Controller for Centering and Zooming Image Features
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Solution Overview
Problem
User interfaces for navigating images or maps are counter-intuitive and inefficient, as double-clicking does not change the camera position, requiring manual adjustments to zoom in on off-center features.
Innovation Solution
A controller system that automatically focuses on features in images or maps with a single user input, adjusting camera position and zoom to center and enlarge the selected feature, even if the input is given away from the feature, by defining selectable regions and dynamically adjusting camera properties based on feature characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If double-clicking is used to zoom in on an image or map, then the camera zooms in from the current position, but the camera position does not change and manual adjustment is required for off-center features
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two separate operations (zooming and panning) into a single double-click operation. When a user double-clicks on a feature, the system simultaneously zooms in on that feature and centers it in the camera view, eliminating the need for separate manual panning operations that were previously required.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-calculates the appropriate camera position and zoom level based on the selected feature's characteristics (size, importance, spatial relationships). This preliminary calculation allows the camera to automatically position itself at the optimal view without requiring the user to manually adjust the camera position after zooming.
2Ease of operation
If manual click and drag operations are used to adjust camera position, then the camera can be repositioned, but the operation becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the panning function from the manual click-and-drag operation and automates it through intelligent feature detection and camera control. Instead of requiring the user to manually drag the camera to the desired position, the system automatically determines the optimal camera position based on the selected feature and executes the positioning automatically.
3Productivity
If the camera zooms in from the current position, then the zoom operation is simple, but off-center features cannot be focused on without additional manual adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intelligent intermediary layer between the user's double-click input and the camera's response. This intermediary analyzes the selected feature's characteristics, calculates the optimal camera position and zoom level, and coordinates both zooming and panning operations to achieve a centered view of the feature in a single action.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a controller for automatically providing centered and zoomed-in focus to different features in an image based on a single user input provided on or near those features. The controller may receive an image that is centered on a first point and that is presented at a first zoom depth, and may detect a feature at a different second point in the image. The controller may define a selectable region that extends beyond a border of the feature, and may detect a single user input issued outside the border of the feature, but within the selectable region. In response to the single user input, the controller may center the image on the second point of the feature, and may increase from the first zoom depth to a second zoom depth in order to enlarge view of the feature.