Apparatus, methods, and systems for digital photo management
First Claim
1. A method of operating a server to provide immediate and deferred response services to remote clients, the method including:
- a) providing dedicated server-side storage areas for client archives;
b) implementing database management policies, said polices being configurable to each client archive;
c) implementing fully automated communications with the client for data synchronization and client request submission;
d) during the automated communications, dynamically executing downloads based on data synchronization needs, any outstanding deferred responses from requests received previously, and any immediately serviceable responses from current requests; and
e) following the receipt of client uploads, selectively performing server-side processing based on the client archive specific database management policy and any client requests requiring deferred responses.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, apparatus, and systems for optimized digital photo management include an optimized digital photo management user interface, referred to as the photo-journal UI (PJUI), a client application with a photo-journal UI for general purpose personal computers (of any form factor), referred to as a photo-journal application, a dedicated portable client device with a small-screen optimized photo-journal UI, referred to as a photo-tablet, and a companion server for either photo-journal client platform, referred to as a tablet-server. Thus, the photo-tablet and the photo-journal application are alternative photo-journal client embodiments with different variations of the same photo-journal user interface architecture. The photo-tablet is designed to be an intermittently connected Internet-appliance. In the photo-tablet, the small-screen optimized PJUI runs entirely on the photo-tablet, even for actions involving the server. Thus the photo-tablet does not require a separate personal computer, web-browser, or other Internet access means. The photo-journal application client isolates the lay user from computer-centric technical details. The photo-journal application client also may be configured for intermittent (deferred) access. User requests for network services (e.g., printing) are queued in either photo-journal client until the next connection. When a photo-journal client is connected to the Internet, it finds a tablet-server, identifies itself, uploads any new photos, and uploads any orders for prints or other services. Photo-journal client software is automatically updated by the server to track changes in features and options. Photos that have been added to the tablet-server from other sources, such as a film processing and scanning provider or a PC, are automatically downloaded to the photo-journal client.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of operating a server to provide immediate and deferred response services to remote clients, the method including:
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a) providing dedicated server-side storage areas for client archives;
b) implementing database management policies, said polices being configurable to each client archive;
c) implementing fully automated communications with the client for data synchronization and client request submission;
d) during the automated communications, dynamically executing downloads based on data synchronization needs, any outstanding deferred responses from requests received previously, and any immediately serviceable responses from current requests; and
e) following the receipt of client uploads, selectively performing server-side processing based on the client archive specific database management policy and any client requests requiring deferred responses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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4. A method of operating a client device and an archive server, the method including:
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a) performing intermittent automated communications from the client to the archive server for image sync and request submission; and
b) performing intervals of client operation without communications with the server, said client operation in intervals without communications including i. performing selective display of locally held images;
ii. buffering images and requests received locally since previously having communications with the archive server, wherein said requests include requests to reconfigure image management policies of the server/client combination; and
iii. indefinitely deferring communications of the buffered images and requests. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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5. A method for hiding from the user the process of archiving binary files to a remote server (including hiding the latencies of establishing a connection, account login, and slow modem transfer speeds, and including hiding the processes of enabling, supervising, and terminating the transfer), by quickly automatically transferring files from removable media, indefinitely holding the files in a buffer, and automatically transferring the data to a remote server in accordance with a predefined user profile.
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6. A method (“
- order and forget”
) of requesting services that unburdens the user from supervising the submission of the request for services (including hiding the latencies of establishing a connection, account login, and slow modem transfer speeds, and hiding the processes of enabling, supervising, and terminating the transfer).
- order and forget”
- 7. A method of communicating images from a user-camera to a user-controlled archive using an intermediate storage device, wherein the user-camera-to-intermediate device operation is decoupled from and is generally asynchronous with the intermediate-device-to-archive operation, the latter occurring automatically after a variable delay following the former.
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10. A method of automatic processing of remote services associated with digital photos, the method including:
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a) accepting and buffering a user request on a client platform;
b) waiting a dynamically determined interval until a predetermined set of criteria are satisfied; and
c) communication of the request and the associated digital photos from the client to a server, routing the request to a service provider, execution of the request, return routing of the result/response, and receipt of the result/response by the client. - View Dependent Claims (11, 16)
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15. A method of operating a server, the method comprising:
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a) reserving dedicated server-side image storage areas corresponding to each of a plurality of intermittently-connected client devices having client-side image storage areas, each dedicated server-side image storage area including at least one image storage area reserved for long-term image storage;
b) maintaining client-associated data, including storage management policy data;
c) performing automated user-unattended communications with the client device that have no requirement for the downloading of real-time user-interface related data (e.g. HTML);
d) during the user-unattended communications, uploading image data selectively provided by the client device;
e) during the user-unattended communications, uploading request data selectively provided by the client device;
f) during the user-unattended communications, selectively downloading images to the client device as a function of the client-associated data and the selectively uploaded client request data; and
g) subsequent to an instance of the user-unattended communications during which data is uploaded, selectively processing the uploaded data as a function of the client-associated data and the selectively uploaded client request data.
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Specification