Digital real time postcards including information such as geographic location or landmark

• US 6,161,131 A
• Filed: 10/02/1998
• Issued: 12/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey Garfinkle
• Inventors: Garfinkle, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU HA T
• Application Number:
  US09/165,678
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/204-205, 709/219, 709/250, 709/207, 396/57, 396/311, 345/329, 348/373
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 1/0014 via e-mail
• 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 1/00204 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 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• 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 2201/3273 : Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 : Transmission

Abstract

An apparatus is provided comprised of a digital camera having a button, a processor connected to the digital camera, and a telecommunications line connected to the processor. When the button of the digital camera is pressed the digital camera creates a digital image and sends the digital image to the processor. The processor sends the digital image out to the telecommunications line. The processor may automatically send the digital image out or may wait for inputs from a user before it sends the digital image out. The processor can be connected to an interactive device such as a computer keyboard or computer mouse. The processor is adaptable to receive a user input in the form of an electronic mailing address and the processor can send the digital image out on the telecommunications line to the electronic mailing address. The processor produces a first screen on a computer monitor. The first screen has a field for entering the electronic mailing address, a field for entering a message, and a field for the digital image. The processor preferably sends the digital image to the E-mail address in postcard format with a geographical indication of where its from.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprised of:

a digital camera having an actuator and an output port;

a processor having a first input port connected to the digital camera, and a first output port;

a telecommunications line connected to the first output port of the processor;

wherein when the actuator of the digital camera is actuated the digital camera creates a first digital image and sends the first digital image to the first input port of the processor;

wherein the processor attaches a geographical indication to the first digital image to form a second digital image, the geographical indication indicating where the first digital image was taken by the digital camera;

wherein the processor sends the second digital image out via its first output port to the telecommunications line;

wherein the geographical indication is comprised of text specifying a geographical location;

and wherein the text specifying the geographical location is overlayed on top of the first digital image to form the second digital image.

2. An apparatus comprised of:

a digital camera having an actuator and an output port;

a processor having a first input port connected to the digital camera, and a first output port;

a telecommunications line connected to the first output port of the processor;

wherein when the actuator of the digital camera is actuated the digital camera creates a first digital image and sends the first digital image to the first input port of the processor;

wherein the processor attaches a geographical indication to the first digital image to form a second digital image, the geographical indication indicating where the first digital image was taken by the digital camera;

wherein the processor sends the second digital image out via its first output port to the telecommunications line;

wherein the geographical indication is comprised of a landmark indication;

wherein the landmark indication is comprised of text identifying the landmark; and

wherein the text identifying the landmark is overlayed on top of the first digital image to form the second digital image.

3. A method comprised of the steps of:

taking a first digital image with a digital camera;

attaching a geographical indication to the first digital image to form a second digital image, wherein the geographical indication indicates where the first digital image was taken by the digital camera; and

sending the second digital image out on a telecommunications line;

wherein the geographical indication is comprised of text specifying a geographical location; and

wherein the text specifying the geographical location is overlayed on top of the first digital image to form the second digital image.