Web Page Hot Spots

Abstract

An image map designer creates an image map for use with an image. The image map contains one or more hotspots, each of which specifies a set of pixels which may be non-contiguous and non-polygonal. The image map designer may create the image map using image processing software that facilitates creation of non-contiguous and non-polygonal image maps. Multiple versions of the image map may be created, each for use with a different magnification of the image. The image maps are stored in a compact format, which may be transmitted efficiently from a server to a client. Data contained within the image map facilitates the process of determining whether the client user's mouse pointer is within any of the hotspots, and the process of applying the image map to the image when rendered at different magnifications.

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 (A) receiving a first instruction from a first user to select a first portion of a first digital image, the first digital image comprising a plurality of pixels;   (B) in response to the first instruction, selecting a first subset of the plurality of pixels in the first digital image;   (C) storing a record of the first subset in an image map collection data structure; and   (D) transmitting the image map collection data structure and the first digital image to a client via HTTP.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein (C) comprises encoding the first subset for HTTP transmission. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein (A) comprises receiving a first instruction from a first user to select an object, wherein the first instruction does not specify the shape of the object, and wherein (B) comprises selecting the first subset by applying a predetermined function to the first instruction. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first subset consists of a single pixel. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first subset comprises non-contiguous sets of pixels. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (E) receiving a second instruction from the first user to select a second portion of the first digital image;   (F) in response to the second instruction, selecting a second subset of the plurality of pixels in the first digital image; and   (G) storing a record of the second subset in the image map collection data structure.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein (C) comprises:
 (C)(1) identifying a rectangular outer boundary of the first subset; and   (C)(2) storing each set of eight consecutive pixels in the subset as a one-byte value in the image map collection data structure.   
     
     
         8 . An apparatus comprising:
 means for receiving a first instruction from a first user to select a first portion of a first digital image, the first digital image comprising a plurality of pixels;   means, responsive to the first instruction, for selecting a first subset of the plurality of pixels in the first digital image;   means for storing a record of the first subset in an image map collection data structure; and   means for transmitting the image map collection data structure and the first digital image to a client via HTTP.   
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 (A) receiving a first instruction from a first user to select an object in a first digital image, wherein the first instruction does not specify the shape of the object, and wherein   the first digital image comprising a plurality of pixels;   (B) in response to the first instruction, selecting a first subset of the plurality of pixels in the first digital image by applying a predetermined function to the first instruction; and   (C) storing a record of the first subset in an image map collection data structure.   
     
     
         10 . An apparatus comprising:
 means for receiving a first instruction from a first user to select an object in a first digital image, wherein the first instruction does not specify the shape of the object, and wherein the first digital image comprising a plurality of pixels;   means, responsive to the first instruction, for selecting a first subset of the plurality of pixels in the first digital image by applying a predetermined function to the first instruction; and   means for storing a record of the first subset in an image map collection data structure.   
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 (A) receiving a first instruction from a first user to select a first portion of a first digital image, the first digital image comprising a plurality of pixels;   (B) in response to the first instruction, selecting a first subset of the plurality of pixels in the first digital image;   (C) storing a record of the first subset in an image map collection data structure, comprising:
 (1) storing the record of the first subset in a first image map in the image map collection data structure; and 
 (2) storing a record of a scaled version of the first subset in a second image map in the image map collection data structure. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein (C) comprises encoding the first subset for HTTP transmission. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein (A) comprises receiving a first instruction from a first user to select an object, wherein the first instruction does not specify the shape of the object, and wherein (B) comprises selecting the first subset by applying a predetermined function to the first instruction. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first subset consists of a single pixel. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first subset comprises non-contiguous sets of pixels. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus comprising:
 means for receiving a first instruction from a first user to select a first portion of a first digital image, the first digital image comprising a plurality of pixels;   means, responsive to the first instruction, for selecting a first subset of the plurality of pixels in the first digital image;   means for storing a record of the first subset in an image map collection data structure, comprising:
 means for storing the record of the first subset in a first image map in the image map collection data structure; and 
 means for storing a record of a scaled version of the first subset in a second image map in the image map collection data structure. 
   
     
     
         17 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 (A) receiving a first instruction from a first user to select a first portion of a first digital image, the first digital image comprising a plurality of pixels;   (B) in response to the first instruction, selecting a first subset of the plurality of pixels in the first digital image;   (C) storing a record of the first subset in an image map collection data structure, comprising:
 (C)(1) identifying a rectangular outer boundary of the first subset; and 
 (C)(2) storing each set of eight consecutive pixels in the subset as a one-byte value in the image map collection data structure. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein (C) comprises encoding the first subset for HTTP transmission. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein (A) comprises receiving a first instruction from a first user to select an object, wherein the first instruction does not specify the shape of the object, and wherein (B) comprises selecting the first subset by applying a predetermined function to the first instruction. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first subset consists of a single pixel. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first subset comprises non-contiguous sets of pixels. 
     
     
         22 . An apparatus comprising:
 means for receiving a first instruction from a first user to select a first portion of a first digital image, the first digital image comprising a plurality of pixels;   means, responsive to the first instruction, for selecting a first subset of the plurality of pixels in the first digital image;   means for storing a record of the first subset in an image map collection data structure, comprising:
 means for identifying a rectangular outer boundary of the first subset; and 
 means for storing each set of eight consecutive pixels in the subset as a one-byte value in the image map collection data structure. 
   
     
     
         23 . A computer-implemented method performed by a client device, the method comprising:
 (A) receiving an image map collection data structure and a first digital image;   (B) identifying a current location of a user cursor within a rendering of the first digital image at the client;   (C) reading, from the image map collection data structure, a record of an outer boundary of a first subset of the first digital image;   (D) determining whether the current location is within the first subset by reference to pixels solely within the outer boundary; and   (E) if the current location is within the first subset, taking a first predetermined action associated with the first subset.   
     
     
         24 . An apparatus comprising:
 means for receiving an image map collection data structure and a first digital image;   means for identifying a current location of a user cursor within a rendering of the first digital image at a client device;   means for reading, from the image map collection data structure, a record of an outer boundary of a first subset of the first digital image;   means for determining whether the current location is within the first subset by reference to pixels solely within the outer boundary; and   means for taking a first predetermined action associated with the first subset if the current location is within the first subset.   
     
     
         25 . A computer-implemented method performed by a client device, the method comprising:
 (A) receiving an image map collection data structure and a first digital image;   (B) scaling the first digital image to produce a scaled digital image;   (C) identifying a current location of a user cursor within a rendering of the scaled digital image;   (D) identifying a first subset of the scaled digital image;   (E) determining whether the current location is within the first subset; and   (F) if the current location is within the first subset, taking a first predetermined action associated with the first subset.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the first subset consists of a single pixel. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the first subset comprises non-contiguous sets of pixels. 
     
     
         28 . An apparatus comprising:
 means for receiving an image map collection data structure and a first digital image;   means for scaling the first digital image to produce a scaled digital image;   means for identifying a current location of a user cursor within a rendering of the scaled digital image;   means for identifying a first subset of the scaled digital image;   means for determining whether the current location is within the first subset; and   means for taking a first predetermined action associated with the first subset if the current location is within the first subset.