Web-connected interactive digital camera

• US 20030133015A1
• Filed: 12/17/2001
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: der Mude, Antony Van, Jackel, Lawrence David, Schmidt, Frederick Kenneth Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/022,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20030133015A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• 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 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00488 providing an audible output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0049 providing a visual indication to the user, e.g. using a lamp H04N1/00408 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00496 Constructional details of the interface or console not otherwise provided for, e.g. rotating or tilting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0051 Card-type connector, e.g. PCMCIA card interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0063 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0089 Image display device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3261 of multimedia information, e.g. a sound signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3266 of text or character information, e.g. text accompanying an image H04N2201/3226 takes precedence

Abstract

An arrangement for capturing and transmitting a series of images, as well as associated sound clips, from a wireless digital camera to a network-based server for viewing at a web site by designated individuals. Text and/or audio messages from the viewers can be transmitted through the wireless packet network back to the digital camera, resulting in an interactive, bidirectional communication system between the camera user and the image viewers.

Claims

1. An interactive digital electronic camera system comprising

a wireless digital electronic camera including

camera elements for capturing image information and digitizing the same for storing in a memory unit in said camera;

an audio element including a microphone and storage arrangement for recording audio input and speaker for playing received audio signals;

a microprocessor for storing recording images and audio information and associating one with the other, and processing and compressing the stored files for transmission; and

a wireless modem arrangement coupled to the microprocessor for transmitting compressed image and audio information over an associated wireless packet network to a defined network-based server and receiving incoming information for storage in said microprocessor;

a wireless communication link between said wireless digital electronic camera and a data communication network; and

a network-based server for communicating with said wireless digital electronic camera and configuring the received image and audio information for presentation to viewers, said network-based server retrieving web site address information from the received image and audio information and forwarding the received information to the defined web site.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the defined web site comprises an interactive web page allowing a viewer to input reply information forwarded to the wireless digital electric camera over the wireless communication link and received by the camera antenna and stored in the camera microprocessor.

3. The system as defined in claim 2 wherein the defined web site includes hot links to listen to audio files associated with the displayed image data.

4. The system as defined in claim 2 wherein the digital electronic camera includes a display element and the defined web site includes a dialog box for inputting a text response to be forwarded to the wireless digital electronic camera and presented on said camera display element.

5. The system as defined in claim 4 wherein the system includes a text-to-speech element for converting the text response into an audio file and transmitting the audio file to the wireless digital electronic camera, for playing by said camera using the speaker in the audio element.

6. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the wireless modem comprises a cellular digital packet data (CDPD) PC-MCIA modem.

7. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the microprocessor stores a listing of identification information associated with permitted viewers of the web site display.

8. The system as defined in claim 7 wherein the web server includes an authorization processor for checking the identification information of a potential viewer prior to allowing access to the defined web site.

9. The system as defined in claim 7 wherein the web server includes administrative feature capability to provide web display design, viewer authorization and statistical functionality.

10. The system as defined in claim 7 wherein the web server includes administrative feature capability to create an alert message when significant changes in sequential photographs of the same image occur.

11. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the wireless digital electronic camera includes an automatic recording element to prompt the camera to record an updated image at a predetermined rate.

12. The system as defined in claim 11 wherein each updated image is automatically transmitted through the wireless packet network to the web server and replies are sent to the camera over the same wireless packet network.

13. The system as defined in claim 11 wherein the predetermined rate is sufficient to record an essentially streaming image signal.

14. The system as defined in claim 13 wherein the essentially streaming image signal is automatically transmitted through the wireless packet network to the web server.

15. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the network-based server including an alert element for transmitting an alert signal to potential viewers when new image information is received.

16. An interactive wireless digital electronic camera including

camera elements for capturing image information and digitizing the same for storing in a memory unit in said camera;

a display element for showing both photographs taken by the wireless digital camera and textual replies received over a wireless packet network;

an audio element including a microphone and storage arrangement for recording audio input and speaker for playing received audio signals;

a microprocessor for storing recording images and audio information and associating one with the other, and processing and compressing the stored files for transmission; and

a wireless modem arrangement coupled to the microprocessor for transmitting compressed image and audio information over the wireless packet network to a defined network-based server and receiving incoming information for storage in said microprocessor.

17. The wireless digital electronic camera as defined in claim 16 wherein the camera includes a display element for displaying received text information from a viewer of camera images stored on the network-based server.

18. The wireless digital electronic camera as defined in claim 16 wherein the wireless modem comprises a wireless network protocol.

19. The wireless digital electronic camera as defined in claim 16 wherein the microprocessor stores a listing of identification information associated with permitted viewers of the transmitted images.

20. The wireless digital electronic camera as defined in claim 19 wherein said camera includes an automatic recording element to prompt said camera to record an updated image at a predetermined rate.

21. The system as defined in claim 20 wherein each updated image is automatically transmitted through the wireless packet network to the network-based server.

22. The system as defined in claim 20 wherein the predetermined rate is sufficient to record an essentially streaming image signal.

23. The system as defined in claim 22 wherein the essentially streaming image signal is automatically transmitted through the packet network to the network-based server.