METHOD FOR CUSTOMIZING A DIGITAL CAMERA USING QUERIES TO DETERMINE THE USER'S EXPERIENCE LEVEL

• US 20070132860A1
• Filed: 12/01/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Anthony Tintera, Girish Prabhu, John Wasula, Kenneth A. Parulski, Michael Miller, Su Akyuz
• Original Assignee: Anthony Tintera, Girish Prabhu, John Wasula, Kenneth A. Parulski, Michael Miller, Su Akyuz
• Inventors: Miller, Michael, Parulski, Kenneth, Tintera, Anthony, Prabhu, Girish, Akyuz, Su, Wasula, John
• Application Number:
  US11/565,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20070132860A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/617 Upgrading or updating of programs or applications for camera control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A method for customizing a digital camera for at least one particular user is disclosed. The digital camera includes a reprogrammable memory for storing firmware which controls the operation of the digital camera and a camera graphical user interface responsive to the firmware stored in the reprogrammable memory. The method includes providing customization software executed external to the digital camera which can access a plurality of firmware components having different camera features. A user selects desired camera features to cause the customization software to access the corresponding firmware component(s). The selected corresponding firmware component(s) are provided to the digital camera and the reprogrammable memory is reprogrammed to store the corresponding firmware component(s) to thereby customize the digital camera.

Claims

1. A method for customizing a digital camera for a particular user, the method comprising:

a) providing customization software which questions the user to determine the user'"'"'s experience level for using cameras;

b) in response to the user'"'"'s answers to the questions, the customization software configuring firmware which provides a camera graphical user interface that enables the user to access only camera features appropriate for the experience level of the particular user; and

c) storing the configured firmware in the digital camera to thereby customize the digital camera.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the configured firmware provides customized icons for the camera graphical user interface.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the customization software camera is executed external to the digital camera.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the questions are displayed on a display monitor and wherein the display monitor also displays a plurality of answers that may be selected by the user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the customization software classifies the user based on the user'"'"'s responses to the questions and wherein the customization software uses the classification to configure the firmware.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the customization software also questions the user to determine the types of pictures that the user expects to take, and wherein the configured firmware is customized responsive to the user'"'"'s answers to said questions.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the customization software also questions the user to determine how the user will utilize the pictures taken by the digital camera, and wherein the configured firmware is customized responsive to the user'"'"'s answers to said questions.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the customization software also questions the user to determine the experience level of the user, and wherein the configured firmware is customized responsive to the user'"'"'s answers to said questions.

6. The method of claim 6 wherein the classifications include novice users and advanced users, and wherein the camera customization software provides a simpler set of features for novice users than for advanced users.

9. A method for customizing a digital camera for a particular user, the method comprising:

a) providing customization software which questions the user to determine the user'"'"'s picture taking preferences;

b) classifying the user in an appropriate category based on the user'"'"'s picture taking preferences;

c) in response to the category used to classify the user, configuring firmware which provides camera features customized for the user'"'"'s picture taking preferences; and

d) storing the configured firmware in the digital camera to thereby customize the digital camera.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the configured firmware provides a customized graphical user interface for the digital camera.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the customization software camera is executed external to the digital camera.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the questions are displayed on a display monitor and wherein the display monitor also displays a plurality of answers that may be selected by the user.

14. A method for customizing a digital camera for a particular user, the method comprising:

a) providing customization software which questions the user to determine the user'"'"'s expectations of how the user will use pictures taken with the digital camera;

b) in response to the user'"'"'s answers to the questions, the customization software configuring firmware which provides a customized camera graphical user interface; and

c) storing the configured firmware in the digital camera to thereby customize the digital camera.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the configured firmware provides customized icons for the camera graphical user interface.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the customization software camera is executed external to the digital camera.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the questions are displayed on a display monitor and wherein the display monitor also displays a plurality of answers that may be selected by the user.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the customization software also questions the user to determine the experience level of the user, and wherein the configured firmware is customized responsive to the user'"'"'s answers to said questions.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the customization software also questions the user to determine the types of pictures that the user expects to take, and wherein the configured firmware is customized responsive to the user'"'"'s answers to said questions.