Photo browse and zoom

Abstract

Groups of photo thumbnails are presented to the user, and where a user selects one of the thumbnails, a transition is provided replacing the group of thumbnails with the photo represented by the selected thumbnail. The photo may be displayed without cropping or stretching. In addition, a zoom/enlargement animation of the selected thumbnail is provided, and also possibly of the remaining thumbnails in the group, which then transitions into the represented photo. In addition, after or during the zooming animation, a cross-fading may occur such that the thumbnails fade out and the represented photo fades in. These types of transitions and user inputs both while the user is manually browsing thumbnails and when the user is viewing an automated slideshow of the thumbnails.

1 . A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing acts, comprising:
 displaying a plurality of thumbnails each associated with a different photo;   receiving a first user selection of one of the thumbnails; and   receiving a second user selection of another one of the thumbnails; and   if the second user selection is not received within a specified threshold of time, then animating the first user selection to fade out, causing the plurality of thumbnails to fade in, and causing each of the plurality of thumbnails to reduce in size back to a size at which each of the plurality of thumbnails was displayed when the first user selection was received.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the act of receiving a first user selection includes animating the plurality of thumbnails to increase in size, causing the plurality of thumbnails to fade out, and causing an entirety of the photo associated with the first user selection of one of the thumbnails to fade in. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 2 , wherein the act of displaying includes displaying the plurality of thumbnails in a frame bounded by a visible periphery, and wherein the act of causing the entirety of the photo to fade in includes displaying the entirety of the photo associated with the selected one of the thumbnails so as to span across an entirety of the frame in at least one direction. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 2 , wherein the act of displaying includes displaying the plurality of thumbnails on a display, and wherein the act of causing the entirety of the photo to fade in includes displaying the entirety of the photo associated with the selected one of the thumbnails so as to span across an entirety of the display in at least one direction. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the threshold of time is measured starting with selection of photo representation, starting with animation in response to the second user selection, or starting with completion of animation and cross-fading. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein if a second user selection of the photo being displayed is received within a period of time after the photo has faded in, then in response to the second user selection, causing the photo to fade out, causing the plurality of thumbnails to fade in, and animating each of the plurality of thumbnails to reduce in size back to a size at which each of the plurality of thumbnails was displayed when the first user selection was received 
     
     
         7 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the act of displaying the plurality of thumbnails includes displaying the plurality of thumbnails in a three-dimensional view. 
     
     
         8 . A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing acts, comprising:
 displaying concurrently a plurality of thumbnails each associated with a different photo, wherein each of the thumbnails is a reduced version of a portion of the photo associated therewith;   selecting one of the thumbnails;   animating the plurality of thumbnails to increase in size, causing the plurality of thumbnails to fade out, and causing an entirety of the photo associated with the selected one of the thumbnails to fade in; and   in response to a period of time passing, animating the photo to fade out, causing the plurality of thumbnails to fade in, and causing each of the plurality of thumbnails to reduce in size.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving a user selection of the photo being displayed;   responsive to receiving the user selection, animating and cross-fading the photo and the plurality of thumbnails, causing each of the plurality of thumbnails to reduce in size.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the threshold of time is measured starting with selection of photo representation, starting with animation in response to the second user selection, or starting with completion of the animation and cross-fading. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the act of causing the plurality of thumbnails to fade out includes causing the plurality of thumbnails to fade out while the plurality of thumbnails are animating to increase in size. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the act of displaying includes displaying the plurality of thumbnails in a frame bounded by a visible periphery, and wherein the act of causing the entirety of the photo to fade in includes displaying the entirety of the photo associated with the selected one of the thumbnails so as to span across an entirety of the frame in at least one direction. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the act of displaying includes displaying the plurality of thumbnails on a display, and wherein the act of causing the entirety of the photo to fade in includes displaying the entirety of the photo associated with the selected one of the thumbnails so as to span across an entirety of the display in at least one direction. 
     
     
         14 . A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing acts, comprising:
 displaying a plurality of thumbnails each associated with a different photo;   receiving a first user selection of one of the thumbnails;   animating the plurality of thumbnails to increase in size, causing the plurality of thumbnails to fade out, and causing an entirety of the photo associated with the selected one of the thumbnails to fade in;   receiving a second user selection of one of the thumbnails; and   if the second user selection is not received within a threshold period of time, then animating the photo to fade out, causing the plurality of thumbnails to fade in, and causing each of the plurality of thumbnails to reduce in size back to a size at which each of the plurality of thumbnails was displayed when the first user selection was received.   
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , further comprising displaying the plurality of thumbnails in a frame bounded by a visible periphery; and displaying the entirety of the photo associated with the selected one of the thumbnails across an entirety of the frame. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , further comprising displaying the plurality of thumbnails on a display; and displaying the entirety of the photo associated with the selected one of the thumbnails across an entirety of the display. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the act of displaying the plurality of thumbnails includes displaying the plurality of thumbnails in a three-dimensional view. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the threshold period of time is measured starting with selection of photo representation, starting with animation in response to the second user selection, or starting with completion of animation and cross-fading. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the act of animating the plurality of thumbnails to increase in size includes animating the interstitial regions between the plurality of thumbnails to increase in size. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the act of animating the plurality of thumbnails to increase in size includes animating the thumbnails to move to different locations.