the icon needs to be increased in size.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining whether the icon is to be resized comprises determining that the icon is to be decreased in size when the computed area of the icon is greater than the predetermined area, and the message indicates that the icon needs to be decreased in size.

18. A system for analyzing an icon, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving an icon from a remote system;

determining an outer boundary of the icon;

computing an area enclosed by the outer boundary of the icon;

comparing the computed area of the icon with a predetermined area;

determining whether the icon is to be resized based on the comparison; and

transmitting a message to the remote system over a network connection, wherein the message indicates the determination.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the network connection is via a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) or the Internet.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein determining whether the icon is to be resized comprises determining that the icon is to be increased in size when the computed area of the icon is less than the predetermined area, and the message indicates that the icon needs to be increased in size.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein determining whether the icon is to be resized comprises determining that the icon is to be decreased in size when the computed area of the icon is greater than the predetermined area, and the message indicates that the icon needs to be decreased in size.