METHOD FOR COOPERATIVE CAPTURE OF IMAGES

• US 20080297608A1
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Border, John N., Kuberka, Cheryl J., Barnum, David C.
• Application Number:
  US11/755,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20080297608A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.11
• 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 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• 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 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2166 for mass storage, e.g. in document filing systems information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0075 by a user operated remote control device, e.g. receiving instructions from a user via a computer terminal or mobile telephone handset
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0098 User intervention not otherwise provided for, e.g. placing documents, responding to an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3254 Orientation, e.g. landscape or portrait; Location or order of the image data, e.g. in memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system for acquiring images from multiple image capture devices. The system includes a first device coupled to the cooperative network for broadcasting a request to one or more image capture devices participating in the cooperative network for capturing an image at a predetermined location. The system also includes a storage device coupled to the cooperative network for storing the captured image.

Claims

1. A method for acquiring images from multiple image capture devices comprising:

broadcasting a request to one or more image capture devices participating in a cooperative network for capturing an image at a predetermined location;

capturing the image by the one or more image capture device; and

storing the requested image in a storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the image by the one or more image capture devices further comprises capturing the image by the one or more image capture devices that are substantially close to the predetermined location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the image by the one or more image capture devices further comprises capturing the image at a requested time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting the request further comprises transmitting an image capture request from a first device to one or more image capture devices in the cooperative network.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving the image capture request by the one or more image capture devices in the cooperative network;

capturing the transmitted image capture request by the one or more image capture devices; and

transmitting a captured image by the one or more image capture device to the first device via the network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the transmitted image capture request further comprises processing the image capture request when a first cooperative capture setting on the one or more image capture devices is set.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein processing the image capture request further comprises processing one or more additional cooperative capture settings selected from a group consisting of capture resolution, capture direction, capture location, image content, cartoon-like imaging only, video image only, still image only, audio, no-audio, time and date.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the transmitted image capture request further comprises ignoring the image capture request when a first cooperative capture setting on the one or more remote image capture devices is not set.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein transmitting a request further comprises transmitting a request selected from a group consisting of location instruction, range from desired object, capture direction, video image, still image, resolution, audio, time, image content example, and multiple image capture.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein requesting an image further comprises viewing a data stream from the first device in the cooperative network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein requesting an image further comprises remotely controlling the one or more image capture devices in the cooperative network from the first device for capturing the image.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein transmitting the image capture request from a first device further comprises transmitting the image capture request from a device selected from a group consisting of a cellular phone, computer, digital camera, cellular phone with embedded camera, personal digital assistant and a digital picture frame.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the image further comprises capturing an image selected from a group consisting of a still image, video image, continuous video and combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting a request further comprises requesting the image to be captured from a device having image capture capabilities.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting a request further comprises requesting the image to be captured from a device not having image capture capabilities.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting a request further comprises requesting an image via a wireless network.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising charging for the captured images by the one or more image capture device.

18. A system for acquiring images from multiple image capture devices:

a cooperative network;

a first device coupled to the cooperative network for broadcasting a request to one or more image capture devices participating in the cooperative network for capturing an image at a predetermined location; and

a storage device coupled to the cooperative network for storing the captured image.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more image capture device capture an image substantially close to the predetermined location.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more image capture devices capture the image at a requested time.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more image capture devices receive the transmitted image capture request via the cooperative network and transmit a captured image to the first device.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more image capture devices further comprises a processor for processing a first parameter of the image capture request when the cooperative capture setting of the one or more image capture devices is set.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more image capture devices process one or more additional image capture parameters of the image capture request selected from a group consisting of capture resolution, capture direction, capture location, image content, cartoon-like imaging only, video image only, still image only, audio, no-audio, time and date.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more image capture devices ignore the image capture request when a first parameter of the image capture request when the cooperative capture setting of the one or more image capture devices is not set.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the first device transmits a request selected from a group consisting of location instruction, range from desired object, capture direction, video image, still image, resolution, audio, time, image content example, and multiple image capture.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the first device further comprises a display for viewing a data stream from the one or more image capture devices in the cooperative network.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the first device further comprises a controller for remotely controlling the one or more remote image capture devices in the cooperative network for capturing the image.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the first device further comprises a means for requesting the one or more image capture devices to change the viewing direction and a means for receiving the request by the one or more image capture devices to change the viewing direction.

29. The system of claim 18, wherein the first device transmits the image capture request from a group consisting of a cellular phone, computer, digital camera, cellular phone with embedded camera, personal digital assistant and a digital picture frame.

30. The system of claim 18, wherein the first device captures an image selected from a group consisting of a still image, video image, continuous video and combination thereof.

31. The system of claim 18, wherein the first device has image capture capabilities.

32. The system of claim 18, wherein the first device does not have image capture capabilities.

33. The system of claim 18, wherein the first device broadcasts over a request via a wireless network.

34. The system of claim 18 further comprising charging for the captured images by the one or more image capture device.

35. A method for acquiring images from multiple image capture devices:

detecting one or more image capture devices in a cooperative network;

controlling the operation of the detected one or more image capture devices in the cooperative network for capturing an image at a predetermined location;

capturing the image by the one or more image capture device; and

storing the requested image in a storage device.