System and Method for image capture and management in an electronic device

• US 20010052911A1
• Filed: 01/08/2001
• Published: 12/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IDEO Product Development, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IDEO Product Development, Inc.
• Inventors: Stillion, Daniel, Kopelow, Leo, Domingo, Erich Ian, Dahm, Arthur J. III, Boyle, Dennis
• Application Number:
  US09/757,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20010052911A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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 1/00236 using an image reading or reproducing device, e.g. a facsimile reader or printer, as a local input to or local output from a computer image input to or image output from a computer via a network H04N1/00209
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00241 using an image reading device as a local input to a computer input via network, e.g. network scanners H04N1/00225
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0035 User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00397 Switches, knobs or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00437 Intelligent menus, e.g. anticipating user selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00477 Indicating status, e.g. of a job for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N2201/3219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0034 Details of the connection, e.g. connector, interface
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for capturing and managing live images in a digital format on an electronic device in a manner that is easy, intuitive and useful is provided. The system and method includes an image management engine and graphical user interface that allows a user to manage, manipulate, edit and store the images in the electronic device. Additionally, the invention provides a method of transmitting images thus captured and stored to a remote device.

Claims

1. A machine-readable medium having embodied thereon an image management program, the program being executable by an electronic device to perform method steps for capturing, controlling and managing an image, the method steps comprising:

receiving an image from an image capture device coupled to the electronic device;

managing the display of the image on a display screen constituent to the electronic device;

managing the display of a graphical user interface on the display screen, the user interface comprising at least one interactive icon, the interactive icon being capable of executing a routine within the program upon activation of said icon by a user.

2. The machine-readable medium of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of controlling one or more operational modes of the image capture device.

3. The machine-readable medium of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of transmitting said image from said electronic device to a remote device.

4. The machine-readable medium of

claim 1

, wherein said program is transferred from the image capture device to the electronic device for execution.

5. The machine-readable medium of

claim 1

, wherein said program is transferred from an external magnetic medium to the electronic device for execution.

6. The machine-readable medium of

claim 1

, wherein said program is transferred from an external optical medium to the electronic device for execution.

7. The machine-readable medium of

claim 1

wherein said electronic device is a handheld device.

8. A system for capturing and managing images, comprising:

an electronic device, further comprising;

a processor,

a display, for selectively displaying text and one or more live or stored images, and

a memory, for storing said images;

an image capture device removably attached to said electronic device; and

an image management engine loaded into said memory and executed by said processor, the image management engine capable of implementing a plurality of functions for capturing, managing and viewing said images.

9. The system of

claim 8

, wherein said electronic device further comprises a transmission source for transmitting image data from said electronic device to a remote device.

10. The system of

claim 9

, wherein said transmission source is wireless.

11. The system of

claim 10

wherein said wireless transmission source is infrared.

12. The system of

claim 8

wherein said image capture device is a digital camera.

13. The system of

claim 8

wherein said image management engine is loaded into said memory from an external magnetic medium.

14. The system of

claim 8

wherein said image management engine is loaded into said memory from an external optical medium.

15. The system of

claim 8

wherein said image capture device comprises an internal memory.

16. The system of

claim 15

wherein said image management engine is pre-loaded in said internal memory of said image capture device.

17. The system of

claim 16

wherein said image management engine is automatically downloaded and stored in said memory of said electronic device upon attachment of said image capture device to said electronic device.

18. The system of

claim 8

wherein said image management engine presents one or more graphical user interface icons on said display of said electronic device to facilitate capture or management of images.

19. A method for managing live images on an electronic device, comprising the steps of:

providing a display for viewing said images on said electronic device;

providing a camera for capturing said images; and

providing one or more image control functions that execute by selecting same.

20. The method of

claim 19

further comprising the step of providing a memory to store said image after capturing.

21. The method of

claim 19

wherein said image is captured by said camera by programming an automatic timer.

22. The method of

claim 21

wherein said image is captured by programming said automatic timer to capture said image within a user-specified time.

23. The method of

claim 21

wherein an image is captured by programming said automatic timer to capture a user-specified number of images at a user-specified time interval.

24. The method of

claim 19

further comprising the step of providing a transmission source for transmitting selected image data to a remote device after capturing.