Image data transfer
First Claim
1. A method of transferring image data from a first mobile entity of a first party to a storage service accessible via a communications infrastructure, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) transferring from the first mobile entity, otherwise than via said communications infrastructure, both said image data and identifiers of said storage service and said first party, to at least one nearby third-party mobile entity for storage thereat;
(b) subsequent to step (a), transferring both said image data and the first-party identifier over the communications infrastructure from a said at least one third-party mobile entity to said storage service as identified by the service identifier; and
(c) storing the image data at the storage service for access by the first party.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Image data generated at a first mobile device is transferred to a storage service that is accessible via a communications infrastructure and with which a first party associated with the first mobile entity is preferably registered. This transfer is effected via one or more nearby third-party mobile devices with the first mobile device initially transferring the image data and an identifier of itself to the or each nearby third-party mobile device by using, for example, a short-range wireless link. The or each third-party device is then responsible for directly or indirectly forwarding the image data and the first-party identifier over the communications infrastructure to the storage service where it is stored. In one preferred embodiment, a reward is credited to any party whose device has been used in the successful transfer of image data to the storage service on behalf of the first party.
22 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method of transferring image data from a first mobile entity of a first party to a storage service accessible via a communications infrastructure, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) transferring from the first mobile entity, otherwise than via said communications infrastructure, both said image data and identifiers of said storage service and said first party, to at least one nearby third-party mobile entity for storage thereat;
(b) subsequent to step (a), transferring both said image data and the first-party identifier over the communications infrastructure from a said at least one third-party mobile entity to said storage service as identified by the service identifier; and
(c) storing the image data at the storage service for access by the first party. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A mobile entity associated with a first party and comprising:
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camera functionality for generating image data, a memory for storing a first-party identifier identifying the first party and a service identifier identifying a storage service with which the first party is registered, and a transfer arrangement for transferring image data to at least one nearby third-party mobile entity for subsequent onward transfer, via a communications infrastructure, to said storage service, the transfer arrangement being arranged to communicate with the at least one nearby third-party mobile entity independently of the communications infrastructure to transfer thereto both said image data and said identifiers for storage at the third-party mobile entity. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A storage service system for receiving and storing image data for registered users, the system comprising:
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a communications interface for receiving from a sending party, over a communications infrastructure, image data and an associated first-party identifier identifying a first party different from said sending party;
a checking arrangement arranged to check that said first party is a registered user of the service system and that the image data has not already been stored for the first party, the image data only being accepted for storage if both these checks are passed; and
an image-data store for storing accepted image data for access by the first party. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification