Fee-Based Distribution of Media Based on Device Proximity

• US 20080294548A1
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Garbow, Zachary Adam, Fowler, David Keith
• Granted Patent: US 9,129,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for commercial transactions for the sale of images carried out over short-range wireless transmissions. In one embodiment, the transaction may be initiated by a vendor (e.g., a professional photographer), who transmits a wireless signal including an offer for sale of an image. A customer wishing to purchase the image responds by sending a wireless signal including an acceptance of the offer. In another embodiment, the transaction may be initiated by a customer, who transmits a wireless signal including a request for an image to be fulfilled by a vendor. A vendor agreeing to supply the image responds by sending a wireless signal including an acceptance of the request. By offering the images to customers who are in close proximity to the image capture, the vendor may increase the likelihood that the images will be purchased.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of selling an image, comprising:

in response to capturing the image on an image capture device, sending a wireless offer signal from the image capture device, wherein the wireless offer signal comprises an offer for sale of the image for a fee;

receiving, by the image capture device, at least one wireless acceptance signal from at least one accepting device indicating that the respective accepting device accepts the offer included in the wireless offer signal, wherein the respective wireless acceptance signals include respective identifiers corresponding to the respective accepting devices; and

generating, by the image capture device, an access list corresponding to the image, wherein the access list is composed according to the respective identifiers contained in the respective wireless acceptance signals received by the image capture device, thereby limiting users permitted to access the image to those associated with the respective accepting devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring the image and the access list to an image sharing server.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising controlling access to the image based on the access list.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring the image to the respective accepting devices in one or more wireless image transmissions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending a wireless offer signal from the image capture device comprises directionally transmitting the wireless offer signal in the same direction as that in which the image capture device was oriented when the image was captured.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless offer signal further comprises a reduced version of the image, wherein the reduced version comprises a lesser resolution than the image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the image comprises one or more faces of persons, and wherein the wireless offer signal further comprises parametric data describing at least one of the one or more faces of persons.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the access list is stored as metadata embedded in the image.

8. A computer-implemented method of selling an image, comprising:

receiving, by an image capture device, a wireless request signal from a requesting device comprising a request for purchase of one or more images for a fee, wherein the wireless request signal comprises (i) at least one condition describing the one or more images; and

(ii) an identifier corresponding to the requesting device;

capturing, by the image capture device, at least one image fulfilling the at least one condition;

generating, by the image capture device, an access list corresponding to the image, wherein the access list is composed to comprise the identifier corresponding to the requesting device, thereby limiting users permitted to access the image to those associated with the respective accepting device; and

providing access, based on the access list, to a user who has either paid the fee or agreed to pay the fee.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the wireless request signal further comprises one or more thumbnail images of faces of persons, and further comprising:

presenting, by the image capture device, the one or more thumbnail images of faces of persons.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the wireless request signal further comprises data describing one or more faces of persons, and further comprising:

determining, based on the data describing the one or more faces of persons, whether the corresponding faces are present in the view of the image capture device; and

if so, indicating the corresponding faces in a display of the image capture device.

11. A computer readable storage medium containing a program, which, when executed, performs an operation, comprising:

in response to capturing the image on an image capture device, sending a wireless offer signal from the image capture device, wherein the wireless offer signal comprises an offer for sale of the image for a fee;

receiving, by the image capture device, at least one wireless acceptance signal from at least one accepting device indicating that the respective accepting device accepts the offer included in the wireless offer signal, wherein the respective wireless acceptance signals include respective identifiers corresponding to the respective accepting devices; and

generating, by the image capture device, an access list corresponding to the image, wherein the access list is composed according to the respective identifiers contained in the respective wireless acceptance signals received by the image capture device, thereby limiting users permitted to access the image to those associated with the respective accepting devices.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising transferring the image and the access list to an image sharing server.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising controlling access to the image based on the access list.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising transferring the image to the respective accepting devices in one or more wireless image transmissions.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein sending a wireless offer signal from the image capture device comprises directionally transmitting the wireless offer signal in the same direction as that in which the image capture device was oriented when the image was captured.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the wireless offer signal further comprises a reduced version of the image, wherein the reduced version comprises a lesser resolution than the image.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the image comprises one or more faces of persons, and wherein the wireless offer signal further comprises parametric data describing at least one of the one or more faces of persons.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising, prior to at least the step of receiving at least one wireless acceptance signal:

receiving, by the image capture device, a wireless request signal from the at least one accepting device and comprising a request for purchase of one or more images, wherein the wireless request signal comprises at least one condition describing the one or more images, and wherein the wireless request signal further comprises an identifier corresponding to the at least one accepting device; and

capturing, by the image capture device, the image fulfilling the at least one condition.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the wireless request signal further comprises one or more thumbnail images of faces of persons, and further comprising:

presenting, by the image capture device, the one or more thumbnail images of faces of persons.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the wireless request signal further comprises data describing one or more faces of persons, and further comprising:

determining, based on the data describing the one or more faces of persons, whether the corresponding faces are present in the view of the image capture device; and

if so, indicating the corresponding faces in a display of the image capture device.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the access list is stored as metadata embedded in the image.

21. A system, comprising:

an image capture device comprising circuitry configured to;

in response to capturing an image, send a wireless offer signal comprising an offer for sale of the image for a fee;

receive at least one wireless acceptance signal from at least one accepting device indicating that the respective accepting device received the wireless offer signal, wherein the respective acceptance signals includes respective identifiers corresponding to the respective accepting device;

generate an access list corresponding to the image, wherein the access list is composed according to the respective identifiers contained in the respective acceptance signals received by the image capture device, thereby limiting users permitted to access the image to those associated with the respective accepting devices; and

provide the access list to a computing device configured to control access to the image based on the access list.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the access list is stored as metadata embedded in the image.