Detail-in-context lenses for interacting with objects in digital image presentations

• US 8,311,915 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2009
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cloudrock LLC (Slingshot Technologies LLC)
• Original Assignee: Noregin Assets N.V. LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Baar, David J. P., Solehdin, Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US12/579,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20100033503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 382/299, 345/660, 345/671
• US Class Current: 705/35
• 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: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• 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

Methods for initiating an electronic shopping transaction, for initiating a control operation for a user-selectable video game character, for emphasizing an advertisement in a computer generated display, and for presenting multiple GUIs in desktop user interfaces using detail-in-context graphical distortions. The method for initiating an electronic shopping transaction, for a user-selectable item presented in a computer generated original image on a display, comprising: receiving a selection signal for the item from a user; distorting the original image to produce a distorted region for the item to provide the user with detailed information for the item; and, receiving a purchase signal for the item from the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

causing an image of a video game to be displayed, by a data processing system, on a display device;

distorting the image by the data processing system to produce a presentation having a distorted region that gives an appearance of a lens being incorporated within the image, the appearance of the lens having a magnified region that is surrounded by a shoulder region, wherein at least a portion of the image in the shoulder region has a magnification that is less than a magnification of the magnified region and greater than a magnification of the image; and

causing the distorted image having the appearance of the lens incorporated within the image to be displayed by the data processing system on the display device.

2. A method of claim 1 wherein the appearance of the lens provides a detail-in-context view.

3. A method of claim 1 wherein the appearance of the lens provides greater detail to a view of a character in the video game.

4. A method of claim 3 wherein the appearance of the lens also provides information pertaining to the character.

5. A method of claim 4 wherein the information includes available powers, weapons, reserves points, skill, or controls for the character.

6. A method of claim 4 wherein the information is displayed via a pop-up window.

7. A method of claim 1 wherein the appearance of the lens also provides an interface to an external gaming application available to the data processing system through a network.

8. A method of claim 1 wherein the appearance of the lens includes control icons.

9. A method of claim 1 wherein the distorting is applied for a plurality of regions in the image, each said region corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of characters of the video game.

10. A method of claim 1 wherein the video game is a role-playing game.

11. A method of claim 1 wherein the data processing system is a game console.

18. A method of claim 1 wherein, in at least a portion of the shoulder region, a degree of image magnification decreases going away from the magnified region.

19. A method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the image in the shoulder region is compressed.

20. A method of claim 19 wherein, in at least a portion of the shoulder region, a degree of image compression increases going away from the magnified region.

12. A tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising a video game configured to distort an image of the video game to produce a presentation having a distorted region that gives an appearance of a lens being incorporated within the image, the appearance of the lens having a magnified region that is surrounded by a shoulder region, wherein at least a portion of the image in the shoulder region has a magnification that is less than a magnification of the magnified region and greater than a magnification of the image.

13. A computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the instructions provide an interface to an external gaming application that is accessible via a network.

14. A computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the appearance of the lens includes control icons.

15. A computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the image is distorted in a plurality of regions, each said region corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of characters of the video game.

16. A computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the video game is a role-playing game.

17. A computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the video game is executable to provide a control operation for a user-selectable video game character presented in the image on a display that involves:

receiving a selection signal for said character; and

distorting the image to produce the appearance of the lens for said character to provide detailed information for said character.

21. A method of claim 12 wherein, in at least a portion of the shoulder region, a degree of image magnification decreases going away from the magnified region.

22. A computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the image in the shoulder region is compressed.

23. A computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein, in at least a portion of the shoulder region, a degree of image compression increases going away from the magnified region.