Patent ID: 7382919

Claim:
A method for editing image data, said method comprising: deriving input image data that define an input image in terms of a plurality of input pixels; segmenting the input image data into a plurality of discrete objects, wherein each of said objects is defined by a plurality of input pixels that are spatially grouped and that relate to a common content type and feature of the input image data so as to define an objectized input image from the input image data; generating and simultaneously displaying the objectized input image and a holding area image; receiving editing input from a user by user selection of an object of the objectized input image that the user desires to be moved from the objectized input image to the holding area image based upon the user's visual inspection of the objectized input image; updating the objectized input image and the holding area image based upon the received editing input so that the selected object is deleted from an original location in the objectized input image and inserted into the holding area image as a temporary object at an insertion location that spatially corresponds to the original location of the objectized input image; receiving replacement input data from the user that indicates a selected replacement object in a replacement object database to be inserted into the original location of the objectized input image; updating the objectized input image to include the selected replacement object in the original location to define an objectized output image.