Curved Surface Magnification Interface for Surveillance Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional 'Picture in a Picture' interfaces for surveillance systems obscure parts of the zoomed image and lose detail due to small un-zoomed reference images, requiring eye movement to identify the zoomed image's location, which can be disorienting and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A graphical user interface that maps a digital image onto a curved surface as a texture, allowing non-linear magnification by superimposing a two-dimensional rendering of the textured surface atop a background image, enabling users to designate a focus point for high precision details while maintaining contextual awareness of the wider field of view.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a Picture in a Picture interface is used to show both zoomed and un-zoomed images, then users can view details in a zoomed-in area while retaining awareness of the wider field of view, but the un-zoomed reference image obscures a portion of the zoomed image and loses detail due to its small size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional Picture in a Picture overlay to a three-dimensional curved surface representation. By mapping the source image onto a curved surface (such as a sphere or ellipsoid) and rendering it in perspective, the system creates a depth dimension that allows the magnified region to occupy the full screen space without obscuring other areas. This dimensional transformation resolves the conflict between showing detailed zoomed views and maintaining awareness of the wider field of view.
2Area of stationary object
If the un-zoomed reference image is made smaller to fit on screen, then more screen space is available for the zoomed image, but the reference image loses detail and becomes less useful for orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the reference display by introducing curvature and perspective projection. Instead of a flat, small reference image, the system renders a curved surface with controlled radius and field of view parameters. This allows the reference image to maintain adequate detail while occupying appropriate screen space, as the curved geometry naturally distributes visual information across the display area without requiring excessive pixel density in a small region.
3Device complexity
If conventional linear scaling is used for zooming, then the implementation is simple, but users experience disorientation when moving their eyes between the zoomed and reference images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature to the zoomed display by mapping the source image onto a curved surface such as a sphere, ellipsoid, or other curved geometry. This curved presentation creates a natural perspective relationship between the magnified region and the surrounding area, providing visual cues that help users understand their location and orientation. The curvature effectively communicates spatial relationships without requiring complex multi-image navigation, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining reasonable implementation complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A graphical user interface for displaying and magnifying a source image about a focus point comprises an image frame with a background image and a zoomed-in image. The image frame is responsive to user input. The background image is created from the source image, and fills the image frame. The zoomed-in image is created by mapping at least a portion of the source image onto a curved surface as a texture, and superimposing a two-dimensional render of the resulting textured surface atop a region of the background image.