Appliance and method for communicating and viewing multiple captured images

Abstract

An appliance is provided for capturing and communicating images to other devices with communication capabilities. An embodiment of the capturing and viewing appliance comprises displaying a page on a display, the page corresponding to one of a plurality of image data, the plurality of image data each being contiguous members of a group; displaying a flipping animation on the display in response to operating a navigation button; and displaying a new page on the display upon conclusion of the display of the flipping animation, the new page corresponding to another one of the plurality of image data.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A portable hand-held image capturing appliance, comprising: 
 a photoelement array for acquiring at least a first image data and a second image data;    a processor configured to receive the first image data and the second image data from the photoelement, and configured to save the first image data and the second image data in an image group;    a display for displaying a page, the page corresponding to one of the first image data and the second image data in the image group; and    a program code executed by the processor for displaying the page, and for changing the displayed page from a current displayed page to a next displayed page, and for displaying a flipping animation between the current displayed page and the next displayed page.    
     
     
         2 . The appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a memory configured to store the first image data and the second image data in the image group.  
     
     
         3 . The appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a navigation button configured to cause the program code to change the displayed page from the current displayed page and the next displayed page.  
     
     
         4 . The appliance of  claim 3 , wherein the navigation button further comprises an up navigation button, wherein depression of the up navigation button causes display of another page corresponding to a previous image data in the image group.  
     
     
         5 . The appliance of  claim 3 , wherein the navigation button further comprises a down navigation button, wherein depression of the down navigation button causes display of another page corresponding to a next image data in the image group.  
     
     
         6 . The appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising; 
 a left navigation button; and    a right navigation button,    wherein depression of the left navigation button, or wherein depression of the right navigation button, causes display of the flipping animation followed by display of a first page of the image group, and wherein the image group is automatically closed after display of the first page.    
     
     
         7 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the appliance is a scanner.  
     
     
         8 . A method for displaying image data, the method comprising the steps of: 
 displaying a page on a display, the page corresponding to one of a plurality of image data, the plurality of image data each being contiguous members of a group;    displaying a flipping animation on the display in response to operating a navigation button; and    displaying a new page on the display upon conclusion of the display of the flipping animation, the new page corresponding to another one of the plurality of image data.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of displaying the new page when a first navigation button is operated, the new page corresponding to a next image data in the contiguous members of the group.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the step of momentarily displaying a page-of-group number icon with a page number, the page number incremented to correspond to a number associated with the next image data.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of displaying the new page when a second navigation button is operated, the new page corresponding to a previous image data in the contiguous members of the group.  
     
     
         12 . The method of claim II, further comprising the step of momentarily displaying a page-of-group number icon with a page number, the page number decremented to correspond to a number associated with the previous image data.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of displaying the new page when a third navigation button is operated, the new page corresponding to a first image data in the contiguous members of the group.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of closing display of the displayed page after the new page is displayed.  
     
     
         15 . A system for displaying image data, comprising: 
 means for acquiring a plurality of image data;    means for saving the plurality of image data as contiguous members of a group;    means for displaying a first page on a display, the first page corresponding to one of the plurality of image data;    means for displaying a flipping animation in response to operating a navigation button; and    means for displaying a second page on the display after conclusion of the flipping animation, the second page corresponding to another one of the plurality of image data.    
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising means for displaying the second page when the navigation button is invoked, the second page corresponding to a next image data in the contiguous members of the group  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising means for displaying the second page when the navigation button is invoked, the second page corresponding to a previous image data in the contiguous members of the group.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the means for displaying the second page further comprises means for displaying a page corresponding to a first image data in the contiguous members of the group.  
     
     
         19 . A computer-readable medium having a program for displaying image data, the program comprising logic configured to perform the steps of: 
 retrieving from a memory one of a plurality of image data;    displaying a page on a display, the page corresponding to one of a plurality of image data, the plurality of image data each being contiguous members of a group;    displaying a flipping animation on the display in response to operating a navigation button;    retrieving from the memory a second one of a plurality of image data; and    displaying a new page on the display upon conclusion of the display of the flipping animation, the new page corresponding to the retrieved second one of the plurality of image data.