Patent ID: 8161377
Filing Date: 2012-04-17
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. A machine-implemented method of arranging images on pages of an album having multiple potential states each corresponding to a respective arrangement of the images on the pages, comprising: (a) receiving the album in an initial one of the states; (b) determining a series of successive ones of the states of the album from the initial state to an end one of the states, wherein each of the successive states is selected from candidate ones of the states in a respective neighborhood of a corresponding preceding one of the states in the series based on a heuristic evaluation of the respective arrangements of the images on the pages of the album in the candidate states; and (c) generating a description of the arrangement of images of the album in the end state; wherein (b) comprises determining the candidate states in the neighborhood of a current one of the states in the series, the determining of the candidate states comprises changing the layout locations of different respective ones of the images in the arrangement corresponding to the current state to identify the candidate states in the neighborhood of the current state, and the changing comprises moving a selected one of the images from a layout location on a selected one of the pages in the current state arrangement to a layout location on a different one of the pages.