System and Method for Photo-Image Discovery and Storage

• US 20100277597A1
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MACOM Connectivity Solutions, LLC (MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MACOM Connectivity Solutions, LLC (MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gopi, Paramesh, Hazarika, Prodyut, Vaysburg, Dimitry, Tyagi, Tushar, Ravuri, Vinay, Ho, Loc, Gallardo, Victor, Venkatasamy, Vidhyananth, Garcia, Gilles, Chen, Fushen, Shtalenkov, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US12/431,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20100277597A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera

Abstract

A system and method are provided for automatic photo-image discovery and storage. A photo-image discovery device scans communication interfaces for photo-capable devices. The photo-image discovery device is capable of concurrently scanning wireless and hardwired connector interfaces. A determination is made of whether the detected photo-capable devices have stored electronically formatted photo-images, which may be either still or video images. The photo-images are acquired into the photo-image discovery device. Then, the acquired photo-images are automatically uploaded to a network-connected storage site.

Claims

1. A method for automatic photo-image discovery and storage, the method comprising:

a photo-image discovery device scanning communication interfaces for photo-capable devices;

determining if detected photo-capable devices have stored electronically formatted photo-images;

acquiring the photo-images into the photo-image discovery device; and

,

automatically uploading the acquired photo-images to a network-connected storage site.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining if detected photo-capable devices have stored photo-images includes:

detecting photo-images in a photo-capable device memory;

determining if the detected photo-images have been previously acquired; and

,

wherein acquiring the photo-images includes acquiring only photo-images that have not been previously acquired.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

subsequent to uploading the photo-images to the storage site, supplying a photo-image discovery device user interface (UI) signal indicating that the photo-images have been successfully uploaded.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein scanning communication interfaces for photo-capable devices includes concurrently scanning wireless and hardwired connector interfaces.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein scanning wireless interfaces includes concurrently scanning wireless interfaces selected from a group consisting of Bluetooth, wireless USB, and IEEE 802.11 (WiFi) interfaces.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein concurrently scanning wireless interface includes scanning for photo-capable devices selected from a group consisting of a cellular telephone, personal computer (PC), controlled automation device, digital video disk (DVD) device, camera-enabled wireless device, video-enabled wireless device, television, digital video recorder (DVR), secure digital (SD) memory card, a wireless SD memory card, digital camera, and game console.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein concurrently scanning electronic connector interfaces includes scanning hardwire connector interfaces selected from a group consisting of Universal Serial Bus (USB) and SD memory card interfaces.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining if detected photo-capable devices have stored photo-images includes detecting photo-image file types selected from a group consisting of JPEG, GIF, EXIF, native format, BMP, CR2, RAW, and MPEG.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein uploading the acquired photo-images to the network-connected storage site includes uploading photo-images via a WiFi interface to a network-connected server.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein acquiring the photo-images includes organizing the photo-images into folders using a criteria selected from a group consisting of user, the photo-image discovery device transferring the photo-images, file types, and the photo-capable device originating the photo-images.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring the photo-images includes acquiring photo-images in a first format;

wherein uploading the acquired photo-images to the storage site includes;

converting the photo-images to a second format; and

,

uploading photo-images in the second format to the storage site.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring the photo-images includes acquiring photo-images in a first format;

wherein uploading the acquired photo-images to the storage device includes;

uploading the photo-images to a network-connected conversion device; and

,

transferring photo-images in the second format from the conversion device to the storage device.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting at least one storage device from a plurality of storage sites; and

,

wherein uploading the downloaded photo-images to the storage site includes uploading the photo-images to the selected storage site.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

determining a photo-image format associated with the selected storage device; and

,

converting acquired photo-images to the format associated with the selected storage device.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring the photo-image includes storing the photo-image in the photo-image discovery device in the first format;

and,

wherein uploading the acquired photo-images to the storage site includes uploading the acquired photo-image in the first format.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring the photo-images into the photo-image discovery device includes an acquisition operation selected from a group consisting of automatically acquiring and acquiring in response to supplying a UI prompt.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

subsequent to acquiring the photo-images into the photo-image discovery device, supplying a photo-image discovery device UI signal indicating that the photo-images have been successfully acquired.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring the photo-images into the photo-image discovery device includes acquiring photo-images from only preconfigured photo-capable devices.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in the event of a failure to upload the photo-images to the storage site, supplying a photo-image discovery device UI indicating that the photo-images have not been successfully uploaded.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in the event of a failure to acquire the photo-images into the photo-image discovery device, supplying a photo-image discovery device UI indicating that the photo-images have not been successfully acquired.

21. A photo-image discovery device comprising:

a memory;

a discovery module having a scanning interface for detecting photo-capable devices, the discovery module determining if detected photo-capable devices have stored electronically formatted photo-images, and acquiring the photo-images into the memory; and

,

an uplink module having a network interface, the uplink module automatically uploading the photo-images in the memory to a network-connected storage site.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein the discovery module detects photo-images in a photo-capable device memory, determines if the detected photo-images have been previously acquired into the memory, and acquires only photo-images that have not been previously acquired.

23. The device of claim 21 wherein the discovery module supplies a signal to a UI subsequent to acquiring the photo-images into memory, indicating that the photo-images have been successfully acquired;

and,

the device further comprising;

a UI to supply a user signal indicating that the photo-images have been successfully acquired.

24. The device of claim 21 wherein the discovery module scanning interface concurrently scans wireless and hardwire connector interfaces.

25. The device of claim 24 wherein the discovery module scanning interface scans wireless interfaces selected from a group consisting of Bluetooth, wireless USB, and IEEE 802.11 (WiFi) interfaces.

26. The device of claim 24 wherein the discovery module scanning interface scans for photo-capable devices selected from a group consisting of a cellular telephone, personal computer (PC), controlled automation device, digital video disk (DVD) device, camera-enabled wireless device, video-enabled wireless device, television, digital video recorder (DVR), secure digital (SD) memory card, digital camera, and game console.

27. The device of claim 24 wherein the discovery module scanning interface scans hardwire connector interfaces selected from a group consisting of Universal Serial Bus (USB) and SD memory card interfaces.

28. The device of claim 21 wherein discovery module scanning interface scans photo-image file types selected from a group consisting of JPEG, GIF, EXIF, native format, BMP, CR2, RAW, and MPEG.

29. The device of claim 21 wherein the uplink module uploads photo-images via a WiFi interface to a network-connected server.

30. The device of claim 29 wherein the discovery module acquires the photo-images into memory as folders organized using a criteria selected from a group consisting of user, the photo-image discovery device ID, file types, and the photo-capable device originating the photo-images.

31. The device of claim 21 wherein the discovery module uploads photo-images in a first format and converts the photo-images to a second format;

and,

wherein the uplink module uploads photo-images in the second format to the storage site.

32. The device of claim 21 wherein the discovery module acquires photo-images in a first format;

and,

wherein the uplink module uploads the photo-images to a network-connected conversion device for conversion into a second format.

33. The device of claim 21 wherein the uplink module has an interface for receiving storage site selection commands and transfers the photo-images to at least one selected storage site.

34. The device of claim 33 wherein the uplink module determines a photo-image format associated with the selected storage;

and,

wherein the discovery module converts acquired photo-images to the format associated with the selected storage device.

35. The device of claim 21 wherein the discovery module acquires and stores the photo-images into memory in the first format;

and,

wherein the uplink module uploads the acquired photo-image in the first format.

36. The device of claim 21 wherein the discovery module supports an acquisition operation selected from a group consisting of automatically acquiring and acquiring in response to a UI prompt.

37. The device of claim 21 wherein the uplink module supplies a signal to a UI subsequent to uploading the photo-images to the storage site, indicating that the photo-images have been successfully uploaded.

the device further comprising:

a UI to supply a user signal indicating that the photo-images have been successfully uploaded.

38. The device of claim 21 further wherein the discovery module acquires photo-images from only preconfigured photo-capable devices.

39. The device of claim 21 wherein the uplink module, in the event of a failure to upload the photo-images to the storage site, supplies a signal to a UI indicating that the photo-images have not been successfully uploaded;

and,

the device further comprising;

a UI to supply a user signal indicating that the photo-images have not been successfully uploaded.

40. The device of claim 21 wherein the discovery module, in the event of a failure to acquire the photo-images into the memory, supplies a signal to a UI indicating that the photo-images have not been successfully acquired;

and,

the device further comprising;

a UI to supply a user signal indicating that the photo-images have not been successfully acquired.