PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-8773470-B2
Application Number: US-77623110-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Systems and methods for displaying visual information on a device

Abstract:
Systems, methods, and devices for displaying visual information on an electronic display are provided. For example, rather than requiring a user to manually pan and zoom across visual information displayed on an electronic display, an electronic device may automatically display certain details of the visual information that are of interest to the user. One such method may include defining objects in visual information and detecting certain specific touch input gestures entered on the electronic display while the electronic display is displaying the visual information. When the touch input gestures are detected, the electronic device may automatically display a sequence of the objects of the visual information on the electronic display.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 at an electronic device that includes a display and a touch-sensitive surface:
 displaying a user interface that includes a plurality of identified objects; 
 while the user interface is displayed on the display, detecting a gesture that includes movement of a contact across the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a path in the user interface; 
 identifying a first object and a second object in the plurality of identified objects that are within a predefined distance of the path; and 
 after the contact has moved away from a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a location of the first object and a location of the second object on the display, sequentially displaying enlarged representations of objects in the plurality of identified objects that includes an enlarged representation of the first object and an enlarged representation of the second object. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the user interface includes an image; and 
 the first object and the second object correspond to predetermined points of interest in the image. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the user interface includes an image of a plurality of people; and 
 the first object and the second object correspond to faces in the image. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gesture that includes movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface is a single contact gesture. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the path has a respective direction that corresponds to a direction of movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface; and 
 the sequentially displayed enlarged representations of objects are displayed in an order that corresponds to the respective direction of the path. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first object and the second object are intersected by the path. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sequentially displayed enlarged representations of objects are displayed without displaying enlarged representations of one or more of the identified objects in the user interface that are not within the predefined distance of the path. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes panning and zooming the user interface. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes:
 ceasing to display the second object while displaying the enlarged representation of the first object; and 
 ceasing to display the first object while displaying the enlarged representation of the second object. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes automatically cycling through a sequence of enlarged representations of objects; and 
 the method includes:
 while cycling through the sequence of enlarged representations of objects, detecting a predefined gesture on the touch-sensitive surface; and 
 in response to detecting the predefined gesture on the touch-sensitive surface, ceasing to cycle through the sequence of enlarged representations of objects. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first object is in a first cluster of objects that includes the first object and one or more other objects in the plurality of objects; 
 the second object is in a second cluster of objects, different from the first cluster of objects, that includes the second object and one or more other objects in the plurality of objects; and 
 sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes, in order:
 displaying an enlarged representation of the first cluster of objects; 
 displaying an enlarged representation of the first object; 
 displaying an enlarged representation of the second cluster of objects; and 
 displaying an enlarged representation of the second object. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , including detecting liftoff of the contact from the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the sequentially displaying enlarged representations of objects occurs after detecting liftoff of the contact from the touch-sensitive surface. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , including detecting an end of movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the sequentially displaying enlarged representations of objects occurs after detecting an end of the movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface. 
     
     
       14. An electronic device, comprising:
 a display; 
 a touch-sensitive surface; 
 one or more processors; 
 memory; and 
 one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
 displaying a user interface that includes a plurality of identified objects; 
 while the user interface is displayed on the display, detecting a gesture that includes movement of a contact across the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a path in the user interface; 
 identifying a first object and a second object in the plurality of identified objects that are within a predefined distance of the path; and 
 after the contact has moved away from a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a location of the first object and a location of the second object on the display, sequentially displaying enlarged representations of objects in the plurality of identified objects that includes an enlarged representation of the first object and an enlarged representation of the second object. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The device of  claim 14 , wherein the sequentially displayed enlarged representations of objects are displayed without displaying enlarged representations of one or more of the identified objects in the user interface that are not within the predefined distance of the path. 
     
     
       16. The device of  claim 14 , wherein sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes panning and zooming the user interface. 
     
     
       17. The device of  claim 14 , wherein sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes:
 ceasing to display the second object while displaying the enlarged representation of the first object; and 
 ceasing to display the first object while displaying the enlarged representation of the second object. 
 
     
     
       18. The device of  claim 14 , wherein:
 sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes automatically cycling through a sequence of enlarged representations of objects; and 
 the one or more programs include instructions for:
 while cycling through the sequence of enlarged representations of objects, detecting a predefined gesture on the touch-sensitive surface; and 
 in response to detecting the predefined gesture on the touch-sensitive surface, ceasing to cycle through the sequence of enlarged representations of objects. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The device of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the first object is in a first cluster of objects that includes the first object and one or more other objects in the plurality of objects; 
 the second object is in a second cluster of objects, different from the first cluster of objects, that includes the second object and one or more other objects in the plurality of objects; and 
 sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes, in order:
 displaying an enlarged representation of the first cluster of objects; 
 displaying an enlarged representation of the first object; 
 displaying an enlarged representation of the second cluster of objects; and 
 displaying an enlarged representation of the second object. 
 
 
     
     
       20. The device of  claim 14 , including instructions for detecting liftoff of the contact from the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the sequentially displaying enlarged representations of objects occurs after detecting liftoff of the contact from the touch-sensitive surface. 
     
     
       21. The device of  claim 14 , including instructions for detecting an end of movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the sequentially displaying enlarged representations of objects occurs after detecting an end of the movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface. 
     
     
       22. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface, cause the device to:
 display a user interface that includes a plurality of identified objects; 
 while the user interface is displayed on the display, detect a gesture that includes movement of a contact across the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a path in the user interface; 
 identify a first object and a second object in the plurality of identified objects that are within a predefined distance of the path; and 
 after the contact has moved away from a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a location of the first object and a location of the second object on the display, sequentially display enlarged representations of objects in the plurality of identified objects that includes an enlarged representation of the first object and an enlarged representation of the second object. 
 
     
     
       23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein the sequentially displayed enlarged representations of objects are displayed without displaying enlarged representations of one or more of the identified objects in the user interface that are not within the predefined distance of the path. 
     
     
       24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes panning and zooming the user interface. 
     
     
       25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes:
 ceasing to display the second object while displaying the enlarged representation of the first object; and 
 ceasing to display the first object while displaying the enlarged representation of the second object. 
 
     
     
       26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein:
 sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes automatically cycling through a sequence of enlarged representations of objects; and 
 the one or more programs include instructions which, when executed, cause the device to:
 while cycling through the sequence of enlarged representations of objects, detect a predefined gesture on the touch-sensitive surface; and 
 in response to detecting the predefined gesture on the touch-sensitive surface, cease to cycle through the sequence of enlarged representations of objects. 
 
 
     
     
       27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the first object is in a first cluster of objects that includes the first object and one or more other objects in the plurality of objects; 
 the second object is in a second cluster of objects, different from the first cluster of objects, that includes the second object and one or more other objects in the plurality of objects; and 
 sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes, in order:
 displaying an enlarged representation of the first cluster of objects; 
 displaying an enlarged representation of the first object; 
 displaying an enlarged representation of the second cluster of objects; and 
 displaying an enlarged representation of the second object. 
 
 
     
     
       28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions which, when executed, cause the device to detect liftoff of the contact from the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the sequentially displaying enlarged representations of objects occurs after detecting liftoff of the contact from the touch-sensitive surface. 
     
     
       29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions which, when executed, cause the device to detect an end of movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the sequentially displaying enlarged representations of objects occurs after detecting an end of the movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to displaying visual information on an electronic display and, more particularly, to displaying certain elements of visual information in greater detail on an electronic display. 
     This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. 
     Electronic devices commonly display visual information of many types. For example, certain devices may display images and photos, maps, videos, documents, and so forth. Occasionally, a user of such an electronic device may desire to view certain elements of the visual information in greater detail. Accordingly, techniques have been developed to zoom in and out, as well as pan in various directions, to enable a user to more closely view such visual information. For example, certain touch screen display devices may have capabilities that enable a user to perform a “pinch” touch input gesture to zoom in on details of the visual information. 
     While such techniques may be effective when the electric device has a sufficiently large display screen or when the visual information on the display screen lacks detail, smaller display screens or visual information with greater detail may be difficult to view using such techniques. In particular, as electronic devices become smaller, many conventional techniques for viewing visual information on a correspondingly small display may be unwieldy or uncomfortable. Indeed, for small displays, many conventional touch input gestures may result in the user&#39;s fingers covering a substantial part of the display while zooming and panning, blocking the user&#39;s view of the visual information. 
     SUMMARY 
     A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to systems, methods, and devices for displaying visual information on an electronic display. For example, an electronic device may automatically display certain details of the visual information that are of interest to the user. One such method may include defining objects in visual information and detecting certain specific touch input gestures entered on the electronic display while the electronic display is displaying the visual information. When the touch input gestures are detected, the electronic device may automatically display a sequence of the objects of the visual information on the electronic display. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram representing a system configured to perform the techniques disclosed herein, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the system of  FIG. 1  in the form of a handheld device, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the system of  FIG. 1  in the form of a compact media device, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a representation of visual information that may be displayed on the devices of  FIG. 2  or  FIG. 3 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a representation of the location of objects that may appear in the visual information of  FIG. 4 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a representation of clusters of objects that may appear in the visual information of  FIG. 4 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a flowchart describing an embodiment of a method for performing a technique for viewing visual information on a touch screen device; 
         FIG. 8  is a representation of a touch input gesture for initiating the technique of  FIG. 7 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is a representation of the detection of the touch input gesture of  FIG. 8 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIGS. 10-13  are representations of a manner in which various of the objects of the visual information of  FIG. 4  may be displayed according to the technique of  FIG. 7 , in accordance with one embodiment; 
         FIG. 14  is a representation of a manner in which a user may control the speed of displaying the objects, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 15  is a representation of another manner in which a user may control the speed of displaying the objects, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 16  is a flowchart describing an embodiment of another method for performing a technique for viewing visual information on a touch screen device; 
         FIG. 17  is a representation of a gesture that may initiate the technique of  FIG. 16 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 18  is a representation of a manner of varying the speed of the display of objects of the visual information according to the technique of  FIG. 16 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 19  is an alternative representation of the detection of the touch input gesture of  FIG. 8  or  17 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIGS. 20-23  are representations of variations in which the visual information may be displayed on the touch screen display during the techniques of  FIGS. 7 and 16 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 24  describes an alternative manner of performing the gestures illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 17 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 25  is a representation of a map having various objects appearing therein, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 26  is a flowchart describing an embodiment of a method for displaying in greater detail the objects of a map, such as the map of  FIG. 25 ; 
         FIGS. 27 and 28  are representations of manners for carrying out the method of  FIG. 26 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 29  is a flowchart describing an embodiment of a method for viewing a series of images that each include a certain object; and 
         FIGS. 30-35  are representations of a manner of carrying out the method of  FIG. 29 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS 
     One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     Present embodiments relate to techniques for viewing visual information on an electronic display. Because electronic devices may display highly detailed images, maps, videos, and so forth via electronic displays that may be too small to fully illustrate all elements of the visual information at once, the present disclosure describes a variety of ways to display certain elements of detail within the visual information. To provide one example, many digital photos now include enough detail to sufficiently produce very large prints (e.g., 16″×20″), while electronic device display screens may be much smaller (e.g., 3.5″ diagonally or even less than approximately 2 square inches). In other words, certain digital images may have much higher resolutions (e.g., 2000 px×2000 px) than certain device display screens (e.g., 200 px×200 px). When such digital images are displayed in a comprehensive (e.g., fully zoomed-out) view on such device display screens, some of the details may be too small to see without zooming to a greater level of detail. 
     Visual information displayed on the electronic display may include a variety of identifiable details, referred to herein as “objects,” which may include faces, edge-defined items, words, and so forth. These objects may be identified automatically or manually. For example, an electronic device may automatically identify certain faces in photos as belonging to particular people, or may determine that a particular item or words are present based on similar identification. In some embodiments, a user, such as the user of the electronic device, may manually identify certain objects. For example, many popular applications for image management may allow various users to “tag” an image to identify all or part of the image before the image is stored on the electronic device or while the image is being displayed on the electronic device. 
     Since the details of the visual information that appear on the electronic display may be represented by the various identifiable objects, the electronic device may enable the user to view such details with relative ease by displaying the objects in greater detail. When a user performs a specific touch input gesture, the electronic device may begin to cycle through various of the objects on the display screen of the electronic device, panning to and zooming in on the objects in greater detail. To this end, the specific embodiments provided below are intended to be examples and should not be understood as exhaustive. For example, while the embodiments described below may involve displaying the objects in of the visual information in greater detail in a specific sequence based on the user touch gesture, the objects may be displayed in alternative embodiments in any suitable order. 
     Rather than simply enabling manual zooming and panning to view details of such visual information, the electronic device may display certain of the objects present in the visual information in greater detail automatically. In one example, a user may perform a “swipe then hold” touch input gesture, leaving a finger on the display screen of the electronic device. The electronic device then may pan and zoom onto any objects along a direction vector of the user&#39;s swipe gesture or, more generally, along a directional path associated with the user&#39;s swipe gesture. The user may vary the speed and/or direction of such cycling by moving the finger to the left or to the right and/or by tilting the orientation of the display screen. 
     In another embodiment, which may be particularly suitable for a very small display screen (e.g. a display screen of approximately less than 3 square inches), a user may initiate the detailed display of certain objects with a “hold then swipe” touch input gesture. Such a gesture may end when the user lifts a finger off of the electronic display, permitting full view of the electronic display. Thereafter, the electronic device may cycle through the objects found along a directional path defined by the swipe. 
     In either of the above-mentioned embodiments, a user may select an object currently being displayed on the electronic display with another touch input gesture, such as a “single tap” touch input gesture, and/or may return to view an overall display of the visual information with yet another touch input gesture, such as a “double tap” touch input gesture. In a further embodiment, when an object has been selected in such a manner, the user may perform a certain touch input gesture (e.g., “swipe then hold” or “hold then swipe”) to view similar images that contain the same object. For example, when a user selects a particular person&#39;s face in an image and performs the touch input gesture, the electronic device may begin to automatically cycle through other images that also contain the face of the identified person. 
     With the foregoing in mind,  FIG. 1  represents a block diagram of an electronic device  10  configured to perform such techniques for displaying visual information. Among other things, the electronic device  10  may include processor(s)  12 , memory  14 , nonvolatile storage  16 , the display  18 , input structures  20 , an input/output (I/O) interface  22 , network interface(s)  24 , a power source  26 , and/or accelerometers  28 . The various functional blocks shown in  FIG. 1  may include hardware elements (including circuitry), software elements (including computer code stored on a computer-readable medium) or a combination of both hardware and software elements. It should be noted that  FIG. 1  is merely one example of a particular implementation and is intended to illustrate the types of components that may be present in the electronic device  10 . 
     In general, the processor(s)  12  may govern the operation of the electronic device  10 . In some embodiments, based on instructions loaded into the memory  14  from the nonvolatile storage  16 , the processor(s)  12  and/or other data processing circuitry may respond to user touch gestures input via the display  18 . It should be noted that the data processing circuitry may be embodied wholly or in part as software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the data processing circuitry may be a single contained processing module or may be incorporated wholly or partially within any of the other elements within electronic device  10 . 
     In the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1 , the processor(s)  12  may be operably coupled with the memory  14  and the nonvolatile storage  16  to provide various algorithms for carrying out the presently disclosed techniques. Such programs or instructions executed by the processor(s)  12  may be stored in any suitable article of manufacture that includes one or more tangible, computer-readable media at least collectively storing the instructions or routines, such as the memory  14  and the nonvolatile storage  16 . Also, programs (e.g., an operating system) encoded on such a computer program product may also include instructions that may be executed by the processor(s)  12  to enable the electronic device  10  to provide various functionalities, including those described herein. 
     The display  18  may be a flat panel display, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD). As discussed in greater detail below, although the display  18  may have a lower resolution than certain visual information that is to be displayed, and although the display  18  may be relatively small (e.g., 3.5″ diagonally or approximately 2 square inches), the display  18  may be capable of displaying certain detailed elements of the visual information (“objects”) in greater detail automatically. According to the techniques disclosed herein, despite the size of the display, a user may view many such detailed elements of the visual information with minimal effort and without view-impeding touch input gestures. Additionally, the display  18  may represent one of the input structures  20 . Specifically, the display  18  may serve as a capacitive-touch-sensitive display capable of detecting projected capacitive touch (PCT) touch input gestures. By way of example, the display  18  may have a Multi-Touch™ interface, and may be capable of detecting such touch input gestures as a “swipe,” “hold,” and/or certain touch input gestures involving more than one simultaneous touch. 
     Other input structures  20  may include, for example, keys, buttons, and/or switches. The I/O ports  22  of the electronic device  10  may enable the electronic device  10  to transmit data to and receive data from other electronic devices  10  and/or various peripheral devices, such as external keyboards or mice. The network interface(s)  24  may enable personal area network (PAN) integration (e.g., Bluetooth), local area network (LAN) integration (e.g., Wi-Fi), and/or wide area network (WAN) integration (e.g., 3G). The power source  26  of the electronic device  10  may be any suitable source of power, such as a rechargeable lithium polymer (Li-poly) battery and/or alternating current (AC) power converter. Accelerometers  28  may detect an orientation of the electronic device  10 . Changes in orientation may be employed to vary the speed at which the detailed elements of the visual information are displayed on the display  18 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an electronic device  10  in the form of a handheld device  30 . The handheld device  30  may incorporate the functionality of one or more types of devices, such as a media player, a cellular phone, a gaming platform, a personal data organizer, and so forth. By way of example, the handheld device  30  may be a model of an iPod® or iPhone® available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. 
     The handheld device  30  may include an enclosure  32  or body that protects the interior components from physical damage and shields them from electromagnetic interference. The enclosure  32  may be formed from any suitable material, such as plastic, metal or a composite material, and may allow certain frequencies of electromagnetic radiation to pass through to wireless communication circuitry within handheld device  30  to facilitate wireless communication. The enclosure  32  may also include user input structures  20  through which a user may interface with the device. Each user input structure  20  may be configured to help control a device function when actuated. For example, in a cellular telephone implementation, one or more input structures  20  may be configured to invoke a “home” screen or menu to be displayed, to toggle between a sleep and a wake mode, to silence a ringer for a cell phone application, to increase or decrease a volume output, and so forth. 
     The display  18  may be of a relatively medium size (e.g., approximately 3.5″ diagonally). The display  18  may display a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows a user to interact with the handheld device  30 . To this end, the display  18  may be a capacitive touch screen capable of detecting various touch input gestures (e.g., a Multi-Touch™ interface), including multiple simultaneous touch input gestures. Icons of the GUI may be selected via a touch screen included in the display  18 , or may be selected by one or more input structures  20 , such as a wheel or button. The handheld device  30  also may include various I/O ports  22  that allow connection of the handheld device  30  to external devices. For example, one I/O port  22  may be a port that allows the transmission and reception of data or commands between the handheld device  30  and another electronic device, such as a computer. Such an I/O port  22  may be a proprietary port from Apple Inc. or may be an open standard I/O port. Another I/O port  22  may include a headphone jack to allow a headset  34  to connect to the handheld device  30 . 
     The electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1  also may take the form of a compact media player  40 . By way of example, the compact media player  40  may be an iPod® by Apple Inc. The compact media player  40  may include a display  18  of a relatively small size (e.g., less than approximately 2 square inches). Like the display  18  of the handheld device  30 , the display  18  of the compact media player  40  may be a capacitive touch screen capable of detecting touch input gestures, including multiple simultaneous touch input gestures. The compact media player  40  may further include one or more input structures  20 , such as an on-off button or a lock button. An I/O interface  22  of the compact media player  40  may enable a headset  34  to connect to the compact media player  40 . Additionally, the I/O interface  22  may enable the compact media player  40  to intercommunicate with another electronic device, such as a desktop or laptop computer. 
     The electronic device  10 , whether in the form of the handheld device  30  or the compact media player  40 , may display certain visual information for the user to view on the display  18 . The visual information may include, among other things, images such as photos, maps, documents, and/or videos, and so forth. In general, the resolution and/or size of the display  18  relative to the total amount of visual information available to view may prevent all details from being viewed in great detail when a comprehensive (e.g., fully zoomed-out) view of the visual information is presented on the display  18 . 
     Indeed, many details may be present in visual information on the display  18  that a user may desire to view more closely, as illustrated by a digital photo  50  of  FIG. 4 . The digital photo  50  may be displayed on the display  18  as part of a digital photo viewer application. Certain data (e.g., metadata) associated with the digital photo  50  may include a variety of objects  60 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , which represent certain identified or identifiable details of the photo  50 . Although several of the following examples relate to the digital photo  50 , it should be appreciated that the embodiments disclosed below may be employed for use with any suitable visual information displayable on the display  18 , such as images and drawings, maps, videos, documents, and so forth. 
     In general, the objects  60  may be identified from the digital photo  50  automatically by the electronic device  10  or another electronic device (e.g., a computer), or manually by a user. For example, faces of people in the digital photo  50  may have been previously identified as face objects  62  by an application program running on a computer, such as iPhoto® by Apple Inc. In some embodiments, certain objects  60 , such as the face objects  62 , may be identified on-the-fly by the electronic device  10  when the digital photo  50  is being viewed. Additionally or alternatively, the user may manually identify the objects  60  while viewing the digital photo  50  on the electronic device  10  or while viewing the photo in an application program running on a computer (e.g., iPhoto®). Further, in certain embodiments, the objects  60  may have been previously identified (e.g., “tagged”) by other users via online photo display websites (e.g., Flickr®). 
     Each of the identified objects  60  may have a size as illustrated by the boxes shown in  FIG. 5 . For purposes of clarity, each of the objects  60  have been respectively labeled A-L. In an actual implementation, each of the objects  60  may be associated with various identifying data, such as a type, a name, an indication of how the object  60  was identified, and so forth. 
     As mentioned above, the face objects  62  may be among the identified or identifiable objects  60 . As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the face objects  62  are labeled A-E and correspond to people identifiable from the digital photo  50  of  FIG. 4 . The size of the face objects  62  may include substantially only the identifiable person&#39;s face or may extend to encompass the person&#39;s body or part of the person&#39;s body. A number of non-face items  64 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , are the objects  60  labeled F-J and L. Such items  64  correspond, for example, to a flying disc, a dog, two sail boats, a banner, and an airplane in the digital photo  50  of  FIG. 4 . The items  64  may be identified automatically by the electronic device  10  or another electronic device through edge detection, or may be identified manually by a user. Other types of objects  60  may be identifiable from the photo  50  of  FIG. 4 . For example, the object  60  labeled K may represent certain words  66  that have been identified automatically by the electronic device  10  or another electronic device, or that have been identified manually by a user. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the objects  60  of  FIG. 5  with reference to clusters  68  of the objects  60 . Specifically, certain of the objects  60  may relate to one another as a group. Thus, in some embodiments, the data (e.g., metadata) associated with the digital photo  50  may predefine the clusters  68  of the objects  60  or the electronic device  10  may automatically detect such clusters  68  based on the existence of several related objects  60 . In some embodiments, the clusters  68  may be pre-identified or identified on-the-fly by the electronic device  10  when the digital photo  50  is displayed on the display  18 . In other embodiments, the clusters  68  may be identified manually by a user. Like the objects  60 , the clusters  68  may be associated with various identifying data, such as a type, a name, an indication of how the cluster  68  was identified, and so forth. 
     The clusters  68  may be identified automatically in a variety of ways. For example, in some embodiments, the clusters  68  may represent objects  60  of a similar type (e.g., all face objects  62 ) or that are located within a certain distance from each other. Additionally or alternatively, the clusters  68  may represent groups of objects  60  that overlap one another, or that are fully contained within one another. In the example of  FIG. 6 , a first cluster  68  labeled  I  may include a series of face objects  62  labeled A-D, which may correspond to a family depicted in the digital photo  50  of  FIG. 4 . The cluster  68  labeled  I  may have been identified automatically by the electronic device  10  or by another electronic device because the face objects  62  labeled A-D are of a similar type, are located within a certain distance of each other, and/or are separated from other objects  60 . Similarly, a second cluster  68  labeled  II  may include a series of objects  60  labeled E-G, corresponding to a person throwing a disc to a dog in the digital photo  50 . By way of example, the cluster  68  labeled  II  may have been identified automatically by the electronic device  10  or by another electronic device because the objects  60  labeled E-G are within a certain horizontal distance of one another. A third cluster  68  labeled iii may include two similar items  64  labeled H and I having similar characteristics (e.g., same shape and/or similar profiles), appearing as two sailboats in the digital photo  50 . In one example, the third cluster  68  labeled iii may have been identified automatically by the electronic device  10  or another electronic device because the two items  64  share similar characteristics and are located within a certain distance from one another. A fourth cluster  68  labeled iv may include a series of objects  60  labeled J-L and corresponding to an airplane carrying an aerial banner advertisement. It should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, certain of the clusters  68  of objects  60  may be found within other objects  60  or within other clusters  68 . Also, in some embodiments, there may be clusters  68  of cluster  68  of objects  60 . 
     A user may desire to view the various objects  60  in greater detail, without employing an intrusive touch input gesture that may block the user&#39;s view of the screen on the display  18  on the electronic device  10 . Thus, the electronic device  10  may be configured to perform an algorithm for viewing such visual information details by illustrating each of the objects  60  in greater detail. As illustrated by a flowchart  80  of  FIG. 7 , the electronic device  10  may automatically display the various objects  60  from among the visual information displayed on the screen in a non-intrusive manner. The flowchart  80  of  FIG. 7  may be particularly useful for an electronic device  10  having a display  18  large enough to display images that may remain in view despite the presence of one finger remaining on the display  18 . 
     The flowchart  80  may begin when certain visual information is displayed on the display  18  of the electronic device  10  (block  82 ). The data that provides the visual information to the display  18  may have a greater amount of detail than may be currently displayed on the display  18 . By way of example, the visual information may include an image such as a photo, a map, a video, or a document, among other things. 
     The user may next undertake a particular touch input gesture (block  84 ). By way of example, the gesture may be a “swipe then hold” touch input gesture that involves swiping a finger across the display  18  before holding the finger in place. As mentioned above, such a touch input gesture may be employed when the display  18  is large enough to provide a somewhat unfettered view of the visual information despite the presence of the user&#39;s finger on the display  18 . Having detected the “swipe then hold” gesture, the electronic device  10  may next determine a direction vector or, more generally, a directional path of the swipe and/or a speed of the swipe (block  86 ). The direction vector and/or the directional path and the speed of the swipe may control certain aspects of the automatic display of the objects  60  of the visual information displayed on the display  18 . 
     Thereafter, the electronic device  10  may cause various objects  60  of the visual information displayed on the display  18  to be viewed in greater detail (block  88 ). As discussed in greater detail below, in certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  may pan and zoom to certain clusters  68  of objects  60  before panning and zooming to the constituent objects  60  of the cluster  68 . Additionally, the electronic device  10  may pan and zoom to certain objects  60  and/or clusters  68  that are intersected by the direction vector and/or directional path determined in block  86 . Further, in some embodiments, the initial speed at which such panning and zooming occurs may depend upon the speed determined in block  86 . 
     When the touch input gesture of step  84  results in the user maintaining a finger in place on the display  18 , the movement of the user&#39;s finger to the left or to the right (or alternatively, up or down, or any suitable direction) may cause the electronic device  10  to vary the speed at which the objects  60  are displayed in greater detail on the display  18  (block  90 ). 
     After the user has viewed the various objects  60  in detail, the user may desire to perform other tasks on the electronic device  10 . Thus, the electronic device  10  may refrain from cycling through the display of the objects  60  when the electronic device  10  detects another touch input gesture (block  92 ). If the touch input gesture represents a gesture other than a “single tap” touch input gesture, for example (decision block  94 ), the electronic device  10  may return to a comprehensive (e.g., zoomed-out) view of the visual information displayed on the screen at the time the flowchart  80  began (block  82 ). If the touch input gesture represents a “single tap” touch input gesture, the electronic device  10  may pause and display only the currently selected objects  60  (block  96 ). 
     The method represented by flowchart  80  of  FIG. 7  is described visually through  FIGS. 8-15 . Specifically,  FIG. 8  represents a “swipe then hold” touch input gesture  100 , which may correspond to block  84  of the flowchart  80  of  FIG. 7  and may take place while the display  18  is displaying certain visual information, such as the digital photo  50 . The user may place a finger  101  onto the display  18  and swipe across in a specific direction. Following the swipe across the display  18 , the finger  101  may remain in place on the display. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a detected touch input gesture  102  representing the interpretation of the touch input gesture  100  by the electronic device  10 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , the detected touch input gesture  102  may begin at a starting point  104 , may continue along a directional path  106 , and may end at a terminating point  108 . The starting point  104  may represent a location on the display  18  at which a user began the “swipe” portion of the touch input gesture. The directional path  106  may represent an instantaneous or average direction of the “swipe” carried out by the user during the touch input gesture  100 . The terminating point  108  may represent a point at which the user performs the “hold” portion of the touch input gesture. That is, the user may be understood to be holding the finger  101  onto the display  18  at the terminating point  108 . The speed of the “swipe” may be determined based on the time taken for the “swipe” to move from the starting point  104  and the terminating point  108  and the distance between the starting point  104  and the terminating point  108 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the directional path  106  may directly intersect certain of the objects  60  or clusters  68 . Additionally, in some embodiments, certain objects  60  and/or clusters  68  may be located within a certain tolerance  110  from the directional path  106 . As described above with reference to block  88  of the flowchart  80  of  FIG. 7 , the electronic device  10  may subsequently cycle through detailed views of certain of the objects  60  based on the directional path  106 . In particular, in certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  may display the certain objects  60  and/or clusters  68  in the order of intersection with the directional path  106 .  FIGS. 10-13  describe such an embodiment of the block  88  of the flowchart  80  of  FIG. 7 . 
     From the example of the detected touch input gesture  102  of  FIG. 9 , the cluster  68  of objects labeled  I  is intersected first by the directional path  106 . Thus, as represented by a process representation  120  of  FIG. 10 , the electronic device  10  may pan and zoom to display the cluster  68  labeled  I  in greater detail. It should be understood that, in operation, the electronic device  10  would not necessarily illustrate the boundaries of the cluster  68 , but would instead zoom onto the elements of the visual information shown in the digital photo  50  of  FIG. 4  corresponding to the cluster  68 . After pausing briefly while zoomed-in on the cluster  68  labeled I, the electronic device  10  may begin to display certain objects  60  that compose the cluster  68  labeled  I  in greater detail, as illustrated by a process representation  122  of  FIG. 11 . For example, as shown by a process representation  124  of  FIG. 12 , the electronic device  10  may pan and zoom onto the face object  62  labeled A before, as shown by a process representation  126  of  FIG. 13 , panning and zooming to the face object  62  labeled B. 
     The electronic device  10  may continue to display various of the objects  60  within the cluster  68  until all of the objects  60  have been displayed. Following the detailed display of each of the objects  60  contained within the cluster  68 , the electronic device  10  may pan and zoom to the next object  60  or cluster  68  that is intersected by the directional path  106  or is located within the tolerance  110 . In the instant example, the electronic device may next pan and zoom to the cluster  68  labeled  II  before panning and zooming to display the constituent objects  60  within. 
     While the electronic device  10  is cycling through the detailed display of the objects  60 , a user may vary the speed of the process in a variety of ways, which may correspond to block  90  of the flowchart  80 . For example, as shown by a speed-varying process  128  of  FIG. 14 , the finger  101  may remain in a “hold” position on the display  18 . By moving the finger  101  leftward or rightward (or, alternatively, upward or downward, or any other suitable direction), the user may cause the electronic device  10  to vary the speed and/or direction of panning and zooming. In the instant example of  FIG. 14 , moving the finger  101  to the right may cause the electronic device  10  to pan and zoom more quickly to the objects  60  and/or clusters  68  located along or near the directional path  106  in a forward direction. Moving the finger  101  to the left may cause the electronic device  10  to pan and zoom more slowly. Additionally or alternatively, moving the finger  101  to the left may cause the electronic device  10  to pan and zoom to objects  60  and/or clusters  68  located along or near the directional path  106  in a backward direction. 
     An additional or alternative speed-varying process  130  shown in  FIG. 15  represents another manner of varying the speed that the electronic device  10  pans and zooms through the various objects  60  and clusters  68 . As illustrated in  FIG. 15 , when the electronic device  10  is tilted forward or backward (or up or down, or any other suitable orientations) the electronic device  10  to pan and zoom in a faster, slower, forward, and/or reverse manner. The electronic device  10  may detect such changes in orientation via the accelerometers  28 . 
     Regarding the embodiment described above with reference to  FIGS. 7-15 , the user may maintain a finger on the display  18  after performing the “swipe then hold” touch input gesture  100 . However, if the display  18  is smaller (e.g., less than a few square inches), doing so may inhibit the user from viewing a substantial portion of the display  18 . Especially for electronic devices  10  that include such smaller-sized displays  18 , a flowchart  140  shown in  FIG. 16  involves a variation of the touch input gesture of the flowchart  80  of  FIG. 7 . The flowchart  140  of  FIG. 16  may begin when the electronic device  10  is displaying certain visual information on the display  18  (block  142 ). By way of example, the visual information may include an image such as a photo, a map, a video, and/or a document, and so forth. When the electronic device  10  detects a particular touch input gesture, such as a “hold then swipe” touch input gesture (block  144 ), the electronic device  10  may begin to display the various objects of the visual information displayed on the display  18  in greater detail in an automatic modality. In general, the touch input gesture to be detected in block  144  may involve a directional swipe and may terminate with a user&#39;s finger not remaining on the display  18 . That is, upon the completion of the touch input gesture, the display  18  may be fully visible. 
     Having detected the “hold then swipe” gesture, the electronic device  10  may next determine a direction vector and/or a directional path of the swipe and/or a speed of the swipe (block  146 ). The direction vector and/or the directional path and the speed of the swipe may control certain aspects of the automatic display of the objects  60  of the visual information displayed on the display  18 . Thereafter, the electronic device  10  may cause various objects  60  of the visual information displayed on the display  18  to be viewed in greater detail (block  148 ). As discussed in greater detail below, in certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  may pan and zoom to certain clusters  68  of objects  60  before panning and zooming to the constituent objects  60  of the cluster  68 . Additionally, the electronic device  10  may pan and zoom to certain objects  60  and/or clusters  68  that are intersected by the direction vector and/or the directional path determined in block  146 . Further, in some embodiments, the initial speed at which such panning and zooming occurs may depend upon the speed determined in block  146 . Since the touch input gesture of step  144  does not result in the user maintaining a finger in place on the display  18 , the electronic device  10  either may not vary the speed at which the objects  60  are displayed in greater detail on the display  18 , or may vary the speed based on changes in the orientation of the electronic device  10  (block  150 ). 
     After the user has viewed the various objects  60  in detail, the user may desire to perform other tasks on the electronic device  10 . Thus, the electronic device  10  may refrain from cycling through the display of the objects  60  when the electronic device  10  detects another touch input gesture (block  152 ). If the touch input gesture represents a gesture other than a “single tap” touch input gesture, for example (decision block  154 ), the electronic device  10  may return to a comprehensive (e.g., zoomed-out) view of the visual information displayed on the screen at the time the flowchart  80  began (block  142 ). If the touch input gesture represents a “single tap” touch input gesture, the electronic device  10  may pause and display only the currently selected objects  60  (block  156 ). 
     The distinctions between the flowchart  140  of  FIG. 16  and the flowchart  80  of  FIG. 7  are depicted in  FIGS. 17 and 18 .  FIG. 17  represents a manner of performing a touch input gesture  160  on the display  18  of the compact media player  40 , as detected at block  146 . As illustrated, the touch input gesture  160  is a “hold then swipe” touch input gesture, which may terminate when the user lifts the finger  101  off of the display  18  following the touch input gesture  160 .  FIG. 18  describes a process  162  for varying the speed at which the electronic device  10  cycles through the display of the various objects  60  on the display  18 , as represented by block  150  of the flowchart  140  of  FIG. 16 . As illustrated in  FIG. 18 , when the electronic device  10 , here shown as the compact media player  40 , is tilted forward or backward (or up or down, or any other suitable orientations), the electronic device  10  to pan and zoom in a faster, slower, forward, and/or reverse manner. The electronic device  10  may detect such changes in orientation via the accelerometers  28 . 
     The embodiments described above may be performed in a variety of manners. For example, as illustrated by a process representation  170  of  FIG. 19 , the electronic device  10  may determine an alternative starting point  172  of the detected touch input gesture  102 . The alternative starting point  172  may be determined based on the touch input gesture starting point  104  and the directional path  106  of the “swipe” portion of the touch input gesture  102 . In particular, the electronic device  10  may determine the alternative starting point  172  at an edge of the display  18  at a point where the directional path  106  would trace to in a reverse direction. Thereafter, the electronic device  10  may determine which objects  60  and/or clusters  68  to pan and zoom to based on the alternative starting point  72 . 
     In various embodiments, the electronic device  10  may calculate a variety of manners in which the directional path  106  may be treated upon reaching an edge of the visual information, several of which are represented by  FIGS. 20-23 . In a first process  174  of  FIG. 20 , the electronic device  10  may determine the directional path  106  to “wrap around” the visual information upon reaching the edge. Upon an edge point  176 , the directional path  106  may continue immediately at a new starting point  178 . The process  174  may continue until reaching an upper edge  179  of the visual information, or the process  174  may return to the starting point  104  and begin again. 
     For some embodiments, such as a process  180  of  FIG. 21 , the directional path  106  may be calculated to “reflect” at an edge point  182  of the visual information at some angle α. In another embodiment, as illustrated by a process  184  of  FIG. 22 , the directional path  106  may be determined as traveling to an edge point  186  of the visual information before traveling up to another edge point  188 , following a pattern such as that illustrated in  FIG. 22 . In other embodiments, such as illustrated by a process  189  of  FIG. 23 , the directional path  106  may wind around the visual information along a pattern defined by the user&#39;s “swipe” gesture, or may be determined by the electronic device  10  in another way (e.g., a random path across the visual information). Also, in some embodiments, the directional path  106  may simply end when an edge of the visual information is reached, or may return to the starting point  104  or an alternative starting point  172 . 
     In addition, various other touch input gestures may be employed, which generally may include a directional component (e.g., a “swipe”). For example, an alternative touch input gesture  190  of  FIG. 24  may be a multiple simultaneous touch input gesture, such as a multiple simultaneous swipe. Dual starting points  192  of the alternative touch input gesture  190  may correspond to the starting point  104  of the detected touch input gesture  102 , and dual direction vectors  194  of the alternative touch input gesture  190  may correspond to the directional path  106  of the detected touch input gesture  102 . 
     The present disclosure may also apply to certain visual information, the details of which may not be presently stored in the memory  14  or nonvolatile storage  16  of the electronic device  10 . Among other things, such visual information may include an online map whose details may be remotely located, such as a map  200  of  FIG. 25 . As illustrated in  FIG. 25 , the map  200  includes a variety of downloadable objects  202 , here representing identified places on the map  200  (e.g., as a result of a search). 
     A flowchart  210  of  FIG. 26  presents an embodiment of a method to allow a user to more clearly view the map objects  202  in greater detail by performing a specific touch input gesture. In particular, the flowchart  210  may begin when visual information having details not previously stored on the memory  14  of the electronic device  10 , such as the map  200 , is displayed on the display  18  (block  212 ). The electronic device  10  may detect a specific touch input gesture, such as a “hold then swipe” or “swipe then hold” gesture (block  214 ). 
     The electronic device  10  next may begin to cycle through the various downloadable objects  202  (block  216 ). The order by which to cycle through the downloadable objects  202  may be determined based on the touch input gesture detected in block  214  (e.g., downloadable objects  202  intersected by a directional path  106 ) or based on other criteria (e.g., search relevance). In carrying out the processes of block  216 , the electronic device  10  may download a more detailed view of some or all of the downloadable objects  202  before panning and zooming to the downloadable objects  202 , as discussed further below. 
     The speed at which the electronic device  10  cycles through the downloadable objects  202  may vary depending on user input (e.g., the initial speed of the touch input gesture, moving a finger forward or backward on the display  18 , or tilting the electronic device  10 ) and whether the next downloadable object  202  to be cycled to has been downloaded (block  218 ). When the user has viewed some or all of the downloadable objects  202  in detail, the user may desire to perform other tasks on the electronic device  10 . Thus, the electronic device  10  may refrain from cycling through the display of the downloadable objects  202  when the electronic device  10  detects another touch input gesture (block  220 ). If the touch input gesture represents a gesture other than a “single tap” touch input gesture, for example (decision block  222 ), the electronic device  10  may return to a comprehensive (e.g., zoomed-out) view of the visual information displayed on the screen at the time the flowchart  80  began (block  212 ). If the touch input gesture represents a “single tap” touch input gesture, the electronic device  10  may pause and display only the currently selected map objects  202  (block  224 ). 
     As illustrated by  FIGS. 27 and 28 , the method discussed above with reference to  FIG. 26  may take place in a very similar manner to the previously-described embodiments. When the display detects the user&#39;s finger  101  across the map  200 , as shown by a process  230  of  FIG. 27 , the electronic device  10  may begin to download additional details regarding the map objects  202  that are intersected by the touch input gesture. For example, as shown by a screen  232  of  FIG. 28 , after certain details have been downloaded, the electronic device  10  next may display the first map object  202  in greater detail. 
     After a user has viewed a given object  60 , including map objects  202 , in greater detail, a user may desire to see other visual information, such as images, videos, documents, and so forth, that contain the same object  60  of interest. The electronic device  10  thus may enable an automatic and simplified display of other such images and/or videos that contain the object  60 , as provided by a flowchart  240 , shown in  FIG. 29 . The flowchart  240  may begin when an object  60  has been selected by the user and may be currently displayed on the display  18  of the electronic device  10  (block  242 ). 
     A user may next undertake a specific touch input gesture, such as those described above or any other suitable touch input gesture (block  244 ). The specific touch input gesture may indicate that the user desires to see additional visual information containing the object  60  that is currently selected. The electronic device  10  then may display various thumbnails of images and/or videos that contain the selected object  60  (block  246 ), before cycling through the various images in greater detail (block  248 ). Like the techniques described above with reference to  FIGS. 7 and 16 , the speed of the cycling through the thumbnails may depend upon user finger placement on the display  18 , as discussed above with reference to block  90  of  FIG. 7 , or may rely on an orientation of the display  18  as determined by the accelerometers  28 . 
     The user may choose to halt the cycling of images by inputting another touch input gesture, which may be detected by the electronic device  10  (block  252 ). If the touch input gesture represents a certain touch input gesture (e.g., a “single tap” gesture) (decision block  254 ), the electronic device  10  may return to displaying the original image on the display  18  (block  256 ). Otherwise, the electronic device  10  may end the cycling and may display the current image the electronic display has cycled to (block  258 ). 
       FIGS. 30-35  provide a visual explanation of certain elements of the method of the flowchart  240 . A screen  260  continues with the example ending on  FIG. 13 , at which point the electronic device  10  has cycled between various objects  60  of the digital photo  50  or, more particularly, between certain face objects  62  of the image  50 . The user may select a certain face object  62  with a single tap gesture, as discussed above with reference to  FIGS. 7 and 16 . This may cause the electronic device  10  to stop cycling through the objects  60  of the digital photo  50 . Instead, the electronic device  10  may remain fixed on the currently selected object  60 , here the face object  62  labeled B, which represents the face of a particular person in the digital photo  50 . 
     As represented a screen  262  of  FIG. 31 , when the user performs a specific touch input gesture  264 , such as a “swipe then hold” touch input gesture, across the display  18 , the electronic device  10  may zoom out from the object  62  and display a series of thumbnail images that also contain the same object  60 , as represented by a screen  266  of  FIG. 32 . As apparent from the screen  266  of  FIG. 32 , a given object  60 , such as the face object  62  labeled B, may be present in a variety of other images  268 , videos, documents, and so forth stored on the electronic device  10  or at a remotely accessible location, such as a social-networking website. The electronic device  10  may then begin to cycle through the various images  268  that contain the selected object  60  in greater detail, as represented by a screen  270  of  FIG. 33 . Thereafter, for example, the electronic device  10  may display the images  268  in greater detail, as also illustrated by a screen  272  of  FIG. 34 . In some embodiments, the electronic device  10  may then pan and zoom onto other objects  60  appearing in the currently displayed image  268  in greater detail. The electronic device  10  may subsequently pan and zoom away from the selected image  268 , as shown by a screen  274  of  FIG. 35 , before panning and zooming onto another image  268  that contains the selected object  60 . This process may repeat until the user provides a further touch input gesture to stop the electronic device from continuing to cycle through the images  268 . 
     The specific embodiments described above have been shown by way of example, and it should be understood that these embodiments may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. It should be further understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but rather to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20100507
Publication Date: 20140708
Grant Date: 20140708
Priority Date: 20100507
Inventors: INGRASSIA, JR. MICHAEL IGNAZIO
ROTTLER BENJAMIN ANDREW
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G06F3/04883", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/04883", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/04886", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/04886", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 44901658