SYSTEM FOR COORDINATING USER IMAGES IN AN ARTISTIC DESIGN

• US 20110029553A1
• Filed: 07/30/2009
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 83 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ptucha, Raymond W., Whitby, Laura R., Bogart, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,538,986 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• 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: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location

Abstract

A computer system coupled to a digital image database with images having image attributes. The image attributes are automatically evaluated in order to find a compatible digital template from a digital template database. The templates each include a plurality of windows for displaying the digital images and each of the template include template attributes to automatically select a template whose attributes are compatible with at least one of the image attribute. The data base of digital images is also automatically searched for additional images having an attribute compatible with the template attributes and with the first one of the image attributes. A display screen coupled to the computer system displays the selected template and at least one other image.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a circuit for coupling the computer system to a digital image database, each of the digital images including image attributes associated therewith;

working memory coupled to the circuit for storing images obtained from the database;

a processor for automatically extracting the image attributes from the working memory and for evaluating at least a first one of the image attributes;

a data base of digital templates, each of the templates including a plurality of windows each for displaying one of the digital images and each of the templates including template attributes for the processor to automatically select a template whose template attributes are compatible with the image attributes based on an evaluation of the image attributes;

the data base of digital images also for the processor to automatically search for at least one other digital image having an attribute compatible with the template attributes and with the first one of the image attributes; and

a display screen wherein the selected template and the at least one other digital image are displayed.

2. The computer system according to claim 1 wherein the digital image database is contained in a portable memory device.

3. The computer system according to claim 1 wherein the digital image database is contained in a network accessible storage device.

4. The computer system according to claim 1 further comprising a display screen including a plurality of windows, and wherein the selected template and the at least one other digital image are displayed in separate windows.

5. The computer system according to claim 1 further comprising a display screen, wherein the selected template and the at least one other digital image are displayed as a list of template and image file names.

6. The computer system according to claim 1 further comprising a printer coupled to the computer system for printing the selected template and the at least one other digital image.

7. The computer system according to claim 6 wherein the printed selected template and the at least one other digital image comprises one of the following image display products:

an album page;

a label;

a sticker.

8. The computer system according to claim 1 further comprising user controls for permitting a user to modify or replace the at least one other digital image.

9. The computer system according to claim 1 wherein the template windows each include weighted image attribute requirements associated therewith for determining which of the image attributes satisfies a higher weighted required image attribute.

10. The computer system according to claim 1 further comprising user controls for permitting a user to relocate at least one of said windows within the digital template.

11. The computer system according to claim 1 further comprising user controls for storing as a computer accessible file the selected template and the at least one other digital image.

12. The computer system according to claim 11 further comprising a circuit for transmitting the computer accessible file over a communication network.

13. The computer system according to claim 1 further comprising means for calculating a compatibility score for images to determine which image best satisfies image attribute requirements for a particular window.

14. A kiosk for creating a coordinated image display, the kiosk comprising:

a database of digital image files coupled to the kiosk, each digital image file including an image and a plurality of image attribute values;

a plurality of digital templates each having a plurality of openings, the openings each having at least one required image attribute associate therewith; and

the images in the database of digital image files for placement in one or more openings in one of the digital templates, said one of the digital templates selected by evaluating a compatibility of image attribute values to required image attributes of said one of the digital template'"'"'s openings.

15. The kiosk according to claim 14 wherein the database of image files is searched for an additional image whose at least one image attribute value satisfies a required image attribute of a remaining available template opening and also is compatible with an attribute value of an image placed in a previously available template window.

16. The kiosk according to claim 15 further comprising a display for displaying the template with images from the database placed in their corresponding openings.

17. The kiosk according to claim 14 further comprising a display having windows for separately displaying the images from the database to be placed in their corresponding openings.

18. The kiosk according to claim 14 further comprising a display for displaying image files from the database as a list of image file names.

19. The kiosk according to claim 15 further comprising a printer for printing a digital template having digital images disposed therein and a frame corresponding to the digital template having inserted therein the printed digital template.

20. The kiosk according to claim 15 further comprising a digital scanner for scanning images and storing them in digital image files in the database.