Patent ID: 7197719

Claim:
A method in a computer system for adjusting a presentation of a region of interest within visual information displayed on a display screen, comprising the steps of: a) receiving a signal for selecting said region of interest from a user, said user using a mouse to position a cursor over said region of interest and pressing a button on said mouse; b) displaying a representation of a bounding rectangle over said region of interest when said region of interest is selected, said bounding rectangle having one or more active areas for respective transformation types; c) receiving a signal to initiate a transformation type from said user, said user using said mouse to position said cursor over an active area, pressing said button on said mouse, and, while said cursor is over said active area, repositioning said cursor with said mouse; and, d) transforming said visual information with a distortion function for said region of interest shaped by said signal to initiate said transformation type to produce transformed visual information, and displaying said transformed visual information on said display screen; wherein said region of interest has associated therewith a focal region at least partially surrounded by a base region, said distortion function having a magnification being uniform for said focal region and varying for said base region such that said distortion function is continuous from regions outside said region of interest through said base region to said focal region; wherein said transformation type includes at least one of a resizing and a folding; and, wherein one of said active areas is a fold area positioned over said bounding rectangle between said corner-handle and said middle-handle icons for adjusting a location for said focal region relative to said base region for defining a degree and a direction of said folding for said distortion function.