Photo book system and method having retrievable multimedia using an electronically readable code

• US 20040088326A1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Yen, Jonathan, Lin, Qian, Damera-Venkata, Niranjan
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• 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 1/00169 Digital image input
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00196 Creation of a photo-montage, e.g. photoalbum H04N1/0019 takes precedence
• 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 1/32133 on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 Printing or stamping

Abstract

A photo book system and method with associated multimedia is disclosed. One embodiment of the present invention provides a photo book including an image and an electronically readable code associated with the image. The electronically readable code is used for retrieving a multimedia file that corresponds to the image.

Claims

1. A photo book comprising:

at least one image having an associated multimedia file; and

an electronically readable code associated with the image and used for retrieving the multimedia file.

2. The photo book of claim 1, wherein the electronically readable code is located on a printed medium.

3. The photo book of claim 1, wherein the electronically readable code is a standard bar code.

4. The photo book of claim 1, wherein the electronically readable code is a graphical bar code.

5. The photo book of claim 4, wherein the graphical bar code visually resembles the image.

6. The photo book of claim 5, wherein the graphical bar code contains the multimedia file.

7. The photo book of claim 1, wherein the multimedia file is encoded within the readable code.

9. The photo book of claim 1, wherein the readable code provides a communication link to the multimedia file.

10. The photo book of claim 9, wherein the communication link is a network communication link.

11. The photo book of claim 9, wherein the communication link includes the Internet.

12. The photo book of claim 9, wherein reading an electronically readable code activates the communication link to the multimedia file.

13. The photo book of claim 11, wherein an electronically readable code is configured to be read by one of a reader, a digital camera, or a PDA with camera.

14. The photo book of claim 11, wherein the electronically readable code corresponds to a web address to a network site.

15. The photo book of claim 1, wherein the photo book includes a plurality of images and a plurality of electronically readable codes, each electronically readable code being associated with a corresponding image.

8. The photo book of claim 8, wherein the electronically readable code is a graphical bar code that visually resembles the image.

16. A network site for serving a photo book including at least one image having associated multimedia comprising:

an encoding module configured to encode a data set corresponding to the multimedia into an electronically readable code; and

a decoding module configured to convert an electronically readable code into the data set.

17. The network site of claim 16, wherein the network site is an Internet site.

18. The network site of claim 16, wherein the network site further includes a memory comprising:

an addressable site corresponding with an electronically readable code, the addressable site having an address, the address corresponding to the data set;

wherein the multimedia file is stored at the addressable site.

19. The network site of claim 18, wherein the data set includes an address pointer or an index corresponding to the addressable site where the multimedia is stored.

20. A method of publishing a photo book with a corresponding multimedia file, the method comprising:

inputing a visual input;

inputing a multimedia input associated with the visual input;

storing the multimedia input as a multimedia file;

generating an electronically readable code to store a data set, the data set corresponding with the multimedia file; and

printing the electronically readable code, wherein the electronically readable code can subsequently be read to retrieve the data set.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein storing the multimedia input further includes storing the multimedia input at an addressable site, and the data set corresponds with the addressable site.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein an electronically readable code encodes a pointer, index or URL associated with the data set.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the data set encoded within the electronically readable code is the multimedia file.

24. A method of browsing a photo book with a corresponding multimedia file, the method comprising:

scanning a electronically readable code, wherein the electronically readable code encodes a data set corresponding with a multimedia file, and the electronically readable code and the multimedia file are associated with an image within the photo book;

decoding the electronically readable code to recover the data set corresponding to the multimedia file;

utilizing the data set to retrieve the multimedia file; and

playing the multimedia file.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein data set includes an address, pointer or index to an addressable site, and the addressable site contains the multimedia file.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the data set is the multimedia file.

27. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of publishing a photobook with a corresponding multimedia file comprising:

inputing a visual input;

inputing a multimedia input associated with the visual input;

storing the multimedia input as a multimedia file;

generating an electronically readable code to store a data set, the data set corresponding with the multimedia file; and

printing the electronically readable code, wherein the electronically readable code can subsequently be scanned to retrieve the data set.

28. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of browsing a photobook with a corresponding multimedia file comprising:

scanning an electronically readable code, wherein the electronically readable code includes a data set corresponding with a multimedia file, and the electronically readable code and the multimedia file are associated with an image;

decoding the electronically readable code to recover the data set corresponding to the multimedia file;

utilizing the data set to retrieve the multimedia file; and

playing the multimedia file.