Website image carousel generation

Abstract

A website construction tool allows website construction via an interactive graphical user interface (GUI) using containers and modules defining predetermined website constructs from a robust assortment of common and popular rendering formats and content source definition for individual webpages, and arranges the individual pages for navigation. A user selects from the predefined constructs by selecting modules for generating code, corresponding to the desired content, source and rendering format. Pointing device positioning locates the on-screen location by generating a container dedicated to the desired content. Webpage structure, or page flow, is generated by insertion of navigation controls and page insertions for navigating between pages in the deployed site. The predetermined constructs, therefore, provide templates of complex rendering formats allowing for content insertion without burdening the user with development of the constructs so rendered. Constructed websites may be hosted by the development entity, further relieving the user from website maintenance.

1 . In a website construction tool, a method for generating window based content for insertion in the website comprising:
 receiving, from a plurality of modules corresponding to types of window based screen elements, a selection of a carousel module for defining a carousel container responsive to a set of screen elements arranged in an iterative rotation, each of the screen elements being an image container responsive to a content source for rendering content items;   populating, based on a received command, each of the screen elements from the content source; and   rendering each of the screen elements according to a sequence, the sequence displaying a portion of each successive and previous screen element responsive to commands for advancing the ordering,   the carousel container arranging a plurality of image containers in a visually uniform appearance, the sequence rendering at least a portion of a current image container simultaneously with at least a portion of a successive image container.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 rendering the successive image container in entirety as the current element advances beyond a visual rendering area; and 
 rendering the successive image container as the current image container in anticipation of a subsequent command to advance the carousel. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 displaying a user control for adding a content item to an available screen element on the carousel; and 
 displaying a window operative for selecting a content source for populating the available screen element. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the selection of the content source is a drag and drop mechanism between the content source and the available selection. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the carousel renders a current image container and a predetermined number of available image containers renderable in either direction on the carousel, the available image containers renderable via rotation of the carousel, further comprising:
 receiving a command indicative of one of either directions; and 
 advancing the current image container to the successive image container in the commanded direction. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the predetermined number of available image containers is rendered in a compact form, the compact form displaying an alternate view having less detail than that of the current image container. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the alternate view renders the image container at an angle, such that an appearance of viewing the image container being rotated on an axis into or away from a direct line of sight. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 rendering the successive and incoming current image containers based only on a number of content items and a content height control; and 
 augmenting the image containers with respect to a fixed uppermost initial extent of the horizontal perspective. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising
 receiving a command to modify the height of the current image container; 
 modifying the height of other images in the carousel to correspond to the height of the current image container for providing a uniform appearance to the carousel images. 
 
     
     
         10 . A method for constructing a content carousel in a website under construction, comprising:
 in response to a user command corresponding to insertion of a content carousel in the website, displaying a content carousel construction region having a predetermined initial height and width, user controls within the content carousel construction region, and a carousel container display region for display of one of a plurality of carousel containers, each carousel container having a predetermined initial height and width less than the content carousel construction region;   in response to a user command corresponding to the addition of a content item to the carousel container, displaying a representation of the content item in the carousel container display region, the added content item comprising an initial view of a size less than the initial height and width of the carousel container; and   in response to user manipulation of the image manipulation control with respect to the currently displayed carousel container, automatically adjusting the size of other carousel containers relative to the fixed uppermost initial extent of the carousel container within the boundaries of the content carousel construction region so as to define correspondingly adjusted views of the other carousel containers of the plurality of carousel containers,   wherein user manipulation of the image manipulation control does not impose distortion of the content items in the carousel container.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein in response to a user command corresponding to the addition of a second content item to the carousel container, displaying a representation of the second content item in the carousel container display region, the added second content item comprising an initial view of a predetermined size less than the initial height and width of the carousel container. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising:
 displaying an image manipulation control for adjusting a view of a currently displayed one of the carousel containers in the carousel container display region relative to the fixed uppermost initial extent of the currently displayed carousel container within the boundaries of the content carousel construction region so as to define an adjusted view of the currently displayed carousel container. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising displaying, in further response to a user command corresponding to the addition of a second content item to the carousel container, a carousel navigation control to allow user scrolling through multiple content items in the carousel. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the carousel navigation control comprises a pair of oppositely disposed user slider controls positioned at the outer vertical edges of the carousel container display region. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a representation of the added second content item is displayed in the carousel container display region, the added second content item being of an initial view of a predetermined resolution and size less than the initial height and width of the carousel container. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a plurality of content items corresponding to the carousel container is stored in a carousel memory structure in a computer system utilized in connection with construction of the website. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising receiving a selection from user control for selecting a particular image from an image repository for insertion into the content carousel region. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of:
 in response to a user command corresponding to the addition of a content item to the carousel container, displaying content carousel construction controls in a position proximate to the content carousel region for adding and removing additional content items to and from the content carousel.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of displaying a slider control bar in a position proximate to the carousel container for zooming the image within the content carousel region and carousel container without resizing the content carousel region or carousel region. 
     
     
         20 . A computer program product having computer program code encoded as instructions on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method for generating window based content for insertion in the website comprising:
 receiving, from a plurality of modules corresponding to types of window based screen elements, a selection of a carousel module for defining a carousel container responsive to a set of screen elements arranged in an iterative rotation, each of the screen elements being an image container responsive to a content source for rendering content items;   populating, based on a received command, each of the screen elements from the content source; and   rendering each of the screen elements according to a sequence, the sequence displaying a portion of each successive and previous screen element responsive to commands for advancing the ordering; the carousel container arranging a plurality of image containers in a visually uniform appearance, the sequence rendering at least a portion of a current image container simultaneously with at least a portion of a successive image container.