Multi-point Image Preview for Multimedia Content Representation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current graphical user interfaces (GUIs) do not provide quick and effective visual feedback to users about the subject matter of multimedia content such as motion pictures, videos, and documents, relying on generic icons or static images that do not adequately represent the content.
Innovation Solution
A method that generates a preview of a set of images by selecting a subset based on specified criteria, displaying them as thumbnail images within the GUI, allowing for immediate visual representation of the content, with options for dynamic motion-picture previews and playback controls, which can be integrated into icons or displayed separately.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a single static image or generic icon is used to represent video content, then the device complexity is low, but the information representation is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The video content is segmented into multiple keyframes that are displayed simultaneously in the icon. Instead of using a single static image, the icon is divided into multiple sections, each showing a different frame from the video, thereby providing richer information representation while maintaining a compact visual format.
Solution Approach 2:
The representation transitions from a single two-dimensional static image to a multi-dimensional display by incorporating multiple frames in different spatial arrangements within the icon. This allows the icon to convey temporal information (different moments in the video) alongside spatial information, effectively adding a time dimension to the visual representation.
2Loss of information
If a video preview window is displayed next to the icon, then the information representation is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The preview functionality is merged directly into the icon itself rather than being separated into an external preview window. The multiple keyframes are integrated within the icon's graphical component, allowing users to obtain preview information without opening separate windows or navigating to different interfaces, thus maintaining ease of operation while improving information representation.
Solution Approach 2:
The icon serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a visual identifier, provides a preview of the video content through multiple keyframes, and maintains the file's symbolic representation. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate preview windows, improving information accessibility without compromising operational simplicity.
3Loss of information
If the first frame of the video is used as the icon, then the information representation is improved compared to generic icons, but the reliability of content representation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying on a single frame (the first frame), the video is segmented into multiple keyframes distributed throughout the video duration. These keyframes are selected to represent different scenes or important moments, providing a more comprehensive and reliable overview of the video's content rather than just its beginning.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple keyframes are pre-selected and displayed in the icon to provide an advance overview of the video's content. This preliminary visual information allows users to assess the video's subject matter before playing it, improving the reliability of content representation by showing diverse scenes rather than just the opening frame.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of the invention provide a method that presents a preview of a set of images in a graphical user interface (GUI) of a device. To generate the preview, the method initially selects a subset of images that includes several images in the set but not all the images in the set. After selecting the subset of images, the method concurrently displays the images in the selected subset as the preview of the set of images.