Multimedia application using flashpix file format

Details Multimedia application using flashpix file format Multimedia application using flashpix file format

1997-10-06

2001-05-22

Vu, Kim (Department: 2172)

Data processing: database and file management or data structures

Database design

Data structure types

C345S111000, C345S111000, C345S428000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06237010

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer-executable multimedia application which collects images from one or more sources, displays a plurality of the collected images on a computer-generated workbench, manipulates (e.g., color-corrects or edits) the images on the workbench, composes the images, and publishes a set of the images as an album or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
As background, FlashPix-format files store data for an image as well as additional information related to the image. Typically, Flashpix files store data for an image in multiple (e.g., four) resolutions, viewing parameters which comprise transformations and the like that affect how the image is displayed, and information related to the image, such as the date that the image was formed, etc. In addition, an “extension list” can be added to the FlashPix file, to store additional, user-specified information for the image, such as audio information.
Image editing applications, such as Microsoft's “PictureIt!”, have been developed which take advantage of some of the features of the FlashPix file format relating to retrieval, correction, and display of images. These applications, however, have yet to exploit fully the advantages of FlashPix.
Conventional image editing applications retrieve a low resolution image from a FlashPix file, correct the low resolution image by changing viewing parameters for the image, and then retrieve a higher resolution image from the FlashPix file for printing. However, such applications do not retrieve and view a plurality of images which are to be published as a set of images in an album, a slide show, or the like. Because conventional applications do not display plural images from a set of images to be published, it is difficult to coordinate correction and composition of the images in the set.
Moreover, conventional image editing applications are also limited as to the types of information which are published with an image. For example, conventional image editing applications add audio information or a written caption to an image's FlashPix file, but do not add or publish information relating to the source of the image, such as whether the image was captured from a camera, the focal length of the camera, etc.
Thus, there exists a need for a system which creates a set of images having a FlashPix file format, and which displays a plurality of the images in the set, prior to publication of the set. Additionally, there exists a need for a system which publishes, along with each image, information relating to the source of the image.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses the foregoing needs by providing a system that displays, on a computer-generated workbench, a plurality of images retrieved from FlashPix files, prior to correcting and composing the images and prior to publishing a set of the images. By displaying the plurality of images in this manner, the invention makes it possible to coordinate image correction and composition among the plurality of images in the set.
Moreover, because the plurality of images are stored as FlashPix files, in preferred embodiments of the invention, low resolution images can be displayed while high resolution images can be published. As a result, the amount of time and memory required to display the plurality of images on the workbench is reduced, without affecting the quality of the published images.
Thus, according to one aspect, the present invention is a system, for use on a computer system, of creating and publishing a set of images. Each image in the set is stored in a FlashPix file which contains at least the image in multiple resolutions, viewing parameters for viewing the image, and information related to the image. In the system, a plurality of images retrieved from FlashPix files are displayed on a computer-generated workbench, images displayed on the workbench are corrected, meaning that viewing parameters in FlashPix files corresponding to the displayed images are altered, and displayed images are composed by adding or deleting, from FlashPix files corresponding to the displayed images, information related to the displayed images. A set of the images displayed on the workbench, comprising corrected and composed images, is then published.
In preferred embodiments of the invention, before displaying the plurality of images on the workbench, a plurality of low resolution images are collected from FlashPix files, and a plurality of the collected low resolution images are selected for inclusion onto the workbench. By virtue of these features of the invention, it is possible to choose which of the collected images are to be displayed on the workbench.
In related preferred embodiments, a plurality of collected low resolution images are displayed on a computer-generated workspace, and displayed low resolution images are selected for inclusion into the set of images on the workbench. By virtue of these features, it is possible to view collected images before adding the images to the workbench.
In other preferred embodiments of the invention, FlashPix images are collected from one or more of the following sources: a hardware device, stored files, an electronic album, the World Wide Web, and a database; and information relating to each image, including the source of the image, is published with that image. This is an advantage over conventional applications, which do not publish, along with each image, information relating to the source of each image.
In related preferred embodiments of the invention, types of information associated with each image in the set of images are selected, and a selected type of information is published with each image in the set. By virtue of these features, it is possible to publish with each image only selected information.
In still other preferred embodiments, the set of images is published to one of the following destinations: a video screen, the World Wide Web, and an image forming device, such as a printer. By virtue of these features, the invention makes it possible to publish a set of images as a slide show, an electronic album, or the like, to a variety of different sources.
In still other preferred embodiments of the invention, displayed images may be published in a variety of different ways. For example, a contact sheet comprising thumbnail versions of the images displayed in the workbench may be published. Alternatively, one or more of the images displayed on the workbench may be published. In addition, a single image displayed on the workspace may also be published.
This brief summary has been provided so that the nature of the invention may be understood quickly. A more complete understanding of the invention can be obtained by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof in connection with the attached drawings.


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“What's New”, Picture It! Home Page (visited Sep. 12, 1997), Microsoft Corporation, 1997, <http://www.microsoft.com/pictureit> (1 page).
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“Tips & Ideas—Tips & Techniques”, Picture It! —Tips & Techniques (visited Sep. 12, 1997), Microsoft Corporation, 1997, <http://www.microsoft.com/pictureit/tips.htm> (1 page).
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“Product Info—Press”, Picture It! Press (visited Sep. 12, 1997), <http://www.microsof

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