Viewing digital images using a floating controller

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for viewing one or more items using a floating controller, wherein the floating controller displays a plurality of items from a sequence of items. In one implementation, the floating controller determines that a first item and a second item from the plurality of items have an association, and displays a visual indicator to indicate that the items are associated with each other. The visual indicator may be displayed between the first and the second item. Different visual indicators may be used to indicate different types of associations. Items on the floating controller may be selected by a user to display corresponding enlarged images. The corresponding enlarged images may be displayed side-by-side to allow them to be compared.

1 . A method for displaying a sequence of items, the method comprising:
 displaying on a floating controller, which occupies a first portion of a display, a plurality of items from a sequence of items;   determining that a first item and a second item from the plurality of items have a first association; and   displaying a first visual indicator on the floating controller to indicate that the first item and the second item are associated with each other;   wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first visual indicator is displayed between the first item and the second item. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first item and the second item are part of a group, a stack, or a version set, and wherein a different visual indicator is used for a group, a stack, and a version set to visually indicate which particular type of association exists between the first item and the second item. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that a third item and a fourth item from the plurality of items have a second association; and   displaying a second visual indicator on the floating controller to indicate that the third item and the fourth item are associated with each other.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the second item does not have an association with the third item, and wherein no visual indicator is displayed between the second item and the third item, thereby indicating that the second item and the third item are not associated with each other. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying, in a second portion of the display, a first enlarged image that corresponds to one of the items in the plurality of items displayed on the floating controller;   displaying, in the second portion of the display, a second enlarged image that corresponds to another of the items in the plurality of items displayed on the floating controller;   receiving user input selecting yet another item of the items in the plurality of items displayed on the floating controller; and   in response to receiving the user input, ceasing to display the second enlarged image, and displaying, in place of the second enlarged image, a third enlarged image that corresponds to the yet another item while continuing to display the first enlarged image.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first enlarged image is a representative image of a group, stack, or version set, and the third enlarged image belongs to the same group, stack, or version set as the first enlarged image. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first enlarged image and the second enlarged image are displayed side-by-side, and wherein the method further comprising:
 receiving further user input to move the floating controller; and   in response to the further user input, causing the floating controller to be dragged from a first position to a second position on the display;   wherein the first enlarged image and the second enlarged image do not move in response to the floating controller being moved.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of items displayed on the floating controller comprises a first set of associated items and a second set of associated items, and wherein the method further comprising:
 receiving user input selecting an item from the first set of associated items, wherein the first set of items belongs to a first group, stack, or version set and the second set of associated items belongs to a second and different group, stack, or version set; and   in response to the user input, centering display of the sequence of items on the floating controller on the first group, stack, or version set.   
   
   
       10 . A computer-readable storage storing one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause one or more computing devices to perform the operations of:
 displaying on a floating controller, which occupies a first portion of a display, a plurality of items from a sequence of items;   determining that a first item and a second item from the plurality of items have a first association; and   displaying a first visual indicator on the floating controller to indicate that the first image and the second image are associated with each other.   
   
   
       11 . The computer-readable storage of  claim 10 , wherein the first visual indicator is displayed between the first item and the second item. 
   
   
       12 . The computer-readable storage of  claim 10 , wherein the first item and the second item are part of a group, a stack, or a version set, and wherein a different visual indicator is used for a group, a stack, and a version set to visually indicate which particular type of association exists between the first item and the second item. 
   
   
       13 . The computer-readable storage of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the one or more computing devices to perform the operations of:
 determining that a third item and a fourth item from the plurality of items have a second association; and   displaying a second visual indicator on the floating controller to indicate that the third item and the fourth item are associated with each other.   
   
   
       14 . The computer-readable storage of  claim 13 , wherein the second item does not have an association with the third item, and wherein no visual indicator is displayed between the second item and the third item, thereby indicating that the second item and the third item are not associated with each other. 
   
   
       15 . The computer-readable storage of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the one or more computing devices to perform the operations of:
 displaying, in a second portion of the display, a first enlarged image that corresponds to one of the items in the plurality of items displayed on the floating controller;   displaying, in the second portion of the display, a second enlarged image that corresponds to another of the items in the plurality of items displayed on the floating controller;   receiving user input selecting yet another item of the items in the plurality of items displayed on the floating controller; and   in response to receiving the user input, ceasing to display the second enlarged image, and displaying, in place of the second enlarged image, a third enlarged image that corresponds to the yet another item while continuing to display the first enlarged image.   
   
   
       16 . The computer-readable storage of  claim 15 , wherein the first enlarged image is a representative image of a group, stack, or version set, and the third enlarged image belongs to the same group, stack, or version set as the first enlarged image. 
   
   
       17 . The computer-readable storage of  claim 15  wherein the one or more instructions further cause the one or more computing devices to perform the operations of:
 receiving further user input to move the floating controller; and   in response to the further user input, causing the floating controller to be dragged from a first position to a second position on the display;   wherein the first enlarged image and the second enlarged image do not move in response to the floating controller being moved.   
   
   
       18 . The computer-readable storage of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of items displayed on the floating controller comprises a first set of associated items and a second set of associated items, and wherein the one or more instructions further cause the one or more computing devices to perform the operations of:
 receiving user input selecting an item from the first set of associated items, wherein the first set of items belongs to a first group, stack, or version set and the second set of associated items belongs to a second and different group, stack, or version set; and   in response to the user input, centering display of the sequence of items on the floating controller on the first group, stack, or version set.   
   
   
       19 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a storage storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform the operations of:
 displaying on a floating controller, which occupies a first portion of a display, a plurality of items from a sequence of items; 
 determining that a first item and a second item from the plurality of items have a first association; and 
 displaying a first visual indicator on the floating controller to indicate that the first item and the second item are associated with each other. 
   
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the first visual indicator is displayed between the first item and the second item.