# US 8,571,326 B2 · Defining a border for an image > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,571,326 B2 - Document ID: US8571326B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/683,991 - Filed: 2012-11-21 - Published: 2013-08-22 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2008-05-28 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Daniel Pettigrew; Dan Candela - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8571326B2 ## CPC - G06T 11/20: Drawing from basic elements - G06T 7/13: Edge detection - G06T 2200/24: involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs] - G06T 2207/10016: Video; Image sequence - G06T 2207/20096: Interactive definition of curve of interest - G06T 2207/30201: Face - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract Some embodiments provide a method that provides a display area for displaying an image that includes several of edges. The method provides a border drawing tool that in response to cursor movement across the image displays a search window about the cursor. The search window specifies a region to be searched to identify edges for use in defining a border for the image. In some embodiments, the size of the search window varies based on the speed of the cursor. The search window is a square box in some embodiments and a circle in other embodiments. The search window is centered at the cursor in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the display area is also for displaying the defined border over the image. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program which when executed by at least one processing unit defines a border for an image, the program comprising sets of instructions for: receiving a single continuous input to move a location indicator over an image; defining a border for the image along a series of reference points located at edges of the image along the movement of the location indicator, the border for use in defining a region of interest of the image, wherein the distance between two successive reference points is based on a speed of the location indicator movement between the two successive reference points while drawing the border; and when the single continuous input moves the location indicator over a location on the border between a first reference point and a second successive reference point, deleting a previously defined first section of the border from the first reference point to an ending point of the border while leaving a previously defined second section of the border intact from the first reference point to a starting point of the border. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for detecting that the location indicator has moved over a particular point on the previously defined border between the first and second reference point. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions for deleting a previously defined first section comprises a set of instructions for deleting the previously defined first section of the border when the location indicator moves within a threshold distance of the previously defined border. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions for deleting a previously defined first section comprises a set of instructions for deleting the previously defined first section of the border when the location indicator is moving in a particular direction and is within a threshold distance of the previously defined border. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions for defining the border for the image comprises a set of instructions for defining the border along the edges of the image in a vicinity of a path of the location indicator over the image. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein when the movement of the location indicator is beyond a threshold distance from any edges of the image, the reference points are defined along the movement of the location indicator. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for receiving, after deleting the previously defined first section of the border, input in order to continue defining the border from the first reference point. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions for defining the border comprises a set of instructions for snapping the defined border to the edges of the image. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for receiving a click and release of a mouse button before receiving the single continuous input to move the location indicator. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for receiving a continuous click of a mouse button before receiving the single continuous input to move the location indicator. ### Claim 11 A method comprising: providing a display area for displaying an image; and providing a border drawing tool for: (i) defining a border based on a series of reference points defined over edges of the image within a vicinity of a location indicator as the location indicator moves across the image, the border drawn as a connected series of segments between the reference points, wherein the length of a segment between two consecutive reference points is based on a speed of the location indicator movement between the reference points while drawing the border; and (ii) when the location indicator moves over a particular segment on the previously defined border during the definition of the border, between a particular reference point and a next reference point in the series of reference points, leaving intact a previously defined section of the border from a start location of the border to the particular reference point while deleting the previously defined section of the border from the particular reference point to an ending point of the border. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the border drawing tool is for defining the border along edges in the vicinity of a path of the location indicator across the image. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the display area is further for displaying the defined border over the image. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the border drawing tool is further for displaying a search window about the location indicator for specifying a region to search for edges of the image. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein a size of the search window varies based on a speed of the location indicator. ### Claim 16 A system comprising: a set of processing units for executing sets of instructions; a memory for storing a program which when executed by at least one of the processing units defines a border for an image, the program comprising sets of instructions for: receiving a single continuous input to move a location indicator over the image in a display area of a media-editing application; defining a border for the image along a series of reference points located at edges of the image along the movement of the location indicator, the border for use in defining a region of interest of the image, wherein the distance between two successive reference points is based on a speed of the location indicator movement between the two successive reference points while drawing the border; and when the single continuous input moves the location indicator over a location on the border between a first reference point and a second successive reference point, deleting a previously defined first section of the border from the first reference point to an ending point of the border while leaving a previously defined second section of the border intact from the first reference point to a starting point of the border. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for detecting that the location indicator has moved over a particular point on the previously defined border between the first and second reference points. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the two successive reference points are closer together as the speed of the location indicator decreases. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the two successive reference points are further apart as the speed of the location indicator increases. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the set of instructions for defining the border for the image along a series of reference point comprises a set of instructions for defining the reference points along the movement of the location indicator when the movement of the location indicator is beyond a threshold distance from any edges of the image.