Customizing a digital camera for a plurality of users

• US 20010030695A1
• Filed: 12/13/2000
• Published: 10/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Anthony L. Tintera, Girish V. Prabhu, John L. Wasula, Kenneth A. Parulski, Michael E. Miller, Su Y. Akyuz
• Inventors: Parulski, Kenneth A., Miller, Michael E., Tintera, Anthony L., Wasula, John L., Akyuz, Su Y., Prabhu, Girish V.
• Granted Patent: US 6,903,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.99
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00503 Customising to a particular machine or model, machine function or application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00509 Personalising for a particular user or group of users, e.g. a workgroup or company
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0097 Storage of instructions or parameters, e.g. customised instructions or different parameters for different user IDs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0074 Arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus H04N2201/0013; control of image communication with the connected apparatus H04N2201/0015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/617 Upgrading or updating of programs or applications for camera control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters

Abstract

A method for customizing a digital camera for at least one particular user is disclosed. The digital camera includes a reprogrammable memory for storing firmware which controls the operation of the digital camera and a camera graphical user interface responsive to the firmware stored in the reprogrammable memory. The method includes providing customization software executed external to the digital camera which can access a plurality of firmware components having different camera features. A user selects desired camera features to cause the customization software to access the corresponding firmware component(s). The selected corresponding firmware component(s) are provided to the digital camera and the reprogrammable memory is reprogrammed to store the corresponding firmware component(s) to thereby customize the digital camera.

Claims

1. A method for customizing a digital camera for at least two particular users of such digital camera by storing at least one firmware component in a programmable memory of the digital camera which controls the operation of the digital camera, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing customization software executed external to the digital camera which can access a plurality of firmware components providing different camera features;

(b) a first user selecting a first desired camera feature and a second user selecting a second desired camera feature which is different from the first desired camera feature, to cause the customization software to access the corresponding firmware component(s) for the first and second desired camera features, respectively;

(c) providing the selected corresponding firmware component(s) to the digital camera to enable the first desired camera feature and to disable the second desired camera feature when the digital camera is used by the first user, and to enable the second desired camera feature and to disable the first desired camera feature when the digital camera is used by the second user, and programming the programmable memory of the digital camera to store the corresponding firmware component(s) to thereby customize the digital camera.

2. The method according to

claim 1

further including the steps of:

(d) displaying the first and second users on a display of the digital camera;

(e) identifying which one of the first and second users is operating the digital camera; and

(f) enabling the first desired camera feature when the first user is identified, and enabling the second desired camera feature when the second user is identified.

3. The method according to

claim 1

wherein the customization software is provided on a computer program product.

4. The method according to

claim 1

wherein the camera customization software is provided by a Network Service Provider.

5. The method according to

claim 1

wherein step (b) includes using a host computer to select the desired camera features.

6. The method according to

claim 5

wherein the host computer is provided in a retail establishment.

7. The method according to

claim 1

wherein the digital camera includes a removable memory card, and the plurality of firmware components is provided on the removable memory card.

8. The method according to

claim 1

further including the step of providing first and second camera graphical user interfaces in the digital camera that are responsive to firmware stored in the programmable memory, and wherein the first camera graphical user interface is configured for the first user, and the second camera graphical user interface, which is different from the first camera graphical user interface, is configured for the second user.

9. The method according to

claim 8

, wherein the first and second camera graphical user interfaces use different icon styles.

10. The method according to

claim 8

, wherein the first and second camera graphical user interfaces use different color sets.

11. A digital camera configured according to the method of

claim 1

.

12. At least one computer program product having the customization software stored thereon for performing the method according to

claim 1

.

13. The method of

claim 1

wherein the desired camera features that can be selected by the first and second users include particular sounds which the digital camera produces when images are captured or reviewed.

14. The method of

claim 1

wherein the desired camera features that can be selected by the first and second users include configuring the firmware component(s) to create one or more html files to arrange images captured by the customized digital camera into a web page having a customized background color, header text, image date, image titles, or image size.

15. The method of

claim 1

wherein the desired camera features that can be selected by the first and second users include monochrome or septia effects, and special effects filters.

16. The method of

claim 1

wherein the digital camera includes a display, and wherein the desired camera features that can be selected by the first and second users include enabling images to be uploaded from an external device and displayed on the display.

17. The method of

claim 1

wherein the desired camera features that can be selected by the first and second users include particular tone or color adjustments, or sharpness adjustments.

18. The method of

claim 1

wherein the digital camera includes a display, and wherein the desired camera features that can be selected by the first and second users include enabling a group of images to automatically be sequentially viewed on the display for a user specified period of time.

19. A method for customizing a digital camera for at least two particular users by programming the programmable memory of the digital camera which controls the operation of the digital camera, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a list of selectable camera features that can be provided by the digital camera;

(b) a first user selecting a first desired camera feature from the displayed list of camera features;

(c) a second user selecting a second desired camera feature from the displayed list of camera features, wherein the second desired camera feature is different than the first desired camera feature;

(d) programming the programmable memory of the digital camera to enable the first desired camera feature and disable the second desired camera feature when the digital camera is used by the first user, and to enable the second desired camera feature and disable the first desired camera feature when the digital camera is used by the second user.

20. The method according to

claim 19

further including the steps of

(e) displaying the first and second users on a display of the digital camera;

(f) identifying which one of the first and second users is operating the digital camera; and

(g) enabling the first desired camera feature when the first user is identified, and enabling the second desired camera feature when the second user is identified.

21. A digital camera configured according to the method of

claim 19

.

22. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing the method of

claim 19

.

23. The method of

claim 19

wherein the digital camera produces a first group of sounds when images are captured or reviewed by the first user, and a second group of sounds, different from the first group of sounds, when images are captured or reviewed by the second user.

24. The method according to

claim 19

wherein the digital camera includes first and second camera graphical user interfaces responsive to firmware stored in the programmable memory, wherein the first camera graphical user interface is configured for the first user, and the second camera graphical user interface, which is different from the first camera graphical user interface, is configured for the second user.

25. The method according to

claim 24

, wherein the first and second camera graphical user interfaces use different icon styles.

26. The method according to

claim 24

, wherein the first and second camera graphical user interfaces use different color sets.

27. The method of

claim 19

wherein the digital camera provides different tone reproduction or color reproduction for the first and second users.

28. The method of

claim 19

wherein the digital camera provides different image sharpness settings for the first and second users.