Detail-in-context lenses for interacting with objects in digital image presentations
View Patent ↗Methods for initiating an electronic shopping transaction, for initiating a control operation for a user-selectable video game character, for emphasizing an advertisement in a computer generated display, and for presenting multiple GUIs in desktop user interfaces using detail-in-context graphical distortions. The method for initiating an electronic shopping transaction, for a user-selectable item presented in a computer generated original image on a display, comprising: receiving a selection signal for the item from a user; distorting the original image to produce a distorted region for the item to provide the user with detailed information for the item; and, receiving a purchase signal for the item from the user.
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
causing an image of a video game to be displayed, by a data processing system, on a display device;
distorting the image by the data processing system to produce a presentation having a distorted region that gives an appearance of a lens being incorporated within the image, the appearance of the lens having a magnified region that is surrounded by a shoulder region, wherein at least a portion of the image in the shoulder region has a magnification that is less than a magnification of the magnified region and greater than a magnification of the image; and
causing the distorted image having the appearance of the lens incorporated within the image to be displayed by the data processing system on the display device.
2. A method of claim 1 wherein the appearance of the lens provides a detail-in-context view.
3. A method of claim 1 wherein the appearance of the lens provides greater detail to a view of a character in the video game.
4. A method of claim 3 wherein the appearance of the lens also provides information pertaining to the character.
5. A method of claim 4 wherein the information includes available powers, weapons, reserves points, skill, or controls for the character.
6. A method of claim 4 wherein the information is displayed via a pop-up window.
7. A method of claim 1 wherein the appearance of the lens also provides an interface to an external gaming application available to the data processing system through a network.
8. A method of claim 1 wherein the appearance of the lens includes control icons.
9. A method of claim 1 wherein the distorting is applied for a plurality of regions in the image, each said region corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of characters of the video game.
10. A method of claim 1 wherein the video game is a role-playing game.
11. A method of claim 1 wherein the data processing system is a game console.
12. A tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising a video game configured to distort an image of the video game to produce a presentation having a distorted region that gives an appearance of a lens being incorporated within the image, the appearance of the lens having a magnified region that is surrounded by a shoulder region, wherein at least a portion of the image in the shoulder region has a magnification that is less than a magnification of the magnified region and greater than a magnification of the image.
13. A computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the instructions provide an interface to an external gaming application that is accessible via a network.
14. A computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the appearance of the lens includes control icons.
15. A computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the image is distorted in a plurality of regions, each said region corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of characters of the video game.
16. A computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the video game is a role-playing game.
17. A computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the video game is executable to provide a control operation for a user-selectable video game character presented in the image on a display that involves:
receiving a selection signal for said character; and
distorting the image to produce the appearance of the lens for said character to provide detailed information for said character.
18. A method of claim 1 wherein, in at least a portion of the shoulder region, a degree of image magnification decreases going away from the magnified region.
19. A method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the image in the shoulder region is compressed.
20. A method of claim 19 wherein, in at least a portion of the shoulder region, a degree of image compression increases going away from the magnified region.
21. A method of claim 12 wherein, in at least a portion of the shoulder region, a degree of image magnification decreases going away from the magnified region.
22. A computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the image in the shoulder region is compressed.
23. A computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein, in at least a portion of the shoulder region, a degree of image compression increases going away from the magnified region.