Abstract:
An enlargement feature of a graphical user interface (GUI) is disclosed. When a portion of a digital image displayed in the GUI is selected for enlargement, an enlarged version of the selected portion is displayed adjacent to the remaining portion of the original image that was not selected for enlargement. The digital image may include a plurality of image portions (e.g., individual display windows) selectable for enlargement, such as those found in a CATV electronic programming guide (EPG). In one embodiment, hidden supplemental data corresponding to the selected portion is only revealed in the enlarged version of the selected portion, so that it can be more easily viewed. In another embodiment, an enlargement feature application program is downloaded to a local device that controls the GUI, in response to a subscriber accepting an offer presented by a service provider.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention generally relates to a graphical user interface (GUI) for controlling the display of a digital image, and providing GUI features which allow a user to reformat the image so that the user can concentrate on a portion of the image that is of particular interest, while preserving the remaining portion of the image.  
         [0003]     2. Background Information  
         [0004]     In a CATV system, an electronic program guide (EPG) is used by a viewer to determine what programs are available for viewing on a television, at what time the programs will be broadcast, and on which channels. More sophisticated EPGs display supplemental information used by the viewer to determine whether the program is suitable for young children, what actors are in the program, how long the program is, and what the program is about. Normally in an EPG, an individual windowed portion is allocated for each program displayed.  
         [0005]     Viewers of CATV programs use a GUI to navigate an EPG and select program windows in the EPG that are of particular interest. When viewing the EPG at a considerable distance from the television set, it is often difficult for a viewer to discern the text and/or images in the individual windows of the EPG.  
         [0006]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,754,348 (Soohoo) discloses magnifying a selected region of an image while simultaneously preserving the continuity and integrity of the original unmagnified image that forms the visual content of the magnified region. Using Soohoo&#39;s method, a selected region of an original image is determined, the selected region image data is copied and magnified, and the floating plane region containing the magnified image data is displayed such that it covers an area of the original image that is larger than the selected region. Thus, the use of Soohoo&#39;s method obstructs a portion of the original image from being viewed.  
         [0007]      FIG. 1  illustrates a prior art system  100  comprising a display  105  showing an original image  110 . The original image is shown in text format, but it is understood that any image(s) may be included in the original image.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  illustrates a prior art system  200  comprising a display  220  showing an original image  205 . A selected portion  215  of the original image is shown. Prior art system  200  superimposes a magnified image  215  over the original image  205  without modifying the original image  205 . There is information in the superimposed magnified image  215  that also appears in the original image  205 , which can both be seen simultaneously if the window is not directly superimposed over the selected portion  210 .  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  illustrates a prior art system  300  having a magnified image  310  superimposed over an original image  305 . In this case, a window displaying the magnified image  310  is transparently superimposed over the original image  305  such that both images  305  and  310  may be simultaneously viewed. Magnified image  310  is displayed in a floating plane region in a partially transparent format, so that a portion of the original image covered by the floating plane region can still be viewed. However, in situations where it is desired to enlarge a portion of the original image having a dense concentration of text and/or image data, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to discern what appears behind the floating plane image.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The present invention includes a method and apparatus for preserving, enlarging and supplementing image content displayed in a graphical user interface (GUI), such as an electronic program guide (EPG), or the like.  
         [0011]     The present invention enlarges a digital image displayed in a graphical user interface (GUI). The present invention selects for enlargement a portion of an original image displayed in the GUI and displays, adjacent to an enlarged image of the selected portion, an image of the remaining portion(s) of the original image that was not selected for enlargement. When one of the image portions is selected, the remaining selectable image portion(s) that was not selected is displayed adjacent to an enlarged image of the selected portion. The remaining portion does not include the image data that is displayed by the enlarged image and thus there is no redundancy in the data displayed by the adjacent image portions. Further, the remaining portion is not obscured by the enlarged image, and the enlarged image is not transparently superimposed on the remaining portion.  
         [0012]     The present invention displays an enlarged portion of the original image adjacent to a remaining portion of the original image that was not selected for enlargement. The present invention may store image data of the selected portion in a first memory location and store image data of the remaining portion in a second memory location.  
         [0013]     The image data of the selected portion is retrieved from the first memory location, the image data of the remaining portion from the second memory location is retrieved from the second memory location, and the retrieved image data is reconfigured such that the remaining portion image is displayed adjacent to an enlarged image of the selected portion, and the GUI is instructed to display a modified image based on the reconfigured image data.  
         [0014]     In a first embodiment of the present invention, a table that correlates hidden supplemental data with selected image portion identification data is stored in a third memory location. The present invention may search the third memory location to determine if there is hidden supplemental data that corresponds to the selected portion, incorporate any hidden supplemental data found in the third memory location that corresponds to the selected portion into the enlarged image, and instruct the GUI to display the enlarged image including the hidden supplemental data.  
         [0015]     The enlargement feature may be controlled by an infrared (IR) remote control operated by the subscriber. The enlargement feature may be controlled by a wireless pointing device operated by the subscriber. The pointing device may be a mouse having two buttons which, each of which when depressed, implement different features of the present invention. A floating plane region may be superimposed on the original image in the GUI. The floating plane region moves in accordance with a change of the selected portion, and the enlarged image of the selected portion is modified to correspond to the current selected portion.  
         [0016]     The present invention also displays an original image having a plurality of image portions selectable for enlargement. When one of the image portions is selected, the selectable image portions that were immediately adjacent to the selected image portion prior to being enlarged are either displayed or hidden, depending on which image portion is selected and how the enlargement of the selected image portion is configured.  
         [0017]     The apparatus of the present invention includes a first and second memory location and a processor. The first memory location stores image data of a portion of an original image displayed in the GUI and selected for enlargement. The second memory location stores image data of the remaining portion of the original image that was not selected for enlargement. The processor (i) retrieves the image data of the selected portion from the first memory location, (ii) retrieves the image data of the remaining portion from the second memory location, (iii) reconfigures the image data such that the remaining portion is displayed adjacent to an enlarged image of the selected portion, and (iv) instructs the GUI to display a modified image based on the reconfigured image data. The remaining portion is not obscured by the enlarged image, and the enlarged image is not transparently superimposed on the remaining portion.  
         [0018]     In accordance with the first embodiment described above, the apparatus of the present invention includes a first and second memory location, and a processor. The first memory location stores image data of a portion of an original age displayed in the GUI and selected for enlargement. The second memory location stores a table that correlates hidden supplemental data with selected image portion identification data. The processor (i) searches the second memory location to determine if there is hidden supplemental data that corresponds to the selected portion, (ii) incorporates any hidden supplemental data found in the second memory location that corresponds to the selected portion into the enlarged image, and (iii) instructs the GUI to display the enlarged image. The incorporated hidden supplemental data is revealed by the enlarged image.  
         [0019]     In a second embodiment of the present invention, a service provider may offer a subscriber access to an enlargement feature of the GUI described above. In response to the subscriber accepting the offer, an enlargement feature application program is downloaded to a local device that controls the GUI. The enlargement feature may be operated in conjunction with an electronic programming guide (EPG) or an integral part of another EPG version. The service provider may be a multiple system cable operator (MSO), and the local device may be a set-top box in communication with a remote server maintained by the MSO and a television.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]     The following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention would be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. However, the present invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:  
         [0021]      FIG. 1  shows a prior art display of an original image.  
         [0022]      FIG. 2  shows a prior art GUI display where a selected portion of the original image is selected and a magnified image is superimposed on the original image.  
         [0023]      FIG. 3  shows a prior art GUI display where a magnified image of the selected portion is transparently superimposed on the original image.  
         [0024]      FIG. 4  shows an original image prior to a particular portion of the original image being selected for enlargement in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0025]      FIG. 5  shows a reconfigured version of the original image with an enlarged image portion displayed adjacent to the remaining portion of the original image that was not selected for enlargement in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0026]      FIG. 6  shows an electronic programming guide (EPG) with a plurality of selectable windows, each containing information about different programs in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0027]      FIG. 7  shows a reconfigured version of the EPG with an enlarged window containing selected program information displayed adjacent to the remaining program windows that were not selected for enlargement in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0028]      FIG. 8  shows a flow chart in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0029]      FIG. 9  shows a CATV system in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0030]      FIG. 10  shows a table stored in a memory location used for determining whether hidden supplemental data is to be displayed when a corresponding image portion is selected in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0031]      FIG. 11  shows a CATV system that allows a subscriber to add an enlargement feature to a local device used by the subscriber in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0032]      FIG. 12A  shows an original image with an image portion selected for enlargement.  
         [0033]      FIGS. 12B, 12C  and  12 D show examples of how the image display may appear after particular selectable image portions of an original image are selected for enlargement. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0034]     The present invention enlarges a selected portion of a displayed image and displays the enlarged selected portion adjacent to the remaining portion of the image that was not enlarged. In order to fit the enlarged image portion and the remaining image portion on the same display screen without any overlapping, the present invention stores and reconfigures image data associated with the selected image portion and the remaining image portion.  
         [0035]      FIG. 4  illustrates a GUI display  400  in accordance with the present invention. Included on the GUI display  400  are four substantially equal-sized image portions, a first portion  405 , a second portion  410 , a third portion  415 , and a fourth portion  420 . Image data associated with portions  405 ,  410 ,  415  and  420  is stored in memory. Once one of the image portions is selected for enlargement, the stored image data is retrieved from memory, reconfigured, and displayed in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0036]      FIG. 5  shows a system display  500  after a first portion  520  is selected for enlargement. Note that image portions  505 ,  510  and  515  may remain the same size or may be reduced in size, depending on the room available on the display. Image portion  520  is enlarged to allow a viewer a clear image while still allowing the viewer to discern the other non-enlarged (or reduced) image portions.  
         [0037]      FIG. 6  shows an electronic programming guide (EPG)  600 . EPG  600  is shown with four program windows  605 ,  610 ,  615  and  620 . A television viewer may select a particular program window for enlargement by selecting one of the windows  605 ,  610 ,  615  and  620  by utilizing a wireless pointing capability that may be built into an infrared (IR) remote control, wireless mouse, Web pad, or the like.  
         [0038]      FIG. 7  shows an EPG  700  after a program window  720  has been selected for enlargement. Program window  720  is displayed adjacent to windows  705 ,  710  and  715  which were not selected for enlargement. Once enlarged, window  720  is illustrated as displaying additional supplemental data about the program associated with the program window selected.  
         [0039]     Referring now to  FIG. 8  which represents one of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, an original image having selectable image portions is displayed (step  805 ). One of the selectable image portions is selected for enlargement (step  810 ). Image data associated with the selected image portion is stored in a first memory location (step  815 ). Image data associated with the remaining selectable image portion(s) is stored in a second memory location (step  820 ). A table correlating hidden supplemental data with selectable image portion identification data is stored in a third memory location (step  825 ). Image data associated with the selected image portion is retrieved from the first memory location (step  830 ). Image data associated with the remaining selectable image portion(s) is retrieved from the second memory location (step  835 ). A search is performed in the third memory location for hidden supplemental data that corresponds to the selected image portion and is retrieved if found (step  840 ). The image data retrieved from the first, second and third memories is then reconfigured by a processor (step  845 ). Finally, the image data associated with the remaining image portion(s) is displayed adjacent to an enlarged image of the selected image portion which includes any hidden supplemental data found in the third memory location (step  850 ).  
         [0040]     The remaining image portion(s) does not include the image data displayed by the enlarged image. The selection of an image portion for enlargement may be implemented by utilizing a wireless pointing capability that may be built into an infrared (IR) remote control, wireless mouse, Web pad, or the like. The display of the enlarged image portion including the hidden supplemental data adjacent to the remaining image portion(s) may then be implemented by depressing a second button on the mouse. As previously discussed, the remaining portion is not obscured by the enlarged image, and the enlarged image is not transparently superimposed on the remaining portion.  
         [0041]     Referring now to  FIG. 9  which represents another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a CATV system  900  is shown which includes a service provider node  905 , a local device  910 , a display  915  and a wireless GUI controller  920 . The service provider node  905  may be a multiple system cable operator (MSO). The local device  910  may be a set-top box in communication with a remote server maintained by the service provider node  905  and the display  915 , which may be a television. Local device  910  includes a processor  925 , a first memory location  930 , a second memory location  935  and a third memory location  940 . EPG data is transmitted from the service provider node  905  (e.g., headend) to the processor  925  within local device  910 . The EPG data is displayed, in whole or in part, on display  915 . Processor  925  parses through the EPG data received and creates a table of hidden supplemental data that would normally have to be displayed in such a small font that it would be almost impossible for a viewer to see the data at a reasonable distance from the display  915 . Image portion selections may be made directly via GUI controller  920  by utilizing a wireless pointing capability that may be built into an infrared (IR) remote control, wireless mouse, Web pad, or the like. Image data associated with the selected image portion is stored in the first memory location  930 . Image data associated with the remaining displayed image portion(s) is stored in the second memory location  935 . A search is then performed on the third memory location  940  to determine if there is hidden supplemental data associated with the selected image portion. The first, second and third memory locations,  930 ,  935 , and  940 , can reside in processor  925  or in another processor that communicates with processor  925 .  
         [0042]      FIG. 10  represents another exemplary embodiment of the present invention for which a table  1000  is used to determine whether there is hidden supplemental data associated with a selected image portion. Each selectable image portion is assigned an identification parameter  1005  (in this example: IDs 1, 2, 3 and 4 have been assigned). When a particular image portion is selected by a user who views data displayed in the selected image portion  1010  (e.g., “I Love Lucy”), the table  1000  residing in memory location  940  is searched and, if found, hidden supplemental data  1015  that correlates to the selected image portion (e.g., Episode #27 “The Kleptomaniac”—Ricky Discovers a Large Amount of Cash in Lucy&#39;s Purse) is displayed in an enlarged window that was not displayed in the selectable image portion window, along with the data originally displayed in the selected image portion window.  
         [0043]      FIG. 11  represents another exemplary embodiment which incorporates the features of the present invention into a subscriber&#39;s local device. A service provider  1105  (e.g., MSO) offers an enlargement feature to a user of a local device  1110  (e.g., a set-top box). The offer is presented by displaying the offer on a television  1115  via the local device  1110 . The subscriber is given the opportunity to accept the offer by pressing one or more buttons on the local device  1110 , a wireless GUI, or by placing a telephone call to the service provider or a third party representative. Upon acceptance of the offer by the subscriber and processing by the service provider, an enlargement feature application program is downloaded from the service provider  1105  to the local device  1110  and stored in a memory and/or processor within the local device  1110 .  
         [0044]      FIGS. 12A-12D  represent another exemplary embodiment of the present invention which is used to select an image portion for enlargement.  
         [0045]     As shown in  FIG. 12A , the selection of a particular image portion for enlargement may be implemented by the user selecting one of a plurality of image portions P 1 -P 25  contained by an original image viewed on display  1200 . The selection of region  1205  in the GUI may be accomplished in a number of ways, such as by superimposing a floating plane region on one of image portions P 1 -P 25 , or by utilizing a wireless pointing capability that may be built into an infrared (IR) remote control, wireless mouse, Web pad, or the like.  
         [0046]      FIGS. 12B-12D  illustrate that the location of the selectable region changes in accordance with which portion P 1 -P 25  of the original image is selected for enlargement.  
         [0047]     As shown in  FIG. 12B , an enlarged image  1205 ′ of selected image portion P 13  is viewed on display  1200 ′. The image portions P 1 -P 12 , P 14  and P 16 -P 20  that were immediately adjacent to selected image portion P 13  prior to being enlarged, are positioned to surround the enlarged image portion viewed on display  1200 ′ such that these adjacent image portions retain their relative positions when compared to the original image. Image portions P 15  and P 21 -P 25  are hidden from view.  
         [0048]     As shown in  FIG. 12C , when the selectable region is moved from selected image portion P 13  to image portion P 12 , an enlarged image  1210  of selected image portion P 12  is viewed on display  1200 ″. The image portions P 1 -P 11 , P 13 , P 14  and P 16 -P 20  that were immediately adjacent to selected image portion P 12  prior to being enlarged, are positioned to surround the enlarged image portion viewed on display  1200 ″ such that these adjacent image portions retain their relative positions when compared to the original image. Image portions P 15  and P 21 -P 25  are again hidden from view.  
         [0049]     As shown in  FIG. 12D , when the selectable region is moved from selected image portion P 12  to image portion P 17 , an enlarged image  1215  of selected image portion P 17  is viewed on display  1200 ′″. In this example, the image portions P 6 -P 16 , P 18 , P 19  and P 21 -P 25  that were immediately adjacent to selected image portion P 17  prior to being enlarged, are positioned to surround the enlarged image portion viewed on display  1200 ′″ such that these adjacent image portions retain their relative positions when compared to the original image. Image portions P 1 -P 5  and P 20  are hidden from view.  
         [0050]     The present invention may be implemented with any combination of hardware and software. If implemented as a computer-implemented apparatus, the present invention is implemented using means for performing all of the steps and functions described above.  
         [0051]     The present invention can be included in an article of manufacture (e.g., one or more computer program products) having, for instance, computer useable media. The media has embodied therein, for instance, computer readable program code means for providing and facilitating the mechanisms of the present invention. The article of manufacture can be included as part of a computer system or sold separately.  
         [0052]     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.