System for protecting pictures used in wireless communication messages

• US 20030114137A1
• Filed: 12/18/2001
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Hamynen, Kimmo, Eiden, Niko
• Granted Patent: US 7,151,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/403
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence

Abstract

A wireless terminal (10) (and associated method) for protecting pictures (11a, 11b) stored in the wireless terminal for use in messages communicated via a wireless communication system. The wireless terminal includes a picture manager (10) that embeds a predetermined tag (12) in a picture (11a) indicating whether or not the picture is editable (using the picture manager), according to commands by the user after creating the picture.

Claims

1. A wireless terminal (15) for communicating pictures via a wireless communication system, the wireless terminal comprising:

a) a picture manager (10), responsive to signals indicating pictures (11a 11b), for displaying the pictures (11a 11b) each of which are either editable or non-editable as indicated by a predetermined tag (12) embedded in the picture (11a 11b), and for examining each of the pictures (11a 11b) to determine whether each of the pictures (11a 11b) includes the predetermined tag (12) and so is either editable or non-editable depending on whether a tag in a picture is pre-agreed to signify that the picture is editable or is non-editable, for providing signals indicating edited and non-edited pictures (11a 11b); and

b) a picture source (14 17), for providing the signals indicating pictures (11a 11b) along with optional associated text, responsive to the signals indicating the edited and non-edited pictures (11a 11b).

2. A wireless terminal (15) as in claim 1, wherein the picture manager (10) will not enable editing a picture (11a 11b) if the picture (11a 11b) includes the predetermined tag (12).

3. A wireless terminal (15) as in claim 1, wherein the picture manager (10) will enable editing a picture (11a 11b) only if the picture (11a 11b) includes the predetermined tag (12).

4. A wireless terminal (15) as in claim 1, wherein the predetermined tag (12) is visible to a user of the wireless terminal (15) only if the wireless terminal (15) is placed by the user into a mode of operation allowing editing of an editable picture.

5. A wireless terminal (15) as in claim 1, further comprising a memory device (14), and wherein the picture manager (10) automatically saves downloaded pictures (11a) including the predetermined tag (12) in a different location in the memory device (14) from where the picture manager (10) saves downloaded pictures (11a 11b) not including the predetermined tag (12).

6. A system, comprising:

i) a wireless terminal (15) for communicating pictures via a wireless communication system, the wireless terminal (15) as claimed in claim 1;

and

ii) a base station transceiver (13), for providing communication between the wireless terminal (15) and other communication devices.

7. A system, comprising:

i) a wireless terminal (15) for communicating pictures via a wireless communication system, the wireless terminal (15) as claimed in claim 2;

and

ii) a base station transceiver (13), for providing communication between the wireless terminal (15) and other communication devices.

8. A system, comprising:

i) a wireless terminal (15) for communicating pictures via a wireless communication system, the wireless terminal (15) as claimed in claim 3;

and

ii) a base station transceiver (13), for providing communication between the wireless terminal (15) and other communication devices.

9. A system, comprising:

i) a wireless terminal (15) for communicating pictures via a wireless communication system, the wireless terminal (15) as claimed in claim 4;

and

ii) a base station transceiver (13), for providing communication between the wireless terminal (15) and other communication devices.

10. A system, comprising:

i) a wireless terminal (15) for communicating pictures via a wireless communication system, the wireless terminal (15) as claimed in claim 5;

and

ii) a base station transceiver (13), for providing communication between the wireless terminal (15) and other communication devices.

responsive to signals indicating pictures (11a 11b)

11. A system as claimed in claim 5, further comprising equipment (17) providing pictures (11a 11b) for downloading, for providing the signals indicating the pictures (11a 11b).

12. A method for use by a wireless terminal (15) used in communicating pictures via a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

a) an examination step (31), responsive to a picture (11a 11b), for examining the picture (11a 11b) to determine whether the picture (11a 11b) includes a predetermined tag (12), for providing an indication of whether or not the picture (11a 11b) includes the predetermined tag (12); and

b) a mode guard step (32), for enabling editing of the picture (11a 11b) depending on the indication of whether or not the picture (11a 11b) includes the predetermined tag (12).

13. A method as in claim 12, wherein in the mode guard step (32), a user is allowed to edit the picture (11a 1b) only if the picture (11a 11b) includes the predetermined tag (12).

14. A method as in claim 12, wherein in the mode guard step (32), a user is not allowed to edit the picture (11a 1b) if the picture (11a 11b) includes the predetermined tag (12).

15. A method as in claim 12, further comprising a step (32) of displaying the predetermined tag (12) so that it is visible to a user only if the user places the wireless terminal (15) into a mode of operation allowing editing of an editable picture.

16. A method as in claim 12, wherein in the examination step (32), a downloaded picture (11a) having the predetermined tag (12) is automatically saved in a different location in a memory device (14) from where a downloaded picture (11b) not including the predetermined tag (12) is saved.