Method and device for image surfing
AssigneeNokia Corporation
InventorsKai Willner, Fehmi Chebil, Asad Islam
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for allowing a client to carry out image surfing. After connecting with a server, the client can select an image category of images to surf from. Upon request by the client, the server sends a set of thumbnails of images to the client, allowing the client to specify one of them for surfing. The client has a GUI interface by which the client can move a selection box to select a portion of the specified image for viewing. If the client wishes to zoom in, zoom out, or enhance the quality of the viewed area, the client sends a request to the server so that the server can send the client the necessary image sub-component to achieve the zoomed or enhanced image portion.
Claims20
A method of conveying image data of an image having an initial quality in a codestream between a source and a target in a wireless communications network, where the target has a memory means to store at least a portion of the image conveyed in the codestream, said method comprising the steps of:
- selecting in the target a subimage part of said image for display at an increased quality level greater than said initial quality of the image stored in the memory means, wherein the image is composed of a plurality of image tiles, each image tile comprising a plurality of tile sub-components, and
- providing a message to the source from the target indicative of an increased amount of tile sub-components of one or more of said tiles needed from the source in order to achieve the increased quality level of the selected subimage part of said image so as to allow the source to convey further image data of the image in the codestream including the increased amount of tile sub-components in response to the message.
An image surfing system for use in a wireless communications network comprising at least a source and a target, wherein the source is capable of conveying image data of an image having an initial quality in a codestream to the target, and the target has a memory means to store at least a portion of the image conveyed in the codestream, said system comprising:
- a specifying means in the target to allow the target to specify a subimage part of said image for display at an increased quality level greater than said initial quality of the image stored in the memory means, wherein the image is composed of a plurality of image tiles, each image tile comprising a plurality of tile sub-components,
- a computing means in the target, responsive to the specified subimage part, for computing an increased amount of tile sub-components of one or more of said tiles needed from the source in order to achieve the increased quality level of the specified subimage part of said image so as to allow the target to provide a message to the source indicative of the increased amount of tile sub-components, and
- a selecting means in the source, responsive to the message, for selecting further image data of the image including the increased amount of tile sub-components, wherein the further image data is conveyed to the target.
A communication device in a wireless communications network comprising at least a source capable of conveying image data of an image having an initial quality in a codestream to the communication device, said communication device comprising:
- a memory means to store at least a portion of the image conveyed in the codestream;
- a displaying means, operatively connected to the memory means, for displaying part or all of said at least portion of the conveyed image;
- a specifying means, operatively connected to the displaying means, for allowing a user to specify from the displayed image a subimage part of the conveyed image for display at an increased quality level greater than said initial quality of the image stored in the memory means, wherein the image is composed of a plurality of image tiles, each image tile comprising a plurality of tile sub-components;
- a computing means, responsive to the specified subimage part, for computing an increased amount of tile sub-components of one or more of said tiles needed from the source in order to achieve the increased quality level of the specified subimage part of said image;
- and
- a communication means, responsive to the computed amount, for providing a message to the source indicative of the increased amount of tile sub-components so as to allow the source to conveyed further image data of the image including the increased amount of tile sub-components to the communication device.
An algorithm for use in a target device in a wireless communications network, the network comprising at least a source device capable of conveying image data of an image having an initial quality in a codestream to the target device, said target device comprising:
- a memory means to store at least a portion of the image conveyed in the codestream;
- a displaying means, operatively connected to the memory means, for displaying part or all of said at least portion of the conveyed image;
- a specifying means, operatively connected to the displaying means, for allowing a user to specify from the displayed image a subimage part of the conveyed image for display at an increased quality level greater than said initial quality of the image stored in the memory means, wherein the image is composed of a plurality of image tiles, each image tile comprising a plurality of tile sub-components;
- and
- a communication means for communicating with the source device, said algorithm comprising:
- a first code, based on the specified subimage part, for computing an increased amount of tile sub-components of one or more of said tiles needed from the source device in order to achieve the increased quality level of the specified subimage part of said image;
- and
- a second code, for removing at least a part of the stored portion of the conveyed image in the memory means so as to allow the increased amount to be stored in the memory, wherein the communication means, responsive to the computed amount, provides a message to the source device indicative of the increased amount of tile sub-components so as to allow the source device to conveyed further image data of the image including the increased amount of tile sub-components to the target device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.