Systems and methods for associating images

• US 20050036042A1
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Haas, William Robert, Tecu, Kirk Steven, Boll, Dave
• Granted Patent: US 7,400,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• 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 1/0036 Alphanumeric symbols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00368 Location of the scanned marks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0048 Type of connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0058 Docking-station, cradle or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for associating images. In one embodiment, a system and a method pertain to capturing an image of image association data, capturing other images to which the image association data is relevant, and associating the other images such that each of the other images will have a file name that is reflective of the captured image association data.

Claims

1. A method for associating images, the method comprising:

capturing an image of image association data;

capturing other images to which the image association data is relevant; and

associating the other images such that each of the other images will have a file name that is reflective of the captured image association data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing an image of image association data comprises capturing an image of a file name selected by a user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein capturing an image of a file name comprises capturing an image of a file name that has been handwritten by the user on a writing medium.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising designating the image of the image association data as a reference image and wherein associating the other images comprises associating the other images with the reference image.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein designating the image of the image association data as a reference image comprises providing a file name to the image of the image association data that identifies the image as the reference image.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein associating the other images with the reference image comprises providing file names to the other images that incorporate the file name of the reference image.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the image association data to determine a file name.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein associating the other images comprises assigning file names to the other images that incorporate the determined file name.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein assigning file names that incorporate the determined file name comprises assigning file names that use the determined file name as a file name prefix.

10. A system for associating images, the system comprising:

means for receiving a captured image of image association data;

means for receiving another captured image to which the image association data is relevant;

means for analyzing the captured image of image association data to determine the image content contained therein; and

means for automatically assigning a file name to the other captured image that is associated with the image association data.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for designating the captured image of the image association data as a reference image and means for associating the other captured image with the reference image.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for associating the other captured image to the reference image comprise means for providing a file name to the other captured image that incorporates a file name of the reference image.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for analyzing the captured image of image association data comprise means for performing optical character recognition on that image to determine a file name selected by a user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for automatically assigning a file name to the other captured image that is associated with the image association data comprise means for assigning a file name that uses the determined file name as a file name prefix.

15. An image association system stored on a computer-readable medium, the system comprising:

logic configured to determine when a reference image has been captured;

logic configured to designate the reference image as a file name reference image so that another device can later identify that image;

logic configured to determine when a new image has been captured; and

logic configured to associate the new image with the reference image so that the other device can later identify the new image as being associated with the reference image.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the logic configured to designate the reference image is configured to provide a file name to the reference image that identifies it as the file name reference image.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the logic configured to associate the new image comprises logic configured to provide a file name to the new image that incorporates the file name of the reference image.

18. An image association system stored on a computer-readable medium, the system comprising:

logic configured to receive captured images;

logic configured to identify a file name reference image;

logic configured to analyze the file name reference image to determine a selected file name;

logic configured to identify another image that is associated with the file name reference image; and

logic configured to generate a file name for the other image that incorporates the selected file name.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the logic configured to analyze comprises an optical character recognition algorithm.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the logic configured to generate a file name comprises logic configured to generate a file name that incorporates the selected file name as a file name prefix.

21. An image association system stored on a computer-readable medium, the system comprising:

logic configured to determine when a reference image has been captured;

logic configured to analyze the reference image to determine a selected file name; and

logic configured to assign file names to subsequently-captured images that incorporate the selected file name.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the logic configured to analyze comprises an optical character recognition algorithm.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the logic configured to assign file names comprises logic configured to assign file names that incorporate the selected file name as file name prefixes.