U.S. patent application number 09/141686 was filed with the patent office on 2001-08-16 for selecting, arranging, and printing digital images from thumbnail images.
Invention is credited to BRINDLEY, RICHARD, BUBIE, WALTER C., LODINE, CATHRYN, O'SUCH, WILLIAM R., RICARD, LAURENT, RINDAUDO, JOSEPH P..
Application Number | 20010014184 09/141686 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 22496762 |
Filed Date | 2001-08-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010014184 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
BUBIE, WALTER C. ; et
al. |
August 16, 2001 |
SELECTING, ARRANGING, AND PRINTING DIGITAL IMAGES FROM THUMBNAIL
IMAGES
Abstract
A method for selecting and arranging digital images to be
printed from a group of thumbnail images is disclosed. The method
comprises the steps of displaying the group of thumbnail images;
selecting, from the group of thumbnail images, the number of images
to be printed per page and the images which are to be printed on
each page; automatically arranging the selected images for each
page to be printed; and printing the arranged images.
Inventors: |
BUBIE, WALTER C.;
(ROCHESTER, NY) ; LODINE, CATHRYN; (ACTON, MA)
; RICARD, LAURENT; (BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT, FR) ;
BRINDLEY, RICHARD; (LEY HILL CHESHAM, GB) ; O'SUCH,
WILLIAM R.; (PARIS, FR) ; RINDAUDO, JOSEPH P.;
(WINTER GARDEN, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PATENT LEGAL STAFF
EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
343 STATE STREET
ROCHESTER
NY
14650-2201
US
|
Family ID: |
22496762 |
Appl. No.: |
09/141686 |
Filed: |
August 28, 1998 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
382/293 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 1/00161 20130101;
G06F 40/114 20200101; H04N 1/00458 20130101; H04N 1/00204 20130101;
H04N 1/00453 20130101; H04N 1/387 20130101; H04N 1/0045 20130101;
H04N 1/00461 20130101; H04N 2201/0082 20130101; H04N 1/00408
20130101; H04N 1/00132 20130101; H04N 2201/0084 20130101; H04N
1/00466 20130101; H04N 1/00442 20130101; H04N 1/00188 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
382/293 |
International
Class: |
G06K 009/32; G06K
009/54 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for selecting and arranging digital images to be
printed from a group of thumbnail images, comprising the steps of:
(a) displaying the group of thumbnail images; (b) selecting, from
the group of thumbnail images, the number of images to be printed
per page and the images which are to be printed on each page; (c)
automatically arranging the selected images for each page to be
printed; and (d) printing the arranged images.
2. A method for selecting and arranging digital images to be
printed from a group of thumbnail images, comprising the steps of:
(a) displaying the group of thumbnail images; (b) selecting, from
the group of thumbnail images, at least two images to be printed
per page and the images which are to be printed on each page; (c)
automatically arranging the selected images for each page to be
printed, including: (i) calculating the number of selected images
in vertical and horizontal directions; and (ii) calculating and
modifying the size of the selected images in the vertical and
horizontal directions to cause white space to separate the selected
images; and (d) printing the arranged images.
3. The method of claim 2 further including initiating the printing
step by selecting a print icon on the periphery of the group of
thumbnail images.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein the thumbnail images have a lower
resolution than the captured digital images.
5. A method for selecting and arranging digital images to be
printed from a group of thumbnail images, comprising the steps of:
(a) displaying the group of thumbnail images; (b) selecting, from
the group of thumbnail images, at least two images to be printed
per page and the images which are to be printed on each page; (c)
rotating appropriate ones of the selected images to fit on a
corresponding page; (d) automatically arranging the selected images
for each page to be printed, including: (i) calculating the number
of selected images in vertical and horizontal directions; and (ii)
calculating and modifying the size of the selected images in the
vertical and horizontal directions to cause white space to separate
the selected images; and (e) printing the arranged images.
6. A method for selecting and arranging digital images to be
printed from a group of thumbnail images, comprising the steps of:
(a) receiving digital images and providing the group of thumbnail
images representing the received digital images; (b) displaying the
group of thumbnail images; (c) selecting, from the group of
thumbnail images, at least two images to be printed per page and
the images which are to be printed on each page; (c) automatically
arranging the selected images for each page to be printed,
including: (i) calculating the number of selected images in
vertical and horizontal directions; and (ii) calculating and
modifying the size of the selected images in the vertical and
horizontal directions to cause white space to separate the selected
images; and (d) printing the arranged images.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the digital images are captured by
a digital still camera.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein the digital images are provided on
a disk.
9. The method of claim 6 wherein the digital images are provided by
a remote network service.
10. A computer program product for selecting and arranging digital
images to be printed from a group of thumbnail images, comprising a
computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored
thereon for performing the steps of: (a) displaying the group of
thumbnail images; (b) selecting, from the group of thumbnail
images, the number of images to be printed per page and the images
which are to be printed on each page; (c) automatically arranging
the selected images for each page to be printed; and (d) printing
the arranged images.
11. A computer program product for selecting and arranging digital
images to be printed from a group of thumbnail images, comprising a
computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored
thereon for performing the steps of: (a) displaying the group of
thumbnail images; (b) selecting, from the group of thumbnail
images, at least two images to be printed per page and the images
which are to be printed on each page; (c) automatically arranging
the selected images for each page to be printed, including: (i)
calculating the number of selected images in vertical and
horizontal directions; and (ii) calculating and modifying the size
of the selected images in the vertical and horizontal directions to
cause white space to separate the selected images; and (d) printing
the arranged images.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to digital image processing,
and in particular, to selecting and arranging multiple digital
images from a group of thumbnail images and printing such selected
images.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] To become mass market products, computer-based digital
photography systems must offer consumers the ability to easily
organize and print digital images. In particular, it should be
simple to choose from all of the images taken by a camera, or
stored on a disc, a set of a dozen or more images to be printed all
at once. Unfortunately, existing prior art systems require the user
to choose a first image, go through a process to print it, then
choose a second image and repeat the same process a second time for
this second image and again for all of the images to be
printed.
[0003] It may also be desirable for a user to choose a set of
images to be printed on a single page with all selected images
being equally sized and properly positioned. For example, the user
may wish to print groups of four different images on an
8".times.10" home printer. Microsoft PictureIt.TM. version 1.0
includes an image input screen ("get it" screen) that provides
multiple reduced resolution, or "thumbnail", images, but the
thumbnail images must be dragged and dropped one at a time from the
preview image type screen to a filmstrip. Next, the user must exit
the image input mode and switch to a print layout mode within a
"share it" screen. In this mode, the user must drag and drop the
first image from the filmstrip into the print layout screen. The
user must then manually resize, rotate (if required), and position
the first image, for example, in the upper left of the screen.
Next, the user selects the second image and manually attempts to
properly size and position this image, for example, in the upper
right of the screen. Finally, after all four images have been
manually resized and positioned, the composite image is ready to
print. Thus, creating a page with four equally sized and properly
positioned images requires the user to perform many manual
operations.
[0004] Other prior art software programs also permit the user to
view a two-dimensional array of thumbnail images (sometimes called
a "contact sheet" or a "gallery") to facilitate selection. However,
these galleries are used only to select which images may be
"opened" by the program for further manual, picture by picture
editing. For example, LivePix.TM. version 1.1 has such a gallery,
but it only allows the user to select one image, which is then
opened. After the image is opened, it may be manually sized,
copied, and pasted into a collage image in a manner similar to
PictureIt. MGI Photosuite.TM. Special Edition includes a "Photo
Album" with a gallery type feature. The order of the thumbnail
images may be rearranged to later allow a "slideshow" of images to
be viewed, one after another in the desired order. But the user
cannot select multiple images from the gallery to print or to move
to another gallery.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,949 discloses a method of printing
photographic images in which a plurality of photographs taken on a
photo negative film and explanatory captions of the photographs are
printed together on a sheet of photographic paper. U.S. Pat. No.
5,109,281 discloses a video printer adapted for printing multiple
images on a single sheet. U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,418 discloses an
image processing system which reproduces a plurality of photographs
on a single sheet of photographic paper in an album-like format.
Although the methods described in the aforementioned patents
include photographically printing multiple images per page, a user
cannot select multiple images on a computer and automatically print
the selected images.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method
which enables multiple images to be easily printed on a hardcopy
printer.
[0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
method which enables multiple different images to be properly sized
and positioned to be printed on a single page.
[0008] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
method which enables a user to easily select one or more images
from a preview screen gallery of thumbnail images and automatically
print the selected images with several different images properly
sized and positioned on each page.
[0009] These objects are achieved in a method for selecting and
arranging digital images to be printed from a group of thumbnail
images, comprising the steps of:
[0010] (a) displaying the group of thumbnail images;
[0011] (b) selecting, from the group of thumbnail images, the
number of images to be printed per page and the images which are to
be printed on each page;
[0012] (c) automatically arranging the selected images for each
page to be printed; and
[0013] (d) printing the arranged images.
ADVANTAGES
[0014] An advantage of the present invention is to enable a user to
select a set of images from a group of thumbnail images to be
printed, including the number of images to be printed per page, and
to automatically print the selected images.
[0015] Another advantage of the present invention is to enable the
selected images to be properly sized and positioned on each page
for printing without user intervention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system which includes a
digital camera that can use the method of the present invention to
select digital images from a group of thumbnail images for
printing, and arrange and print the images;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram in block form showing the method of
the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a diagram of a computer display screen displaying
a group of thumbnail images in which a user can select images for
printing in accordance with the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a diagram of a print function display screen in
which a user can choose the number of images to appear on each
page, the specific images to appear on each page, and the number of
copies of each page to be printed in accordance with the present
invention;
[0020] FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C show exemplary page layouts for one
page in which two different images are printed, one page in which
four different images are printed, and one page in which two copies
of the same image are printed, respectively; and
[0021] FIG. 6 is a diagram of a custom layout template screen in
which a user can "build" a page template.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0022] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a system 10 which utilizes
the present invention. The system 10 includes a digital image
source which is shown as a digital still camera 12; and a user's
host computer 14 with a hard drive 16, a central processing unit
(CPU) 50, a display monitor 52, a keyboard 54, a mouse 55, a
printer 18, and a modem 56.
[0023] The digital still camera 12 is used to capture images, and
can be, for example, the Kodak Digital Science DC210.TM. zoom
camera sold by Eastman Kodak Company. The digital still camera 12
can be rotated from a landscape orientation to a portrait
orientation when certain images are taken to provide the best
composition. As shown in FIG. 1, the digital still camera 12
includes a lens 22 which directs image light from a subject (not
shown) upon an image sensor 24, which can be either a conventional
charge coupled device (CCD) sensor or a complementary metal oxide
semiconductor (CMOS) imager. The image sensor 24 produces an analog
image signal that is converted into a digital image signal by an
analog-to-digital (A/D) converter 26. The digitized image signal is
processed and compressed by a digital signal processor 28. The
digital signal processor 28 compresses each still image according
to any one of a number of known image compression algorithms, such
as well-known JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) discrete
cosine transformation-based compression algorithm. The digital
signal processor 28 applies the compression algorithm to the
digital image data, and sends the compressed image data to an image
display 36, such as a color liquid crystal display (LCD), where the
user can view the captured image. The compressed image signal is
then transferred through a memory card interface 30 to a removable
memory card 32 where it is stored. User buttons 34 are used to
control the operation of the digital still camera 12 in a well
known manner.
[0024] The memory card 32 can be adapted to the PCMCIA card
interface standard, such as described in the PC Card Standard,
Release 2.0, published by the Personal Computer Memory Card
International Association, Sunnyvale, Calif., September, 1991. The
memory card 32 accordingly contains solid state memory, such as
Flash EPROM memory, which the memory card 32 uses to store image
data files. Electrical connection between the memory card 32 and
the digital camera 12 is maintained through a card connector (not
shown) positioned in the memory card interface 30. The memory card
interface 30 and the card connector provide, e.g., an interface
according to the aforementioned PCMCIA card interface standard. The
memory card 32 can also be inserted into a memory card reader
peripheral 40 in the host computer 14 which is also adapted to the
PCMCIA interface standard. This enables images stored on the memory
card 32 to be downloaded into the host computer 14. The compressed
image signal can also be sent to a serial interface 42 of the host
computer 14 through either a cable 41, which is connected to the
digital camera 12 through a host computer interface 38, or a
wireless interface, such as an infrared interface (not shown).
[0025] Alternatively, film exposed in a conventional camera can be
developed, scanned and stored on a recordable compact disk (CD-R)
58, for example, in the FlashPix.TM. image format, to provide the
digital image input. The CD-R 58 can be inserted into a compact
disk read only memory (CD-ROM) drive 44 in the host computer 14.
Similarly, the images can be stored on a floppy disk magnetic
medium 60, such as Kodak's Picture Disk.TM., to provide the digital
image input, and inserted into a floppy disk drive 46 in the host
computer 14. In addition, images can be provided by an
internet-based picture service 62, and downloaded via the modem
56.
[0026] The digital images are downloaded to the host computer 14
through the CPU 50 and can be stored on the hard drive 16.
Application program or software for the present invention is
incorporated into the hard drive 16 of the host computer 14, and
then downloaded to a computer random access memory (RAM) when the
program is used by the CPU 50.
[0027] Preferably, the application software that implements the
method of the present invention uses the FlashPix.TM. image format,
described in FlashPix.TM. Specification, version 1.0, to store and
process the images. Images provided by sources in other formats can
be converted to the FlashPix.TM. format.
[0028] Prints of the images can be made on the printer 18 connected
to the host computer 14, for example, onto 8-1/2 inch paper in a
color ink jet printer. It can be appreciated that images could also
be sent to a remote printer (not shown), such as the internet-based
picture service 62, which could support printing of multiple images
on a single page.
[0029] A flow diagram of the process of the present invention using
the application software delivered to the RAM of the CPU 50 is
shown in FIG. 2. When the user launches the application program
(block 100), an introduction screen is displayed (block 102) on the
display 52 of the host computer 14. The user selects the image
source (block 104) using a first computer display screen 200
showing various image source selections. The image source
selections can include, for example, the digital still camera 12, a
scanner (not shown), the floppy disk 60, the CD-R 58, such as the
Kodak PhotoCD.TM. disc, the user's hard drive 14, and images
available via the internet-based picture service 62.
[0030] Once the image source is selected, a "preview picture
screen" 300 (shown in FIG. 3) is displayed on the display screen 52
(block 106) showing a two-dimensional array of thumbnail images 302
obtained from the image source. The thumbnail images 302 preferably
have a lower resolution than the actual image data. The user can
select multiple images (e.g., five images) by pressing either a
control key (not shown) or a shift key (not shown) on the keyboard
54 while clicking the mouse 55 on any number of thumbnail images
302 (block 108). FIG. 3 shows that four thumbnail images 302a,
302b, 302c, and 302d (which are outlined) have been selected. If
the image source 12 contains a large number of thumbnail images
302, arrow controls 304 on the right portion of the "preview
picture screen" 300 enable the user to scroll through the larger
number of thumbnail images 302 to view a group of the thumbnail
images 302 (e.g., 15 thumbnail images) at a time.
[0031] Once one or more thumbnail images 302 have been selected
(block 108), the user can choose to rotate the selected images 302
(block 110) by selecting a "rotate" icon 306 (block 111). The
computer then automatically rotates the image in a default
direction (e.g., 90 degrees clockwise) (block 112), preferably by
modifying the FlashPix.TM. image format viewing parameter, or
alternatively, by properly exchanging the row and column image
data.
[0032] The user can then select additional images (e.g., three
images) to be printed with the first group of selected images
obtained in block 108 by again pressing the control key or the
shift key on the keyboard 54 while clicking the mouse 55 on any
number of thumbnail images 302 (block 114).
[0033] The "preview picture screen" 300 also displays a set of
function icons on the periphery of the screen 300, including a
"local print" icon 308 and a "remote print" icon 310. The user then
selects the type of printing. The user can print all of these
selected images on the local printer 18, for example, a color ink
jet printer, by clicking on the "local print" icon 308 (block 116).
This brings up a "print function display screen" 400 (block 118)
shown in FIG. 4. The user then chooses a type of layout (block
119). The user can choose one of several predefined "layout" icons
402 on the periphery of the "print function display screen" 400
which determines how many pictures appear on each page by
selecting, for example, 1, 2, 4, 9, or 16 images to be printed per
page (block 120). Once a predefined layout is chosen, the images to
be printed appear in a print preview area 422 on the "print
function display screen" 400. Based on the number of selected
pictures to be printed on a page, the program will automatically
select the orientation of the images to best fill up the page. FIG.
4 shows, as an example, four images 420a, 420b, 420c, and 420d,
which correspond to the selected thumbnail images 302a, 302b, 302c,
and 302d, respectively, shown in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the user
can choose to "build" a page template with any number of images per
page by selecting a "custom layout template" icon 403 (block 130 in
FIG. 2), which will be described in more detail below.
[0034] Next, the user chooses whether to have the same or different
images appear on each page (block 148). To have the same one image
repeated on one page to be printed (e.g., four copies of one image
per page), the user selects a "grouping" icon 404. Alternatively,
to have all of the selected images appear on the page(s) to be
printed (e.g., four different images on one page), the user selects
a "collating" icon 406.
[0035] The user then chooses the number of sets of images to print
(block 150), for example, three copies of each laid out page, by
typing in the number of desired sets in a text field 408 on the
left portion of the "print function display screen" 400. After
making these selections, the user can press a "print now" icon 410
(block 152) and walk away from the host computer 14. Each of the
selected images will be printed automatically on the local printer
18 (block 154), without further user interaction.
[0036] The program prepares the printed layout by calculating the
image size which enables the selected number of images to fit on a
page, and rotating the selected images as necessary so that
landscape oriented images and portrait oriented images fit together
on the page to be printed. The image data is automatically
interpolated or decimated to provide the proper image data to fill
the page with the selected number of images. In this process, the
program also calculates for "white space" to be positioned between
the images to facilitate the cutting of the page into individual
pictures. In other words, the program calculates the number of the
selected images in vertical and horizontal directions, and
calculates the size of the selected images in the vertical and
horizontal directions to cause "white space" to separate the
selected images. When the images are printed, the orientation of
the images is printed to best "fill up the page" based on the
selected number of images.
[0037] FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C are examples of images which have been
printed. FIG. 5A shows two different images (A and B) which have
been printed on one page. FIG. 5B shows four different images (A,
B, C, and D) which have been printed on one page. In FIG. 5B, the
program has automatically rotated the orientation of the four
images (A, B, C, and D) so that they fit on one page with minimum
"white space" between the images. FIG. 5C shows two copies of the
same image (A) which have been printed on one page.
[0038] Instead of choosing to print the image on the local printer
18 (block 116 in FIG. 2), the user could choose to instead have the
prints made by a remote printing service connected via a network,
such as the internet-based picture service 62, which could support
the printing of multiple images. In this case, the user instead
selects the "remote print" icon 310 (block 132) on the "print
preview screen" 300 shown in FIG. 3. The user completes a
connection process (block 133) to the internet-based picture
service 62 via the modem 56, and the selected thumbnail images 302
are uploaded and displayed on the display monitor 52 of the host
computer 14. The user would select the number of images per page
and the number of sets per page (block 134) based on the specific
features of the internet-based picture service 62.
[0039] If the user selects the "custom layout template" icon 403
(block 130 in FIG. 2) instead of one of the predefined "layout"
icons 402 (block 120), a "custom layout template screen" 600 is
displayed (block 140) as shown in FIG. 6. Next, the user selects a
custom build option 602 (block 142). In addition, the user selects
the number of rows and columns of images to appear on a page (block
144), and selects the size of the images (block 146) by selecting,
for example, the size of the horizontal and vertical "white space"
between the images (as shown in FIG. 6), or the desired width and
height of the images (not shown). The user then exits this "custom
layout template screen" 600 and returns to the "print function
display screen" 400 shown in FIG. 4. The images to be printed
appear in the print preview area 422 according to the layout built
by the user. The user then proceeds to choose whether to have the
same or different images appear on each page (block 148 in FIG. 2)
and to select the total sets of images to be printed (block 150 in
FIG. 2) in a manner previously described. The user can then press
the "print now" icon 410 (block 152) so that the selected images
are automatically printed on the local printer 18 (block 154).
[0040] The program prepares the custom printed layout by rotating
the selected images as necessary so that landscape oriented images
and portrait images fit together on the page to be printed. The
image data is automatically interpolated and decimated to provide
the proper image data to fill the page with the selected number of
images. In this process, the image is sized based on the "white
space" positioned between the images and the number of rows and
columns of images specified by the user.
[0041] The invention has been described in detail with particular
reference to a preferred embodiment thereof. However, it will be
appreciated that variations and modifications can be effected by a
person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *