DATA FILE HAVING MORE THAN ONE MODE OF OPERATION

• US 20100281070A1
• Filed: 05/01/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd.
• Inventors: Salim, Fransiscus Jonas, CHAN, Wei Luen, Lee, Teck Chee
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3245 of image modifying data, e.g. handwritten addenda, highlights or augmented reality information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/325 Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3263 of a graphical motif or symbol, e.g. Christmas symbol, logo H04N2201/3211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3264 of sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3266 of text or character information, e.g. text accompanying an image H04N2201/3226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3267 of motion picture signals, e.g. video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3284 for error correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7925 for more than one standard
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8211 the additional signal being a sound signal H04N9/835 takes precedence

Abstract

A data file having more than one modes of operation. The data file comprises an image component for storing an image as a representation of the data file and one or more data components appended to the image component. The image component comprises metadata associated with the one or more data components. In a first mode of operation, the image component of the data file is readable for viewing the image by an image viewer while the image component is part of the data file. The one or more appended data components are unreadable by the image viewer in the first mode of operation. In a second mode of operation, the image component and the one or more appended data components are readable by a file reader.

Claims

1. A data file having more than one mode of operation, the data file comprising:

an image component for storing an image as a representation of the data file; and

one or more data components appended to the image component, the image component comprising metadata associated with the one or more data components,

wherein in a first mode of operation, the image component of the data file being readable for viewing the image by an image viewer while the image component is part of the data file, the one or more appended data components being unreadable by the image viewer in the first mode of operation, and

in a second mode of operation, the image component and the one or more appended data components being readable by a file reader.

2. The data file as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image component is based on JPEG file format, GIF (GIF89a version) file format, TIFF file format or PNG file format and is viewable by a corresponding image viewer.

3. The data file as claimed in claim 1, the data file further comprising:

an application segment, the application segment comprising;

a Signature field for containing a signature to distinguish the application segment from other application segments that is present in the image component.

4. The data file as claimed in claim 3, wherein the application segment further comprising:

a version field for indicating version of technical standard applicable to the application segment.

5. The data file as claimed in claim 1, the data file further comprising:

a content checker for verifying data integrity of the one or more data components.

6. The data file as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metadata comprising:

one or more tags, each tag comprising;

a tag type identifier for indicating type of the tag; and

a tag name field comprising text data describing the type of the tag.

7. The data file as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more data components being image data, text data, audio data or video data.

8. The data file as claimed in claim 1, wherein each data component comprising:

data of difference between data of the image stored in the image component and original data of the data component.

9. The data file as claimed in claim 1, wherein each data component comprising:

data of difference between original data of two of the one or more data components.

10. The data file as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more of the data components comprising:

data of the history of changes made to the image stored in the image component.

11. The data file as claimed in claim 1, the image being a stitched Panorama photograph and the one or more data components comprising pre-stitched snapshots of different portions of the stitched Panorama photograph.

12. The data file as claimed in claim 1, the image being a generated HDR photograph and the one or more data components comprising photographs taken with different exposure rates that are used for generating the HDR photograph.

13. The data file as claimed in claim 1, the image being a rasterised image and the one or more data components comprising vector graphics information.

14. The data file as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image for storing as the representation of the data file is user selectable.

15. The data file as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metadata comprising metadata associated with the image component.

16. A method for creating a data file having more than one modes of operation, the method comprising:

selecting an image;

storing the selected image as a representation of the data file in an image component of the data file;

creating metadata associated with the one or more data components;

incorporating the metadata into the image component; and

appending one or more data components to the image component incorporating the metadata to form the data file,

wherein

in a first mode of operation of the data file, the image component being readable for viewing the selected image by an image viewer while the image component is part of the data file,

in a second mode of operation of the data file, the image component and the one or more appended data components being readable by a file reader.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the image component is based on JPEG file format, GIF (GIF89a version) file format, TIFF file format or PNG file format and is readable by a corresponding file reader.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of storing the selected image as a representation of the data file in an image component of the data file comprising:

creating an image file as the image component of the data file from the selected image.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the step of incorporating the metadata into the image component comprising:

reading data in the image file for placing before the metadata and writing the read data for placing before the metadata to a new file;

reading data in the image file for placing after the metadata and writing the read data for placing after the metadata to the new file; and

incorporating the constructed metadata into the new file.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of storing the selected image as a representation of the data file in an image component of the data file comprising:

creating an image file with an allocated data space as the image component of the data file from the selected image.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the step of incorporating the metadata into the image component comprising:

inserting the metadata into the allocated data space of the image file.

22. A method for reading a data file having more than one modes of operation, the data file comprising:

an image component for storing an image as a representation of the data file; and

one or more data components appended to the image component,

the image component comprising metadata associated with the one or more data components,

the method comprising;

in a first mode of operation, reading the image component to view the image stored in the image component of the data file, the one or more appended data components being unreadable in the first mode of operation; and

in a second mode of operation, reading the image component or one or more of the appended data components of the data file, the image component and the one or more appended data components being readable in the second mode of operation.