Abstract:
An electronic device with annotation function and a method thereof are provided. The method includes steps of: reading a to-be-displayed original photo; receiving touch operations on a touch screen; generating an annotation interface on the original photo in response to the touch operations, identifying an annotations corresponding to the touch operations, and displaying the annotations on the annotation interface; making the annotations overlaying on the original photo; displaying the overlaid photo; generating a parameter file which includes parameters corresponding to the annotations on the annotation interface; storing the generated parameter file; establishing a relationship between the original photo and the parameter file.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to an electronic device capable of annotating photos and a method thereof. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    In the past people would make notes on the back of photographs to preserve their memories. Now, however, with the introduction of digital photos and digital photo frames (DPF&#39;s), there is no convenient way to do this. 
         [0005]    Therefore, what is needed is an electronic device capable of annotating photos and a method thereof. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of the hardware infrastructure of a electronic device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagrams in accordance with one embodiment. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a photo annotation method implemented by the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a photo displaying method implemented by the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of the hardware infrastructure of an electronic device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The electronic device  10  includes a storage unit  100 , a processing unit  200 , an input unit  300 , and a display unit  400 . The storage unit  100  is configured to store photos. The display unit  400  is configured to display the photos. In the exemplary embodiment, the display unit  400  is a touch screen. The input unit  300  is configured to receive touch operations on the display unit  400 , for example, when a user touches the screen with a finger or stylus. 
         [0011]    The processing unit  200  includes a reading module  210 , a display module  220 , an identification module  230 , an overlay module  240 , an parameter file generating module  250 , a storage module  260 , and a relationship establishing module  270 . 
         [0012]    The reading module  210  is configured to read a to-be-displayed original photo from the storage unit  100 . 
         [0013]    The identification module  230  is configured to generate an annotation interface on the original photo in response to the touch operations from the input unit  300 , identify an annotation corresponding to the touch operations, and display the annotation on the annotation interface. In the exemplary embodiment, the annotation interface can be used to input text, drawings etc. The annotation interface can be pre-programmed to open as a window of a default size overlaying a portion of the image to be annotated. Then the annotation interface can be expanded or shrank to fit the annotations entered by the user. In addition, the position of the annotation interface in the original photo can be changed by the user, using for example a sliding touch on an edge of the annotation interface to drag the annotation interface to a desired position overlaying the image. Furthermore, the touch screen  400  employs an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology to identify the annotations on the annotation interface. However it should be noted that, in other exemplary embodiments, the touch screen  400  could also use some other technology to identify the annotations on the annotation interface. 
         [0014]    The overlay module  240  is configured to make the annotation interface becoming transparent leaving only the annotations overlaying the image, or attractively design the annotation interface overlaying on the image along with the annotations to provide a contrasting background for the annotations. 
         [0015]    The display module  220  is configured to display the read original photo and overlaid photos on the display unit  400 . 
         [0016]    The parameter file generating module  250  is configured to generate a parameter file. The parameter file includes parameters of the annotations on the annotation interface. The parameters can be, but are not limited to, annotation position, annotation content, and so on. 
         [0017]    The storage module  260  is configured to store the generated parameter file in the storage unit  100 . 
         [0018]    The relationship establishing module  270  is configured to establish a relationship between the original photo with the generated parameter file. In the exemplary embodiment, when the user views an original photo, the display module  220  detects whether the original photo has an associated parameter file. If the original photo has an associated parameter file, the display module  220  will pop up a window to prompt the user to choose whether to overlay the photo with annotations. If the user chooses yes, the display module  220  overlays the photo on the display unit  400  with the annotations. If the user chooses no, or the original photo does not have an associated parameter file, the display module  220  just displays the original photo on the display unit  400 . 
         [0019]    In the exemplary embodiment, the relationship establishing module  270  establishes the relationship between the original photo and the parameter file in a table such as that shown in  FIG. 2 . For example, in the table,  FIG. 1.GIF ,  FIG. 2.GIF ,  FIG. 3.GIF  . . . are defined as the original photos, and  FIG. 1.dn ,  FIG. 2.dn ,  FIG. 3.dn , . . . are defined as the parameter files corresponding the original photos. Thereafter, if the parameter file generating module  250  generates a new parameter file, the relationship establishing module  270  will add a new relationship between the corresponding original photo and the new generated parameter file in the table. Accordingly, when the user views an original photo, the display module  220  can search the table to detect whether the original photo has an associated parameter file. 
         [0020]    In another exemplary embodiment, instead of using a table, the relationship establishing module  270  can record the relationship between the original photo and the parameter file in the metadata of the original photo. For example, the relationship establishing module  270  records a name of the parameter file in the metadata of the original photo. Thereafter, if the parameter file generating module  250  generates a new parameter file, the relationship establishing module  270  records a name of the new parameter file in the metadata of the original photo to establish the relationship. Accordingly, when the user views an original photo, the display module  220  obtains the metadata of the original photo to detect whether the original photo has an associated parameter file. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a photo annotation method implemented by the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         [0022]    In step S 601 , the reading module  210  reads a to-be-displayed original photo from the storage unit  100 . 
         [0023]    In step S 602 , the display module  220  displays the read original photo on the display unit  400 . 
         [0024]    In step S 603 , the identification module  230  generates an annotation interface on the original photo in response to the touch operations from the input unit  300 , identifies an annotation corresponding to the touch operations, and displays the annotation on the annotation interface. 
         [0025]    In step S 604 , the overlay module  240  makes the annotation interface becoming transparent leaving only the annotations overlaying the image, or attractively designs the annotation interface overlaying on the image along with the annotations to provide a contrasting background for the annotations. 
         [0026]    In step S 605 , the parameter file generating module  250  generates a parameter file which includes parameters corresponding to the annotations on the annotation interface. 
         [0027]    In step S 606 , the storage module  260  stores the generated parameter file in the storage unit  100 . 
         [0028]    In step S 607 , The relationship establishing module  270  establishes a relationship between the original photo with the generated parameter file. In first exemplary embodiment, the relationship establishing module  270  establishes the relationship in a table. In second exemplary embodiment, the relationship establishing module  270  establishes the relationship in the metadata of the original photo. 
         [0029]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a photo displaying method implemented by the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         [0030]    In step S 701 , the reading module  210  reads a to-be-displayed original photo. 
         [0031]    In step S 702 , the display module  220  detects whether the original photo has an associated with parameter file. 
         [0032]    If the original photo does not have an associated with parameter file, in step S 703 , the display module  220  will directly display the read original photo on the display unit  400 . 
         [0033]    If the original photo has an associated with parameter file, in step S 704 , the display module  220  will pop up a window to prompt the user to choose whether overlay the original photo with annotations 
         [0034]    In step S 705 , the display module  220  directly displays the read original photo if the user chooses no. 
         [0035]    In step S 706 , the display module  270  displays an original photo with annotations if the user chooses yes. 
         [0036]    Although the present disclosure has been specifically described on the basis of the exemplary embodiment thereof, the disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the embodiment without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure.