An Apple patent (number 8194099) for techniques for displaying digital images on a display has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Per the patent, a set of items from a sequence of items is displayed. The sequence of items includes one or more undisplayed items that do not belong to the set of items. The set of items are displayed, in an arrangement that includes a plurality of lines, in an order that corresponds to the sequence.

In response to user input that selects a particular item from the set of items, it is determined whether the number of lines, in the plurality of lines, that precede the line containing the particular item is less than a first predetermined threshold. If that is the case, a line of undisplayed items that precede the set of items is displayed, while a line of displayed items that follow the particular item is ceased to be displayed.

Here’s Apple’s background on the invention: “Digital photographers may use a software system in managing and organizing digital images. Often, digital photographers may need to display a large number of digital images on a display. The number of digital images that the digital photographer wishes to visually represent on the display may be too large or unwieldy for each of the digital images to be visually represented on the display unobstructed. Consequently, there is a need in the art to improve the display, management, and organization of digital images shown on a display.”

The inventors are Randy Ubillos, Laurent Perrodin and Dan Waylonis.