Automatic Media Centering and Cropping via GPU Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing presentation software requires users to manually adjust and reposition media elements, such as images, text, and charts, which is time-consuming, especially when updating presentations, and lacks automatic centering and cropping capabilities.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method using a graphics processing unit to identify areas of interest within media elements, calculate crop areas, and automatically crop and center them based on predefined aspect ratios, allowing for efficient automatic cropping and resizing without user intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual cropping and centering methods are used, then users have full control over media element positioning, but the time and effort required for formatting presentations increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveEase of media element formattingVSAvoidTime required for cropping and centering

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically identifies areas of interest within media elements and performs cropping and centering operations without requiring user intervention. The graphics processing unit analyzes media elements, determines optimal crop areas based on detected features, and automatically positions them centered in the presentation slide, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring manual user operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis of media elements to identify areas of interest before the actual cropping and centering operations. By pre-detecting relevant regions and calculating optimal crop parameters in advance, the system prepares everything needed for automatic formatting before user interaction is required, significantly reducing the time needed during the actual editing process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If automatic cropping is implemented, then productivity increases, but the ability to manually adjust and reposition media elements is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovePresentation creation efficiencyVSAvoidUser control over media positioning

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides dynamic control where users can switch between automatic and manual modes. The graphics processing unit performs automatic cropping and centering operations that can be dynamically adjusted or overridden by user input. Users can modify crop areas, reposition media elements, or adjust parameters after automatic processing, allowing the system to adapt to user needs while maintaining high productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where users can review automatically cropped and centered media elements, provide corrections, and adjust parameters. The graphics processing unit processes user feedback and iteratively refines the cropping and positioning results, allowing users to guide the automatic system while maintaining productivity benefits

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Manufacturing precision

If manual resizing and repositioning of bounding boxes is required, then precise control over crop areas is achieved, but the complexity of the operation increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovePrecision of crop area positioningVSAvoidComplexity of cropping operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces manual mechanical operations of dragging, dropping, and resizing bounding boxes with automated computational processes. The graphics processing unit performs image analysis, feature detection, and mathematical calculations to automatically determine optimal crop areas and positions, substituting complex manual mechanical interactions with streamlined automated processing that achieves comparable or superior precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20240054596A1Automatic centering and cropping of media elements

Publication Date: 2024.02.15 PITCH SOFTWARE GMBH

AI summary

A computer-implemented method and computer for automatic cropping of media elements using a calculated plurality of current crop areas around an area of interest in a presentation system. Identifying the area of interest within the media elements by a graphics processing unit comprises calculating a digital representation of the media elements by analyzing pixels of media elements. The method further comprises calculating one or more current crop areas surrounding the area of interest using the graphics processing unit and storing parameters of the one or more current crop areas as items of crop data in a graphics memory. The graphics processing unit is then used for selecting one of the items of crop data for cropping of the media elements to the identified area of interest using the selected items of crop data. The cropped media elements are then output to a user on a display unit displaying a canvas.