Patent ID: 8261179

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: (A) receiving a first instruction from a first user to select a first portion of a first digital image, the first digital image comprising a plurality of pixels; (B) in response to the first instruction, selecting a first subset of the plurality of pixels in the first digital image; (C) storing a record of the first subset in an image map collection data structure, wherein the record contains: (1) data representing the first subset as at least one of a list of pixels and an array of pixels, (2) data representing pixels in the plurality of pixels other than the first subset, and (3) data representing a bounding area containing the first subset and the pixels other than the first subset; (D) transmitting the image map collection data structure and the first digital image to a client; (E) identifying a current location of a user cursor within a rendering of the first digital image at the client; (F) determining whether the current location is within the first subset based on the data representing the bounding area; and (G) if the current location is within the first subset, taking a first predetermined action associated with the first subset.