Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Franc Camara

Vladimir Sadovsky

Andrew Shaun Ivory

Lyman Cooper Partin

Mark R Enstrom

Richard S Turner, Jr

Reed K Bement

Po Yuan

Keisuke Tsuchida

Michael Dean Stokes

Chris J Guzak

Michael G Sheldon

Gilman Kuey Wong

Todd L Ouzts

Vlad Sadovsky

Byron Huntley Changuion

Rajesh Ganesan

David M Parsons

A computer system and method are presented that enhance a user experience when viewing images displayed on the computer. The system includes a user interface for the computer that displays a number of thumbnail images that are small representations of image files existing on the computer. The thumbnail images are arranged in alignment with one another, such as at the bottom of a viewing window. An enlarged preview image is positioned adjacent the thumbnail images. The enlarged preview image corresponds to a selected thumbnail image and is a larger representation of an image file corresponding with the selected thumbnail image. A control is displayed in the window that enables the user to iterate through the thumbnail images in at least one direction. As the user iterates through the thumbnail images, the enlarged preview image changes correspondingly.

Computer system with enhanced user interface for images

A computer system uses simplified device drivers for operating hardware devices. A simplified device driver for a hardware device of a given device type, such as a flatbed scanner, works with a system-supplied common driver for that given device type. The common driver and the simplified driver together function like a regular device driver. The simplified device driver implements a small number of entry point functions corresponding to a pre-selected set of operation commands 'generic' to hardware devices of that given device type. When an application makes a request for an operation by the device, the request is passed through a device driver interface (DDI) to the common driver. The common driver then calls the entry point functions in the simplified device driver to carry out the requested operation.

Simplified device drivers for hardware devices of a computer system

An image acquisition system has a computer and one or more imaging devices coupled thereto. Each imaging device has a device memory and is capable of capturing and storing a digital image in its memory. An image device manager is implemented in software on the computer to control imaging device operation. The image device manager presents a user interface (UI) within the familiar graphical windowing environment. The UI has a context space to a particular imaging context (e.g., scanning, photography, and video). The UI also has a persistently-visible imaging menu positioned within the context space that lists options particular to the imaging context. The image acquisition system also includes a set of application program interfaces (APIs) that enable applications to manage loading and unloading of imaging devices, monitor device events, query device information properties, create device objects, capture images using the devices, and store or manipulate the captured images.

Computer-implemented image acquistion system

A system and method for image acquisition enables selective automated application of color management to color image data generated by an image-capturing device by the device driver for the device. In the image acquisition system, each image-capturing device has properties or operation parameters that can be set to control the operation of the device. During an image acquisition operation, color image data generated by the image-capturing device are transmitted to the device driver. If the operation parameters of the device are set to indicate that color management is to be performed, the device driver calls color management functions provided by the operating system to perform the desired color operation, such as a color space conversion, on the received color image data. The processed color image data are then sent to the image-processing application for further processing or editing.

System and method for applying color management on captured images

A computer system and method are presented that enhance a user experience when viewing images displayed on the computer. The system includes a user interface for the computer that displays a number of thumbnail images that are representations of image files existing on the computer. The thumbnail images are arranged in alignment with one another, such as at the bottom of a viewing window. An enlarged preview image is positioned adjacent the thumbnail image. The preview image corresponds to a selected one of the thumbnail images. A control is displayed in the window that enables the user to iterate through the thumbnail images in at least one direction. As the user iterates through the thumbnail images, the enlarged preview image changes correspondingly.

A method and image data acquisition service arrangement are disclosed that facilitate standardizing the process of adding metadata to acquired image information downloaded from a connected image capture device to a computer system. An image acquisition service analyzes image information downloaded from the image capture device and renders new metadata values based upon applied analytical algorithms/filters. Thereafter, the image information and new metadata are rendered available to other processes that use the image information and new metadata.

Generation of metadata for acquired images

Computer-implemented image acquisition system

An image acquisition system has a computer and one or more imaging devices coupled thereto. Each imaging device has a device memory and is capable of capturing and storing a digital image in its memory. An image device manager is implemented in software on the computer to control imaging device operation. The image device manager presents a user interface (GI) within the familiar graphical windowing environment. The GI has a context space to a particular imaging context (e.g., scanning, photography, and video). The GI also has a persistently-visible imaging menu positioned within the context space that lists options particular to the imaging context. The image acquisition system also includes a set of application program interfaces (APIs) that enable applications to manage loading and unloading of imaging devices, monitor device events, query device information properties, create device objects, capture images using the devices, and store or manipulate the captured images.

A method is provided for controlling a Mass Storage Class Digital Imaging Device using a SCSI pass through protocol. The protocol is based on industry standard SCSI protocol with modifications and extensions to allow transparent communication over a medium and is referred to as SCSI Pass Through (SPT). This protocol defines a set of commands that are initiated in a computer. The commands also include and extend industry standard Picture Transfer Protocol and are targeted for application and execution in a Mass Storage Class Digital Imaging Device. The invention includes the definition of data buffers in the form of data structures that can be used for packaging, passing, and receiving information related to the digital imaging device. The protocol is applicable to communication mediums that can be utilized in connecting any digital storage device to a computing device.

System and method for controlling mass storage class digital imaging devices

A method and system for providing video data to a user on a computer is provided. According to the method and system, a video streaming device attached to the computer provides a video stream that is displayed on the computer. Images that were previously captured with the video streaming device, either from the current video stream or from previous video streams, are displayed to the user along with the current video stream. This gives the user the impression that the device has captured image storage when, in fact, the previously captured images are actually stored elsewhere, such as on the computer's hard disk. The stored images are accessible by the computer, and placed in virtual folders while being displayed. A user interface shows the current video stream in a video display area and the previously captured images in a captured image display area. The user interface may be invoked when the user double clicks on an icon that represents the video streaming device. This gives the user the impression that he has browsed to the device and is viewing its contents.

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Redmond, WA, United States of America

Franc Camara