AUTOMATIC CAPTURE AND MANAGEMENT OF IMAGES

• US 20120242844A1
• Filed: 06/06/2012
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Jorasch, James A., Sammon, Russell P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,466,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• 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 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2129 Recording in, or reproducing from, a specific memory area or areas, or recording or reproducing at a specific moment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2137 with temporary storage before final recording, e.g. in a frame buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/214 Checking or indicating the storage space
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/216 Arrangements for recording on different types of storage medium, e.g. IC card or magnetic tape; Recording on a plurality of storage media
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/218 Deletion of stored data; Preventing such deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a camera determines whether to acquire an image (e.g., automatically), determines whether to store the acquired image, and determines how to store the acquired image.

Claims

1. A digital camera comprising:

a first storage location adapted to store information pertaining to at least one condition related to processing a digital image or video;

a second storage location adapted to store an identification of at least one destination to which the image or video is to be sent upon at least one such condition being satisfied;

an activation device adapted to acquire the image or video;

coupled to the first and second storage locations and to the activation device, a decision module adapted to determine whether at least one such condition has been satisfied; and

coupled to the decision module, a sending module adapted to send the acquired image or video to at least one such destination when at least one such condition has been satisfied;

wherein

the first storage location, the second storage location, the decision module, and the sending module are physically detachable from the camera.

2. The camera of claim 1 wherein the sending module is adapted to send the image or video to said destination over a wireless network.

3. The camera of claim 1 wherein the sending module is adapted to send the acquired image or video to said destination over a wire coupling the camera to said destination.

4. The camera of claim 1 wherein at least one destination is an address on the World Wide Web.

5. The camera of claim 1 wherein at least one destination is an address of a portable computing device.

6. The camera of claim 1 wherein the sending module is adapted to send the image or video to said destination automatically when at least one such condition has been determined.

7. The camera of claim 1 wherein the sending module is adapted to associate metadata with the image or video.

8. The camera of claim 7 wherein the metadata comprises at least one of:

quality rating of the image or video, orientation of the camera, sound annotations, cropping data, scale data, and subject motion data.

9. The camera of claim 7 wherein the metadata comprises at least one of:

geographical location, altitude, flash brightness, image content data, and image categorization data.

10. The camera of claim 1 wherein the sending module is adapted to delete the image or video from the memory automatically upon determination of a deletion condition.

11. The camera of claim 1 wherein the sending module is adapted to delete the image or video from the memory when a preselected threshold amount of used memory is exceeded.

12. The camera of claim 1 wherein the sending module is adapted to compress the image or video upon determination of a compression condition.

13. The camera of claim 12 wherein the compression condition is from the group consisting of a condition based upon an objective quality rating of the image or video, and a condition based upon a preference of a user of the digital camera.

14. The camera of claim 12 wherein the compression condition comprises at least one compression parameter, and the sending module is adapted to automatically select at least one compression parameter based upon available bandwidth.

15. The camera of claim 1 wherein the sending module is adapted to suppress sending of the acquired image or video when the sending module determines that available bandwidth is inadequate based upon preselected inadequacy criteria.

16. The camera of claim 1 wherein at least one destination is an address of a display device.

17. The camera of claim 1 wherein at least one destination is an address of a printer.

18. The camera of claim 1 wherein at least one destination is an e-mail address.

19. The camera of claim 1 wherein the sending module is adapted to send the image or video to said destination in encrypted form.

20. The camera of claim 1 wherein the activation device is adapted to acquire the image or video manually upon receiving a command from a user.

21. The camera of claim 1 wherein the activation device is adapted to acquire the image or video automatically.

22. The camera of claim 1 wherein the activation device is adapted to acquire multiple images and/or videos automatically.

23. The camera of claim 1 wherein at least one condition is from the group consisting of:

amount of available bandwidth, whether at least one destination is the Internet or other wireless network, and a condition represented by a Boolean expression.

24. The camera of claim 1 wherein the activation device is adapted to allow a user of the camera to select at least one of a sports mode and a sunset mode.

25. A detachable module adapted for use in conjunction with and physically detachable from a digital camera, said detachable module comprising:

a first storage location adapted to store information pertaining to at least one condition related to processing a digital image or video;

a second storage location adapted to store an identification of at least one destination to which the image or video is to be sent upon at least one such condition being satisfied;

coupled to the first and second storage locations, a decision module adapted to determine whether at least one such condition has been satisfied; and

coupled to the decision module, a sending module adapted to send an acquired image or video to at least one such destination when at least one such condition has been satisfied.

26. The module of claim 25 wherein at least one condition is from the group consisting of amount of available bandwidth, whether at least one destination is the Internet or other wireless network, and a condition represented by a Boolean expression.

27. A method for processing digital content, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving information pertaining to at least one condition related to processing a digital image or video;

receiving an identification of at least one location to which the image or video is to be sent upon at least one such condition being satisfied;

acquiring the image or video;

determining whether at least one such condition has been satisfied; and

upon determining that at least one such condition has been satisfied, sending the acquired image or video to at least one such location;

wherein

the acquiring step occurs subsequent to the step of receiving information pertaining to at least one condition; and

at least one condition is from the group consisting of amount of available bandwidth, whether at least one location is the Internet or other wireless network, and a condition represented by a Boolean expression.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein metadata accompanies the sent image or video, and the metadata comprises at least one of:

quality rating of the image or video, orientation, sound annotations, cropping data, scale data, and subject motion data.

30. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein said metadata comprises at least one of:

geographical location, altitude, flash brightness, image content data, and image categorization data.

29. At least one computer-readable medium containing computer program instructions for implementing the steps of:

receiving information pertaining to at least one condition related to processing a digital image or video;

receiving an identification of at least one location to which the image or video is to be sent upon at least one such condition being satisfied;

acquiring the image or video;

determining whether at least one such condition has been satisfied; and

upon determining that at least one such condition has been satisfied, sending the acquired image or video plus associated metadata to at least one such location, said metadata comprising at least one of;

quality rating of the image or video, orientation, sound annotations, cropping data, scale data, and subject motion data.