Shared image devices

• US 20090115852A1
• Filed: 09/13/2007
• Published: 05/07/2009
• 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: Rinaldo, John D. JR., Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,988,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00137 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00148 Storage information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00161 Viewing or previewing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00167 Processing or editing H04N1/00196 - H04N1/00201 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00172 directly from a still digital camera or from a storage medium mounted in a still digital camera H04N1/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00188 Printing, e.g. prints or reprints H04N1/0019, H04N1/00196 take precedence
• 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 1/42 Systems for two-way working , e.g. conference systems H04N1/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

A device comprising a first shared image device that captures at least one image representation. The first shared image device receives a request to share the at least one image representation to an at least one other shared image device. The first shared image device and the at least one other shared image device are each capable of capturing image representations. The first shared image device transmits the at least one image representation.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

capturing at least one image representation with a first shared image device;

receiving a request at the first shared image device from at least one other shared image device to share at least a portion of the at least one image representation, wherein the at least one other shared image device is capable of capturing at least one image representation; and

transmitting the at least the portion of the at least one image representation from the first shared image device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the at least the portion of the at least one image representation from the first shared image device comprises:

transmitting a corresponding at least one image representation that corresponds to a most recently captured image representation obtained during the capturing at least one image representation with a first shared image device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the at least the portion of the at least one image representation from the first shared image device comprises:

transmitting a thumbnail or a reduced resolution version of the at least one image representation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the at least the portion of the at least one image representation from the first shared image device comprises:

transmitting a corresponding at least one image representation that was obtained prior to a most recently captured image representation obtained during the capturing at least one image representation with a first shared image device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the at least the portion of the at least one image representation from the first shared image device comprises:

transmitting in response to the request to share at least a portion of the at least one image representation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the at least the portion of the at least one image representation from the first shared image device comprises:

transmitting the at least the portion of the at least one image representation from the first shared image device to the at least one other shared image device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the at least the portion of the at least one image representation from the first shared image device comprises:

transmitting the at least the portion of the at least one image representation from the first shared image device to another shared image device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

combining the at least the portion of the at least one image representation with an additional image portion to yield an at least a combined image.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving a request at the first shared image device from at least one other shared image device to share at least a portion of the at least one image representation, wherein the at least one other shared image device is capable of capturing at least one image representation comprises:

receiving the request at the first shared image device directly from the at least one other shared image device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving a request at the first shared image device from at least one other shared image device to share at least a portion of the at least one image representation, wherein the at least one other shared image device is capable of capturing at least one image representation comprises:

receiving the request at the first shared image device indirectly from the at least one other shared image device via at least one intermediate shared image device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving a request at the first shared image device from at least one other shared image device to share at least a portion of the at least one image representation, wherein the at least one other shared image device is capable of capturing at least one image representation comprises:

recognizing a shared image device domain based at least in part on a proximity of the first shared image device with at least one of another shared image device or the at least one other shared image device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving a request at the first shared image device from at least one other shared image device to share at least a portion of the at least one image representation, wherein the at least one other shared image device is capable of capturing at least one image representation comprises:

recognizing a shared image device domain based at least in part on a password of at least one of another shared image device or the at least one other shared image device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the at least the portion of the at least one image representation from the first shared image device comprises:

storing and forwarding the at least the portion of the at least one image representation.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the at least the portion of the at least one image representation from the first shared image device comprises:

establishing a handshake between the first shared image device and the at least one other shared image device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

establishing a communication link between the first shared image device and at least one of another shared image device or the at least one other shared image device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the establishing a communication link between the first shared image device and at least one of another shared image device or the at least one other shared image device further comprises:

establishing a communication link between the first shared image device and at least one of another shared image device or the at least one other shared image device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the establishing a communication link between the first shared image device and at least one of another shared image device or the at least one other shared image device comprises:

establishing an 802.11 communication link for at least the duration of a session.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

destroying the communication link following the session.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

destroying the communication link following the session;

establishing at least one other communication link following the destroying the communication link; and

transmitting another at least a portion of at least another image representation over the at least one other communication link.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the capturing at least one image representation with a first shared image device further comprises:

photographing a still image representation with a camera.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the photographing a still image representation with a camera comprises:

photographing a still image representation with a digital camera.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the capturing at least one image representation with a first shared image device comprises:

photographing a moving image representation with a motion picture camera.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the capturing at least one image representation with a first shared image device comprises:

photographing a video.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the at least the portion of the at least one image representation from the first shared image device further comprises:

selecting those at least the portion of the at least one image representation taken at the first shared image device that are private and those that are public;

allowing those at least the portion of at least the image representation that are public to be transmitted; and

reducing the possibility of those at least the portion of at least the image representation that are private to be transmitted.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the at least the portion of the at least one image representation from the first shared image device further comprises:

at least one of publishing or broadcasting the at least the portion of the at least one image representation captured at the first shared image device.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the capturing at least one image representation with a first shared image device further comprises:

transmitting to a shared image device that is a member of a session that characterizes a public-sharing domain.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the at least the portion of the at least one image representation from the first shared image device comprises:

transmitting to a shared image device that is a member of private-sharing domain that relies at least in part on input from the first shared image device.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving a request at the first shared image device from at least one other shared image device to share at least a portion of the at least one image representation, wherein the at least one other shared image device is capable of capturing at least one image representation comprises:

receiving a request indicative of a user at the at least one other shared image device actuating a shared button.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving a request at the first shared image device from at least one other shared image device to share at least a portion of the at least one image representation, wherein the at least one other shared image device is capable of capturing at least one image representation comprises:

receiving a request indicative of a user at the at least one other shared image device providing input on a shared menu.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the at least the portion of the at least one image representation from the first shared image device further comprises:

transmitting audio information from the first shared image device.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the at least the portion of the at least one image representation from the first shared image device further comprises:

transmitting metadata from the first shared image device.

32-67. -67. (canceled)

68. A method, comprising:

imaging at a first capturing shared image device;

sharing the image of the first capturing shared image device with a second capturing shared image device based at least in part to the imaging capability of the first capturing shared image device.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein the sharing the image of the first capturing shared image device with a second capturing shared image device based at least in part to the imaging capability of the first capturing shared image device at least partially comprises:

an imaging resolution of the first capturing shared image device.

70. The method of claim 68, wherein the first shared image device configurable to capture at least one image representation at least partially comprises:

a battery life of the first capturing shared image device.

71. (canceled)