Display of thumbnails of image data

Abstract

The display of each thumbnail TN with an appropriate paper size PS enables the operator to readily grasp the number of pixels constituting each image data Dp corresponding to the thumbnail TN. Such display enhances the workability for selection of desired image data Dp. Multiple thumbnails TN provided for respective image data Dp are displayed as a list in a specific thumbnail display area on a window. The appropriate paper size PS of each thumbnail TN is shown on the upper right corner of the thumbnail TN. The appropriate paper size PS of each thumbnail TN is determined to be suitable for the print size for printing the image data Dp corresponding to the thumbnail TN. The appropriate paper size PS is the paper size of the greatest dimensions among multiple paper size options stored in a paper size table that are sufficient for printing the image data Dp having a specified number of pixels.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the configuration of a computer system in one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the initial state of an application window WD1 opened on a display according to a computer program Pr;

FIG. 3 shows an ‘Input from List’ window WD2 opened on the display;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a thumbnail display routine to display a list of thumbnails in a thumbnail display area FL13 on the ‘Input from List’ window WD2;

FIG. 5 shows one example of display by the processing of steps S200 to S400 in the thumbnail display routine of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the details of the appropriate paper size display at step S400 in the thumbnail display routine of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 shows an ‘Environmental Setting’ dialog box DB; and

FIG. 8 shows one example of a paper size table TB.

Claims

1. A thumbnail display apparatus that displays a thumbnail provided for each image data, the thumbnail display apparatus comprising: an image size acquisition module that obtains a horizontal number of pixels and a vertical number of pixels defining each image data as an image size of the image data;an output resolution acquisition module that specifies an output resolution corresponding to a printing resolution by a printing apparatus;an appropriate paper size determination module that determines an adequate paper size suitable for printing each image data, based on the specified image size of the image data and the specified output resolution; anda display control module that displays a thumbnail provided for each image data, together with the appropriate paper size determined for the image data by the appropriate paper size determination module.

2. The thumbnail display apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the appropriate paper size determination module includes: a paper size storage module that stores multiple paper size options;a print size computation module that computes an available print size for printing each image data by a printing apparatus from the image size of the image data and the output resolution; anda paper size selection output module that selects an optimum paper size most suitable for the print size computed by the print size computation module, among the multiple paper size options stored in the paper size storage module, and outputs the selected paper size as the appropriate paper size for printing.

3. The thumbnail display apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the print size computation module multiplies the image size of each image data specified by the image size acquisition module by a preset value and uses the multiplied image size for computation of the print size, wherein the preset value is greater than 1 and is determined by taking into account potential pixel interpolation.

4. The thumbnail display apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the output resolution acquisition module includes: a printing apparatus specification module that specifies a printing apparatus as an output destination of image data; anda printing apparatus resolution acquisition module that obtains a resolution set in a printing apparatus specified by the printing apparatus specification module as the output resolution.

5. The thumbnail display apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein the output resolution acquisition module includes: a default acquisition module that obtains a preset default value as the output resolution; andan active operation switchover module that selectively activates either the printing apparatus resolution acquisition module or the default acquisition module, in response to an operator's activation command.

6. The thumbnail display apparatus in accordance with claim 1, the thumbnail display apparatus further comprising: a thumbnail list display module that displays a list of multiple thumbnails with respective appropriate paper sizes determined by the appropriate paper size determination module.

7. A thumbnail display method of displaying a thumbnail provided for each image data, the thumbnail display method comprising:obtaining a horizontal number of pixels and a vertical number of pixels defining each image data as an image size of the image data;specifying an output resolution corresponding to a printing resolution by a printing apparatus;determining an adequate paper size suitable for printing each image data, based on the specified image size of the image data and the specified output resolution; anddisplaying a thumbnail provided for each image data, together with the appropriate paper size determined for the image data.

8. A computer program product that causes a computer to display a thumbnail provided for each image data, the computer program product comprising:a first program code of obtaining a horizontal number of pixels and a vertical number of pixels defining each image data as an image size of the image data;a second program code of specifying an output resolution corresponding to a printing resolution by a printing apparatus;a third program code of determining an adequate paper size suitable for printing each image data, based on the specified image size of the image data and the specified output resolution;a fourth program code of displaying a thumbnail provided for each image data, together with the appropriate paper size determined for the image data; anda computer readable medium that stores the first through the fourth program codes.

9. The computer program product in accordance with claim 8, the computer program product further comprising: a fifth program code of providing a paper size table storing multiple paper size options,wherein the computer readable medium stores the fifth program code,wherein the third program code includes:a sixth program code of computing an available print size for printing each image data by a printing apparatus from the image size of the image data and the output resolution; anda seventh program code of selecting an optimum paper size most suitable for the computed print size among the multiple paper size options stored in the paper size table and outputting the selected paper size as the appropriate paper size for printing.

10. The computer program product in accordance with claim 8, wherein the second program code includes: an eighth program code of specifying a printing apparatus as an output destination of image data; anda ninth program code of obtaining a resolution set in the specified printing apparatus as the output resolution.

11. The computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein the second program code includes: a tenth program code of obtaining a preset default value as the output resolution; andan eleventh program code of selectively activating either the ninth program code or the tenth program code, in response to an operator's activation command.