Estimating shared image device operational capabilities or resources

• US 20080219589A1
• Filed: 11/28/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC A Limited Liability Corporation of The State of Delaware
• Inventors: Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,001,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/276
• 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 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• 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 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33328 Resolution

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

1-18. -18. (canceled)

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.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the obtaining an operational capacity for a shared image device comprises:

obtaining an energy level capacity of the shared image device.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the obtaining an operational capacity for a shared image device comprises:

obtaining a battery life capacity of the shared image device.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the obtaining an operational capacity for a shared image device comprises:

obtaining a processing power capacity of the shared image device.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the obtaining an operational capacity for a shared image device comprises:

obtaining a storage memory capacity of the shared image device.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the obtaining an operational capacity for a shared image device comprises:

obtaining an available computation time capacity of the shared image device.

27. 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 one image to a higher resolution.

28. 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 one image to a higher resolution in which one or more first pixel values from the one or more images would be combined with one or more second pixel values from at least one portion of an at least one other image.

29. 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 one image to a higher resolution in which a mathematical operation would be performed relative to at least some existent pixel values of the one or more images to derive at least some intermediate pixel values.

30. 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 one image to a lower resolution.

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.

32. 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 produce at least some reference image information that when transmitted to the at least one other shared image device, can cause the at least one other shared image device to convert the one or more images based at least partially on the at least some reference image information.

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.

36. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

automatically controlling an operation of the shared image device.

37. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

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

38. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

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

39. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

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

40-59. -59. (canceled)

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.

63. 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 cancel efforts to transform the at least one image.

64. The shared image device of claim 60, wherein the device operational capacity indicator configurable to estimate an operational capacity of the shared image device further comprises:

an available energy indicator configurable to estimate an energy level of the shared image device.

65. The shared image device of claim 60, wherein the device operational capacity indicator configurable to estimate an operational capacity of the shared image device further comprises:

an available battery energy indicator configurable to estimate a battery energy level of the shared image device.

66. The shared image device of claim 60, wherein the device operational capacity indicator configurable to estimate an operational capacity of the shared image device further comprises:

an available device processing power indicator configurable to estimate an available processing power of the shared image device.

67. The shared image device of claim 60, wherein the device operational capacity indicator configurable to estimate an operational capacity of the shared image device further comprises:

an available device memory indicator configurable to estimate an available memory storage of the shared image device.

68. The shared image device of claim 60, wherein the device operational capacity indicator configurable to estimate an operational capacity of the shared image device further comprises:

an available computation time indicator configurable to estimate an available computation time of the shared image device.

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

an image resolution conversion estimator.

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

an image exposure adjustment estimator.

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

an image metadata modification estimator.

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

an image content recognition estimator.

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

an image composition adjustment 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.

75. The shared image device of claim 60, wherein the image transformation estimator configurable to estimate whether the shared image device has adequate operational capacity to transform at least one image further comprises:

a resolution conversion energy indicator configurable to estimate whether the shared image device has an adequate energy to convert a resolution to a higher resolution.

76. The shared image device of claim 60, wherein the image transformation estimator configurable to estimate whether the shared image device has adequate operational capacity to transform at least one image further comprises:

a resolution conversion energy indicator configurable to estimate whether the shared image device has an adequate energy to convert a resolution to a lower resolution.

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.

78. An apparatus, 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.