Patent ID: 7051291
Filing Date: 2006-05-23
Classification: G06F,H04N

Abstract:
1. A device for managing data objects, comprising: displaying means for displaying thumbnails representative of data objects; defining means for defining a focus region that indicates a focus thumbnail subject to processing; moving means for moving the displayed thumbnails along a predetermined path through the focus region; and enable/disable means for selectively enabling and disabling the moving means, the displaying means statically displaying a single thumbnail in the focus region when the enable/disable means disables the moving means, the displaying means displaying the thumbnails to move along the predetermined path through the focus region when the enable/disable means enables the moving means; wherein a shape of the predetermined path is modified based upon a speed with which the thumbnails move through the focus region; wherein a user is permitted to browse through the displayed thumbnails while remaining data objects are being loaded; wherein the displaying means further displays an interface portion with a plurality of indicia, and further comprising selection means for selecting one of the indicia of the interface portion; wherein the indicia include a plurality of layout indicia each representing one of a plurality of layouts, the displaying means displaying the thumbnails in relative positions, and the moving means shows moving the thumbnails to the position, in accordance with the layout indicium selected by the selection means; and when the selection means selects a grid indicium, the displaying means displays the thumbnails in a grid layout with thumbnails aligned with fixed mutual positions in rows and columns; wherein the moving means, when enabled, moves the thumbnails in the grid layout through the focus region one row at a time in succession, starting from a same end of each successive row.