Estimating shared image device operational capabilities or resources

• US 20060174205A1
• Filed: 06/02/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,876,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00068 Calculating or estimating
• 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 1/00291 with receiver circuitry television receiver circuitry per se H04N5/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00885 Power supply means, e.g. arrangements for the control of power supply to the apparatus or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00899 Detection of supply level or supply failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device

Abstract

This disclosure describes a number of devices or techniques that can be capable of obtaining an operational capacity for a shared image device; estimating at least one operational resource to perform a transformation of one or more images based at least in part on the obtaining the operational capacity; and sharing the one or more images with at least one other shared image device in a manner that performs the transformation of the one or more images.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining a shared image device energy level for a shared image device;

considering a resolution conversion energy to indicate an energy for transforming a resolution of one or more images at least partially relative to the shared image device energy level; and

sharing the one or more images with at least one other shared image device, wherein the sharing the one or more images at least partially includes the transforming the resolution of the one or more images.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a shared image device energy level for a shared image device comprises:

obtaining a battery life estimate for the shared image device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining a shared image device energy level for a shared image device comprises:

obtaining a processing power estimate of the shared image device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sharing the one or more images with at least one other shared image device further comprises:

transmitting the one or more images with the at least one other shared image device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sharing the one or more images with at least one other shared image device further comprises:

receiving the one or more images from the at least one other shared image device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

determining the resolution conversion energy to determine that the shared image device does have the resolution conversion energy to convert the resolution of the one or more images; and

converting the resolution of the one or more images.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the converting the resolution of the one or more images comprises:

converting the one or more images to a higher resolution, at least in part, by combining one or more first pixel values from the one or more images with one or more second pixel values from at least one portion of an at least one other image.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the converting the resolution of the one or more images comprises:

converting the one or more images to a higher resolution, at least in part, by performing a mathematical operation relative to at least some existent pixel values of the one or more images to derive at least some intermediate pixel values.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the shared image device does not have the resolution conversion energy to convert the resolution of the one or more images; and

transferring the one or more images from the shared image device to a second device to at least partially effect sharing of the one or more images.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the shared image device does not have the resolution conversion energy to convert the resolution of the one or more images;

transferring the one or more images from the shared image device to a second device to at least partially effect sharing of the one or more images; and

converting the resolution of the one or more images.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the converting the resolution of the one or more images comprises:

converting the resolution of the one or more images at the shared image device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the converting the resolution of the one or more images comprises:

converting the resolution of the one or more images at the second device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically controlling at least part of an operation of the shared image device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling at least partially with a user interface an operation of the shared image device.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically terminating at least part of an operation of the shared image device.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

terminating at least partially with a user interface an operation of the shared image device.

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19. A method, comprising:

obtaining. an operational capacity for a shared image device;

estimating at least one operational resource to perform a transformation of one or more images based at least in part on the obtaining the operational capacity; and

sharing the one or more images with at least one other shared image device in a manner that allows performing the transformation of the one or more images.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the sharing the one or more images with at least one other shared image device comprises:

transmitting the one or more images at least partially from the at least one other shared image device.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the sharing the one or more images with at least one other shared image device comprises:

receiving the one or more images at least partially at the at least one other shared image device.

31. The method of claim 19, wherein the estimating at least one operational resource to perform a transformation comprises:

estimating the at least one operational resource to transform the one or more images from the shared image device at least partially using at least some reference image information provided by at least one other image device.

33. The method of claim 19, wherein the estimating at least one operational resource to perform a transformation comprises:

estimating the at least one operational resource to transform at least some metadata associated with the one or more images.

34. The method of claim 19, wherein the estimating at least one operational resource to perform a transformation comprises:

estimating the at least one operational resource to transform the one or more images in the shared image device to derive at least some framed images.

35. The method of claim 19, wherein the estimating at least one operational resource to perform a transformation comprises:

estimating the at least one operational resource to transform the one or more images in the shared image device that can combine with one or more other images at the at least one other shared image device to form one or more framed images at the at least one other shared image device.

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40. A shared image device, comprising:

a device energy estimator configurable to estimate an energy value for the shared image device;

a resolution conversion energy indicator configurable to indicate whether the shared image device has a sufficient energy to convert a resolution of at least one image; and

a sharing mechanism that is configurable to at least partially share the at least one image with at least another shared image device, wherein the sharing mechanism is configurable to convert the resolution of the at least one image.

41. The shared image device of claim 40, wherein the sharing mechanism that is configurable to at least partially share the at least one image with at least another shared image device comprises:

the sharing mechanism configurable to transmit the at least one image to at least one other shared image device.

42. The shared image device of claim 40, wherein the sharing mechanism that is configurable to at least partially share the at least one image with at least another shared image device comprises:

the sharing mechanism configurable to receive the at least one image from at least one other shared image device.

43. The shared image device of claim 40, wherein the shared image device further comprises:

the resolution conversion energy indicator configurable to determine that the shared image device does have the sufficient energy to convert the resolution of the at least one image; and

the shared image device configurable to convert the resolution of the at least one image.

44. The shared image device of claim 40, wherein the shared image device further comprises:

the resolution conversion energy indicator configurable to determine that the shared image device does not have the sufficient energy to convert the resolution of the at least one image; and

the shared image device configurable to transfer the at least one image to a second device.

45. The shared image device of claim 40, wherein the shared image device further comprises:

the resolution conversion energy indicator configurable to determine that the shared image device does not have the sufficient energy to convert the resolution of the at least one image; and

the shared image device configurable to cancel attempts to convert the resolution of the at least one image based at least in part on the resolution conversion energy indicator determining that the shared image device does not have the sufficient energy to convert the resolution of the at least one image.

46. The shared image device of claim 40, wherein the shared image device further comprises:

the resolution conversion energy indicator configurable to determine that the shared image device does not have the sufficient energy to convert the resolution of the at least one image; and

the shared image device configurable to communicate to a second device to convert the resolution of the at least one image.

47. The shared image device of claim 40, wherein the resolution conversion energy indicator configurable to indicate whether the shared image device has a sufficient energy to convert a resolution of at least one image comprises:

the resolution conversion energy indicator configurable to indicate whether the shared image device has the sufficient energy to convert the resolution to a higher resolution.

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51. A shared image device comprising:

an image capture portion configurable to capture at least a portion of an at least one image;

a resolution conversion portion configurable to convert a resolution of the at least the portion of the at least one image; and

a sharing portion configurable to transfer the at least the portion of the at least one image from the shared image device, wherein the sharing portion is configurable to convert the resolution of the at least the portion of the at least one image.

52. The shared image device of claim 51, further comprising:

an image conversion energy indicator portion configurable to indicate whether the shared image device has a sufficient energy, based at least in part on an energy level of the shared image device, to change the resolution at the shared image device of the at least the portion of the at least one image.

53. The shared image device of claim 51, further comprising:

an image capturing operating device portion configurable to operate an image capturing device.

56. The shared image device of claim 51, wherein the shared image device comprises:

an image editing portion configurable to edit images.

59. The shared image device of claim 51, wherein the shared image device further comprises:

an image conversion energy indicator operatively coupled to the shared image device configurable to indicate whether the shared image device has a sufficient energy, based at least in part on an energy level of the shared image device, to convert the resolution of the at least the portion of the at least one image.

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60. A shared image device, comprising:

a device operational capacity indicator configurable to estimate an operational capacity of the shared image device;

an image transformation estimator configurable to estimate whether the shared image device has adequate operational capacity to transform at least one image; and

a sharing portion configurable to share the at least one image at the shared image device with at least one other shared image device, wherein the sharing portion is configurable to transform the at least one image.

61. The shared image device of claim 60, wherein the shared image device further comprises:

the image transformation estimator configurable to estimate that the shared image device has adequate operational capacity to transform the at least one image; and

the shared image device configurable to convert a resolution of the at least one image.

62. The shared image device of claim 60, wherein the shared image device further comprises:

the image transformation estimator configurable to estimate that the shared image device does not have the adequate operational capacity to transform the at least one image;

the shared image device configurable to estimate that a second device does have the adequate operational capacity to transform the at least one image; and

the shared image device configurable to transfer the at least one image to the second device.

71. The shared image device of claim 60, wherein the image transformation estimator comprises:

an image metadata modification estimator.

74. The shared image device of claim 60, wherein the shared image device further comprises:

the image transformation estimator configurable to estimate that the shared image device does not have an adequate energy to convert a resolution of the at least one image;

the shared image device configurable to transfer the at least one image to a second device; and

a converting mechanism that can be configurable to converts the resolution of the at least one image at least partially in response to the image transformation estimator.

77. The shared image device of claim 60, wherein the shared image device comprises:

the shared image device configurable to convert a resolution of the at least one image at least partially based on at least some results from the image transformation estimator.

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78. An appratus, comprising:

means for obtaining an operational capacity for a shared image device;

means for estimating at least one operational resource to perform a transformation of one or more images based at least in part on the means for obtaining the operational capacity; and

means for sharing the one or more images with at least one other shared image device in a manner that performs the transformation of the one or more images.